The plastic bag story isn’t over yet, but it’s definitely on the right track. United Arab Emirates’ residents are awash with excitement over the Ministry of Environment and Water’s moves to ban conventional plastic bags by 2013. And so they should be. Plastic bags are the bane of natural existence. They leach toxic materials into […]
Tolga Soytekin may not look like an Eco Maid, but his new Dubai-based business is pretty darn green. When a close friend became pregnant several years ago, and he introduced pets into his Dubai home, Tolga Soytekin began to search for environmentally-friendly cleaning products. A few years down the road and post-economic crash, that search […]
Outside temperatures often reach into the mid-fifties (celsius!) during Middle East summers. Construction workers feel the heat. Behind every glamorous building in Dubai are hundreds of mostly South Asian workers. Yesterday, during a ten kilometer city hike from the Burj Khalifa to Bur Dubai, the quality of life for nearly half of the Emirate’s population […]
A sedated leopard cub less than two months old was among a variety of animals stashed in a suitcase bound for Dubai. Along with a monkey, gibbon, and bear, two sedated leopard cubs were found in an Emirati man’s suitcase at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand. All of the animals were younger than two months old. […]
Apart from the frigid air-conditioned buildings, there is another reason to ditch the little black dress when in Dubai. No one loves the ugly American who criticizes smaller French portions, the evangelist who pushes their unchecked religious euphoria down everyone’s throat, or the girls who walk around half naked in Dubai. Although there exists enormous […]
Despite its numerous environmental challenges, Egypt can go green, according to Dominique Gauzin-Müller. It’s hard not to compare Dubai and Cairo – two cities that occupy many of our worried green thoughts. Although different on so many levels, one thing stands out: despite being relatively young and stroppy, Dubai is definitely the cleaner city. Sure, […]
Tafline in Dubai shark market: “Sharks piled up in the back of a truck along with a spade and rebar.” The locals are proud to pose with their dead sharks, rays, and barracudas. Many of them will even open the shark’s mouth for dramatic effect. “Picture, picture,” they said repeatedly as Jacques Van Wyk, a […]
In order to reduce their energy consumption, hundreds of buildings are being connected to Pacific Control Cloud Systems’ M2M technology. Over one hundred buildings in Dubai are latching onto Pacific Control Systems’ machine-to-machine energy efficiency technology every day. In order to combat the outside temperatures, most businesses, restaurants, and universities crank their A/C units so […]
The Managing Director of dwp design in the United Arab Emirates discusses Abu Dhabi’s future at the opening day of Interiors UAE. Abu Dhabi is in a fantastic position to design for the people, according to a leading design professional. Brian Hillesdon, the Managing Director of dwp design in the UAE discussed Dubai’s uni-fuctional building […]
A greenie examines her soul at the foot of hundreds of Dubai towers. Dubai is nothing at all like Las Vegas. Though both are unlikely cities in waterless environs and full of people eager to divest visitors of both their souls and their money, that is where their likeness ends. As a tour leader for […]
Mostly concerned expatriates snag bean bags ahead of The End of the Line screening outside the Pavilion Dive Center in Dubai. A dead dugong was found floating in the Gulf waters near the artificial island development Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai on 2 May, 2011. Listed as vulnerable on the International Union of Conservation’s (IUCN) […]
Come sun or more sun, Sabeen Ahmed intends to keep growing the Middle East’s first fair trade store. Along with other vendors, Sabeen Ahmed set up her little eco-booth for the first time at Masdar City’s Street Fair and Organic Market last Friday. The first to introduce Fair Trade to the Middle East, she normally […]
Founding director of Property Development at the Masdar Initiative, Khaled Awad claims that fuel and water subsidies preclude meaningful sustainable development. Green building won’t be viable until the United Arab Emirates end water and fuel subsidies, according to Khaled Awad. The founding director of Property Development at the Masdar Initiative and co-founder of Grenea, a […]
Tafline finally gets to sink her teeth into the United Arab Emirates’ eco-scene, and wants to meet all the groovy green folks during her three week stay! Yours truly is touring the United Arab Emirates’ green scene on Green Prophet’s behalf and wants to see you! After a very brief but incredibly well-serviced flight from […]
UAE high school students have a chance to flex their eco-blogging muscles for Green Prophet’s writing competition. Green Prophet is launching a blogging competition for green-minded UAE students. In order to encourage students to think about environmental issues in the Emirates and the role that they play in improving them, we are inviting students from across […]