The chosen topic is “The effectiveness of using Natural Gas for Vehicles (NGVs) as a Fuel Alternative in UAE”. The Government of Abu Dhabi have mandated Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to start the NGV project in Abu Dhabi. ADNOC is one of the world’s leading energy producers and a primary catalyst for the growth and diversification of the Abu Dhabi economy. With a production capacity of more than 3.5 million barrels of oil per day and 10.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (ADNOC Distribution). The project of NGV in Abu Dhabi includes NGV service stations as well as vehicle conversion centers where individuals are able to convert vehicles running on regular gasoline into vehicles that are able to adapt both regular fuel and natural gas. Currently, as per ADNOC there are over 5,000 NGV adapted vehicles in the United Arab Emirates and the number is increasing, whereas there are more than 22 million NGV vehicles are currently being run in more than 80 countries around the world. The Government of UAE and to be specific Abu Dhabi, has always looked for projects and initiative that could lead to reduction of green-house gases emissions; one of the main projects is Masdar City. Along with Masdar and a lot of environment-friendly projects and the NGV project which aims to reduce pollution. According to the Department of energy (DOE) in the United States; Natural Gas Compared with conventional gasoline light-duty vehicles (LDVs), natural gas LDVs generally reduce smog-producing pollutants by 60–90% (Argonne National Laboratory, 2011). However, there are some barriers to the NGV project and one of them is that currently in the car industry hybrid and full electric vehicles are creating a real threat not only to
NGVs but also conventional gasoline vehicle too. Ahmed Kian (Kiani, 2017) reveals that the trends show a yearly growth for manufacturers to prepare for high impact electric vehicle penetration in the global transport industry. Therefore, an evaluative research on the effectiveness of using NGVs in UAE could state whether this initiative is conventional or not.
Introduction
The current situation of global warming is considered to be a hot topic among authorities and governments these days. The green-house gases emissions are increasing daily and scientists are trying to find solutions and alternatives to produce clean energy which will save the environment. Maroa Semakula (2018) states that 92% of the carbon dioxide emissions is mainly caused by transportation. Therefore, here in the UAE the NGV project was introduced in order to contribute to reduce the pollution caused by transportation vehicles as Natural gas have a lower impact on the environment than petrol and diesel. Vehicles that convert to NGV will not only have lower pollution, in fact, they are safer and more economic as it is cheaper than both petrol and diesel. ADNOC reveals that for vehicles running on petrol, conversion does not take a lot of time and will require no engine modification. Adding to that all vehicle types could be converted to NGV including truck and heavy vehicles. The NGV project seems to be ideal, though, in order for it to make an impact and achieve its desired goal the project will need a solid infrastructure. As well as people attention will be required so that they can get awareness about this option and choose it instead of other options such as electric vehicles. Another barrier to the NGV project is that hybrid and electric vehicles are entering the transportation market strongly and they have almost zero emissions. Thus the effectiveness of the NGV project needs to be evaluated.

Rationale
Researching on the effectiveness of natural gas as an alternative of conventional gasoline will provide how effective is the project in the UAE and other countries with natural gas resources. Moreover, evaluating the effectiveness will provide additional information that can guide the authorities here in the UAE whether to invest and expand the infrastructure of natural gas vehicles or not by comparing it to other options available which aims to reduce emissions and pollution produced because of transportation. According to EPA (2020), United States Environmental Protection Agency between 1990 and 2018, green-house gases emissions in the transportation sector increased more in absolute terms than any other sector. The evaluation will show us how good is the NGV as an alternative economically, environmentally, and safety-wise. Adding to that, results will show us if using natural gas is the best alternative of fuel or there are other convenient methods such as using hybrid or full electric vehicles. Therefore, evaluating the effectiveness will increase and add to the research knowledge which is desired to protect the global environment from the high rate of carbon emissions.
Purpose:
The study will measure effectiveness of Natural Gas Vehicles project based on several factors such as cost, emission, and safety. How did ADNOC so far perform with the current 5,000 converted vehicles in terms of efficiency. The research will determine whether the investment to expand this project will be effective mainly to protect the environment by reducing emissions. Furthermore, the research will evaluate the challenges that lies as barriers to make NGVs work effectively and efficiently.
 
Literature Review
Searches were conducted in Google Scholar and HBMSU E-library for articles relevant to the adoption of natural gas as alternative fuel transport in the UAE. Selection criteria for the articles was based on their relevance to the study objectives.
The UAE has experienced exponential growth in the last few years. The rapid economic and financial development have resulted in an increase in energy consumption which means higher CO2 emissions (Sbia et al. 531). High dependence on private vehicles has led to many vehicles on Abu Dhabi roads and roads in other major cities in the UAE, such as Dubai and Sharjah (Qamhaieh and Chakravarty 805). In Dubai, private vehicles account for up to 76% of the transport modes, and this associates with accidents and traffic jams, and the increased pollution emission (Abouelhamd et al.7).
The transportation sector remains a key pillar for economic success as it contributes significantly to a any nation’s GDP. However, according to the article authored by Inambo, rapid growth in transportation, especially diesel vehiles, will definitely cause more environmental issues, including pollution in highly populated areas. High rates of ownership and use of private transport means weakening the ozone layer and climate change impacts, and thereofe efforts from authorities are needed to meet environmental demands (3187). Air pollution caused by transport sector is directly linked with decreased air quality (Lima 858). Air pollution related to the transport sector is a major health concern due to its contribution to the elevation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and nitrogen dioxide concentrations (Anenberg 6). Besides impacts on human health, PM emissions from the transport sector contribute to environmental decline. As evidenced by a case study conducted in China, the implementation of measures to control PM2.5 pollution in the road sector would benefit populations at risk of health impacts (Tian et al., 226).
Road transport-associated greenhouse gas emission continues to be a major concern in the UAE and other countires in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (Albuquerque et al.2023). Additionally, as a participant of the Paris agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UAE is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and with a special focus on road transport. Various strategies are currently being introduced to address environmental concerns associated with pollution from road transport.
Natural gas has been identified as a key fuel that could reduce GHG emissions that comes from the conventional engines, for that reason the need to promote it as an alternative fuel is critical (Engerer). Besides lower pollution emissions, choosing natural gas as a possible alternative to diesel and petrol is based on its abundance, vehicle durability, and lower cost (Semin 309). Studies have reported on the efficiency associated with the utilization of natural gas stations. One study reported that optimizing the on/off operation would minimize the compressor’s electricity consumption when using natural gas as a transport fuel (Kagiri et al. 2005). The environmental effort is not entirely new, as attempts to consume natural gas as a fuel for motor vehicles are already ongoing in China (Hao et al., 521). While the adoption of natural gas as an alternative is mainly driven by the need to shift to more environmentally modes of transport, adoption in countries such as India, China, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Pakistan, and the US, has been driven by the desire to be independent (Ye 5866). With the commitment to the Paris accord, more countries, besides the UAE, are expected to explore the usage natural gas as an alternative transport fuel.
An environmental policy that promotes transport sustainability is crucial so that natural gas could be adopted as an alternative to petrol and diesel. A study exposed that natural gas had a relatively low price when compared to petrol and diesel in Italy, however a major drawback to the adoption as a transport fuel was the lack of proper refueling network infrastrucutre and the lack of awareness and knowledge about natural gas characteristics (Di Pascoli et al.).
Besides technological innovation and infrastructure, policy plays a significant role in having or implementing the change. The changes required to effectively adopt natural gas as a replacement for diesel and petrol in the UAE require clear governments law. Findings of the study conducted in the UAE in 2016 showed that automotive customers were less likely to undertake the conversion of the vehicle engines from diesel or petrol-powered to natural gas-powered (Daabes et al.124). Therefore, the adoption of natural gas as an alternative fuel source requires efforts at a government level to enforce the change. With the knowledge that the energy sector is the most significant contributor to the GHC in the UAE, appropriate policy recommendations have been made to mitigate GHC emissions (Khondaker 1323).
Several policy instruments have been experimented to test their ability to drive the use of renewable energy resources, including proposals for lowering regulations at Emirates, the UAE, or gulf region level (Al-Amir and Abu-Hijleh 666). Control of natural gas prices to make the NGV vehicles attractive to the population can be included as a policy item to promote the purchase conversion of these vehicles, as demonstrated by the China experience (Hao et al., 531). The UAE also holds large deposits of natural gas, with one of the highest daily productions, accounting for up to 4% of the world’s natural gas deposits. The adoption of natural gas as a transport fuel in the UAE will likely result in cheaper energy for transport, in addition to the environmental benefits (Solarin and Ozturk 265).  
Reference:

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• Albuquerque, Francisco DB, et al. “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Road Transport Projects: Current Status, Benchmarking, and Assessment Tools.” Transportation Research Procedia 48 (2020): 2018-2030.
• Anenberg, Susan, et al. “A Global Snapshot of the Air Pollution-Related Health Impacts of Transportation Sector Emissions in 2010 and 2015.” International Council on Clean Transportation: Washington, DC, USA (2019).
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