The Emirates Group, comprising Emirates airline and dnata, has published its seventh annual environmental report. The report outlines the group’s environmental performance for the financial year 2016-2017.
Audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the report presents environmental sustainability initiatives and performance data from a range of group activities covering airline operations, dnata’s cargo and ground handling businesses, and other commercial activities such as engineering and catering.
With 2017 being the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the group has linked its environmental priorities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help it focus better on where it can have the greatest impact.
“2016-17 was a particularly testing year, as we faced a series of social, economic and political events that erupted across our markets around the world. Consumer confidence and travel demand were hit by a series of shocks. Yet our strong track record, business foundation, and brand reputation have stood us in good stead, enabling us to weather these turbulent times,” said Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates airline and group.
“We are investing in our people, new systems, technologies, and infrastructure that will enable us to continue developing our business profitably and sustainably. Our journey to transform our business will open new opportunities to improve levels of resource efficiency, building up our business resilience to chart a path not just through the year ahead, but for the long-haul,” he added.
A key part of the group’s environmental strategy is operating an eco-efficient fleet, and during the year Emirates airline retired the last remaining Airbus A340s and A330s. It now only operates a passenger fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, and together with its Boeing 777 freighters, the average fleet age stands at 5.3 years, well below the industry average. A modern wide body fleet delivers lower engine and noise emissions, and offers customers a higher level of comfort.
“The group’s efforts during the year to enhance operational efficiency across the business also helped to reduce costs and its environmental impact. For example, a water-saving aircraft washing procedure introduced by Emirates Engineering will help save 11 million liters of water a year, while their energy efficiency projects, such as installing light emitting diode lighting in the hangars, are saving a substantial 237 megawatt-hours of electricity a month,” Emirates said in a press release.
Emirates Group releases 2016/17 annual environmental report
Emirates Group releases 2016/17 annual environmental report
World Defense Show 2026: KPMG highlights human capital as strategic defense asset
KPMG published a series of four white papers as official knowledge partner for the World Defense Show 2026, reinforcing its commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s ambition to build a sovereign, future-ready defense ecosystem grounded in integrated capability development, localization, and digital readiness.
As global defense priorities evolve from procurement-led models toward capability-driven ecosystems, one of the papers in the defense integration series highlights a clear inflection point for the sector. According to KPMG analysis, defense localization in Saudi Arabia has increased from around 4 percent in 2018 to 24.9 percent in 2024, with the Kingdom targeting 50 percent localization by 2030. At the same time, local content across the defense sector has reached 40.7 percent, up from 38.4 percent in 2023, reflecting deeper integration across procurement, industrial participation, technology adoption, and workforce development.
KPMG’s findings emphasize that modern defense power is no longer defined by platforms and equipment alone, but by the ability to design, operate, integrate, and sustain advanced systems at scale. While technology, infrastructure, and capital investment remain critical enablers, the firm’s WDS position paper highlights that defense transformation has a significant human-capital focus, recognizing that skills, data literacy, and local expertise are essential to maximizing the performance, resilience, and sovereignty of advanced defense capabilities.
Christopher Moore, head of defense and security, said: “Saudi Arabia’s defense transformation has a significant human-capital focus, alongside major investments in technology, equipment, and industrial capacity. The progress we are seeing in localization and local content demonstrates that the Kingdom is not only acquiring advanced systems, but also building the skills, institutions, and operating models required to sustain them. Through our partnership with the World Defense Show, KPMG is proud to contribute insight and frameworks that help translate Vision 2030 ambition into operational readiness.”
This human-capital perspective forms part of a broader KPMG defense thought-leadership series developed for WDS 2026, which examines defense transformation through multiple, interconnected pillars. These include accelerating sovereign defense ecosystems, integrating business and technology infrastructure, financing future deterrence through public-private partnerships, strengthening industrial and technological autonomy, and building a future-ready defense workforce — reflecting KPMG’s holistic view of defense as an integrated national ecosystem.
KPMG’s research also situates Saudi Arabia’s progress within a global economic context. International benchmarks cited in the firm’s WDS analysis show that every $1 billion in defense manufacturing output in the US supports approximately 5,700 jobs, while the UK defense sector contributes around £25 billion ($34.2 billion) to GDP and sustains 260,000 skilled jobs. Across the EU, defense industries employ more than 1.6 million people and generate approximately 70 billion euros ($82.9 billion) in annual value. KPMG notes that similar dynamics are beginning to emerge in Saudi Arabia as localization accelerates and private-sector participation expands.
To support measurable progress, KPMG has proposed a Defense Workforce Capability Index — a framework that links workforce outcomes directly to operational readiness. The index tracks localization rates, technical qualification levels in advanced and digital systems, and the share of maintenance and sustainment conducted domestically, aligning human-capital metrics with broader defense performance objectives.
Taking place in Riyadh from Feb. 8 to 12, the World Defense Show will bring together senior government leaders, defense manufacturers, and technology innovators from around the world. The other three papers in the defense integration series focus on sovereignty, financing and technology.
