Artwork celebrating Saudi Arabia was installed on the site of New York’s World Trade Center last week, near the 9/11 memorial to the 2,763 victims of the attack on the towers. So what’s the problem with sweet sculptures? Recall that 15 of the 19 hijackers who carried out those terror attacks were Saudi citizens. Immediate […]
When wandering in the streets and piazzas of Rome, it is always a surprise to encounter Egyptian obelisks and Pharaonic monuments, reminders of the ancient links between Egypt and Rome. However, it is even more exciting to visit the prestigious Egyptian Academy, a cultural facility established near Rome’s Villa Borghese, next to a group of […]
Maybe you want to be like the moneyless man and live off the grid? Or maybe you want to scale down and buy into the tiny home dream? Interested in finding land for sale in order to build your dream home? Tired of renting in the city and looking for a way to become a […]
Gone are the days when Dubai would attract only pearl merchants and British marines, remaining for the rest of the world an obscure land populated by exotic people almost sprung from the pages of Scheherazade’s tales. Now the city is so flooded with inquisitive foreign faces that Emiratis themselves seem to be hard to come […]
The environment of your home is essential. It appeals to almost all of our stresses. The design influences how we perceive the room. The smells can create a state of relaxation and draw people into a particular room. The environment isn’t limited to the inside of your house but includes the exterior as well. How […]
Not so long ago the dream vacation included a sail around Italy or a cruise around the Greek Isles. As adventurers become better travelled they look to novel destinations not covered widely in travel books or in Hollywood movies. One of those secret places, unspoilt nature, lovely locals, with a European vibe is Croatia. There […]
Mentalist Uri Geller is building a museum in the world’s most ancient port city, Jaffa. When they start digging, an ancient olive soap factory is unearthed. The impressive masbena – or soap-manufacturing factory – dates back to the nineteenth century was discovered along with several large underground chambers. “Our work on the museum required, among […]
The world’s largest indoor waterfall is under construction in Singapore’s new Jewel Changi Airport extension. Designed by Safdie Architects, the spheroid-shaped dome will be a new luxury lifestyle destination at one of the busiest airports on the planet, featuring 134,000 square meters of facilities including airport services, indoor gardens, shopping and leisure attractions – including a […]
The Jameel Prize 5 will be on exhibit from 28 June through 25 November, 2018 at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It’s the international award for contemporary design inspired by Islamic tradition. As befits artworks that are out of this world, let’s quote American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who recently tweeted, “Bears repeating: Creativity that satisfies & […]
The soaring architectural sets featured in the blockbuster Black Panther were inspired in large part by the sensuous designs of Zaha Hadid, according to the film’s production designer Hannah Beachler.
Dubai’s first 3D-printed villas will open in April. The project is part of the city’s 3D Printing Strategy which aims to recast Dubai as the world’s 3D printing hub by the year 2030. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched this unique global initiative […]
Plans were announced today for the new Deira Mall in Dubai, which will be the largest in terms of leasable space in the entire United Arab Emirates (UAE). Development of the largest mall in the Middle East presents a blank canvas on which the developers could paint a green masterpiece, but there is not a […]
It goes without saying that improving your home with all the latest eco-friendly gadgets is something seriously worth considering. If everyone can do their bit then we’ll protect the world for that little bit longer. However, there is plenty to consider when it comes to upgrading your home, and it’ll vary from homeowner to homeowner […]
In 2006, former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, released “The Inconvenient Truth”. Gore attempted to bring greater knowledge to citizens of the world of the seismic threat of Global Warming. That same year, a pioneering project which was set to cost circa $22 billion was envisioned for Abu Dhabi. See draft of […]
Bathrooms. It’s my favorite room in the house. It’s where I do my best singing, my best thinking, and my best cleaning. It’s also the room where we might get caught up in using a lot of cleaning products. Because bathrooms tend to be tiled and keep clean, we don’t need to worry as much […]
Today, we are in the unfortunate situation where the only thing we associate with the Middle East is political turmoil, strife, and extremism. However, this transcontinental region that spans so many different nations, languages, landscapes is steeped in history, culture, and even features a few of the world’s wonders. It’s easy to forget all about […]
Fifteen years ago the coral reef was still healthy in the Red Sea city of Eilat. I’d swim and snorkel there hand in hand with my love S. There were even wild dolphins swimming freely to their sanctuary around ships passing through the port city connecting Israel’s southernmost city to the Indian Ocean. But local […]
You know us. We are dreaming of Mars daily. But for most of us, getting there will only be a dream. But you can live out the fantasy close to where the film The Martian was shot –– by staying in Freedomes owned by the SunCity Camp in Jordan. The site offers one of 20 geodesic domes for […]
Green is sort of a buzzword nowadays. People will say they are going green (like Zaha Hadid), but are they as good as their word? Usually not. In the world of Middle Eastern architecture and engineering, rest assured that there are several who are fighting for green choices. Clients often see lots of green – […]
Three years ago, Qatar won the right to be the first Middle Eastern country to host a World Cup in 2022; after much speculation, FIFA’s Secretary General Jerome Valcke publicly ruled out the possibility that the competition will take place in summer. Since winning the bid with designs of spectacular solar-powered stadiums, the Emirate has insisted […]
Just about everyone learned in their early geography classes that the Nile Valley was once a fertile haven. Crops proliferated on the green banks due to natural flooding that deposited rich nutrients, although occasionally these floods inundated and destroyed crops as well, and the land of the Pharaohs was a mecca for agriculture. But when […]
Hassan Fathy, an Egyptian architect saw the value of natural building long before it became a fad in the west. Green Prophet has railed against projects like Dubai Burj Tower. We have pounded our chests at the audacity of Masdar City’s “zero” footprint claim, and we have decried the potential consequences of unsustainable approaches to […]
Ten miles from Mexico, nestled in a humid valley in Arizona we arrive in Canelo for a straw bale building workshop. This is a place where 11 year olds drive, breakfast with songstress Linda Ronstadt is not uncommon, and people from all walks of life share a common ground. The workshop hosts, Bill and Athena […]
