Design

The Shard is getting a neighbor and Qatar is footing the bill

There was great hullabaloo when The Shard was completed just one year ago. Not only was it financed by Qatar, but the 306 meter...

Offshore crescent-shaped moons and modular land buildings for futuristic metropolis in the UAE

Luca Curci architects have designed a concept for a futuristic metropolis in the United Arab Emirates that is comprised of modular "organic" buildings on land and offshore crescent-shaped "moons."

Ex-Israeli soldier designs a brilliant collapsible camping grill

A former soldier in the Israeli Defense Force, Roee Magdassi knows how bulky and unsteady camping grills can be. Now a student at the Bezalel Academy...

These houses shade with sliding Islamic shutters

Dom Arquitectura designed 4 Houses in Jeddah, a large city in western Saudi Arabia, where summer temperatures often surpass 109 °F. Hit the jump to...

Watch Qatar’s Palm Tower Burn Down to the Ground

We're not the biggest fans of all the Middle East's skyscrapers - the Burj Khalifa, the Kingdom Tower coming to Saudi and other soaring glass...

Calatrava’s Sharq Crossing adds 3 bridges and an elevated park to Doha’s skyline

Renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, who is most famous for his spectacular bridges, has unveiled a radical new design for three bridges and an elevated...

Gorgeous green-roofed Ostim Eco Park is an incubator for clean tech in Turkey

A central hub of innovation is great for incubating clean tech breakthroughs. Abu Dhabi has Masdar City, Saudi Arabia has KAUST, and Turkey will...

Alchemist Lauren Bowker’s clothes change with climate

Alchemist Lauren Bowker has created an ink that changes color based on the environment around it. She impregnates her dye into fabric and feathers,...

Ditch Etsy for CIRQY, the Middle Eastern Alternative

We love Etsy as much as anyone, but we also feel it is our duty to support local efforts to collate cool design, handmade...

Beirut Art Center Exposes Emerging Lebanese Artists (and Missing Nipples)

A provocative installation by Lebanese graphic designer Wael Kodeih aims to challenge cyber censorship. Part of the fifth annual Exposure exhibition now at the...

‘A Palace for Nature’ kills the idea that rich Arabs aren’t green

Living large isn't sustainable, at least that is what most green hearts tend to believe, but Sanzpont Arquitectura disagrees. Invited to participate in an...

IKEA’s flatpack homes for refugees get a reluctant OK from Lebanon

Lebanon's government has finally agreed to a trial run of IKEA's prefabricated flatpack homes designed for refugees, but they're not excited about it. The prefab...

10 sustainable online shopping tips to tick the Triple Bottom Line

Pressured to knock off your Christmas shopping? Need a uniquely sustainable gift?  Online marketplaces Etsy and Dawanda let you browse quirky, handmade items without...

Grow a Middle Eastern Beard in Under 2 Hours! [knit pattern]

I'll bet snow-capped pine trees and ice-crusted cars don't spring to mind when you think of the Middle East, but that's what we're seeing...

Shigeru Ban’s Design Souq pavilion is made entirely of cardboard in Abu Dhabi

Residents of Abu Dhabi might be familiar with buildings made from palm leaves and earth, but cardboard? Legendary Japanese architect Shigeru Ban built Design...

Hot this week

Art from Oman at the Venice Biennale

Oman is returning to the Venice Biennale with Zīnah, an immersive installation by artist and curator Haitham Al Busafi that transforms a traditional form of horse adornment into a large-scale sensory experience.

Korean researchers create battery from greenhouse gases

Professor Ji-Soo Jang, in collaboration with Professor Taekwang Yoon of Ajou University and Professor Hansel Kim of Chungbuk National University, has developed a novel energy device that generates electricity during the process of capturing greenhouse gases.

SunZia comes online and America’s 11B, and largest renewable project begins wind power

The impact is already being felt. California has broken its wind generation record multiple times in recent weeks as SunZia begins feeding electricity into the grid. It’s a glimpse of what a renewable-powered future could look like when large-scale infrastructure finally comes online. Can we start saying goodbye to Saudi Aramco and Arabian Gulf oil? 

Married People Have Lower Cancer Risk, But the Reason is Complex

According to the research, cancer risk was 68% higher in never-married men and 85% higher in never-married women.

40 more migratory animals need protecting, warns UN group

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), governments agreed to extend protection to 40 more migratory species, from cheetahs and striped hyenas to snowy owls, giant otters, and great hammerhead sharks. Too many of them are slipping toward extinction .

Topics

Art from Oman at the Venice Biennale

Oman is returning to the Venice Biennale with Zīnah, an immersive installation by artist and curator Haitham Al Busafi that transforms a traditional form of horse adornment into a large-scale sensory experience.

Korean researchers create battery from greenhouse gases

Professor Ji-Soo Jang, in collaboration with Professor Taekwang Yoon of Ajou University and Professor Hansel Kim of Chungbuk National University, has developed a novel energy device that generates electricity during the process of capturing greenhouse gases.

SunZia comes online and America’s 11B, and largest renewable project begins wind power

The impact is already being felt. California has broken its wind generation record multiple times in recent weeks as SunZia begins feeding electricity into the grid. It’s a glimpse of what a renewable-powered future could look like when large-scale infrastructure finally comes online. Can we start saying goodbye to Saudi Aramco and Arabian Gulf oil? 

Married People Have Lower Cancer Risk, But the Reason is Complex

According to the research, cancer risk was 68% higher in never-married men and 85% higher in never-married women.

40 more migratory animals need protecting, warns UN group

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), governments agreed to extend protection to 40 more migratory species, from cheetahs and striped hyenas to snowy owls, giant otters, and great hammerhead sharks. Too many of them are slipping toward extinction .

When peace returns, will we rediscover Saudi Arabia’s mud-brick soul?

When the region settles after the American war with Iran, and it will, American and European travelers will come back. Not just for spectacle or headline projects, but for places that feel real. Places that haven’t been engineered to impress and which get into your soul. We predict that visitors to Saudi Arabia will want to see places like Rijal Alma.When the region settles after the American war with Iran, and it will, American and European travelers will come back. Not just for spectacle or headline projects, but for places that feel real. Places that haven’t been engineered to impress and which get into your soul. We predict that visitors to Saudi Arabia will want to see places like Rijal Alma.

A baking soda trick could help clean “forever chemicals” from our water

“Forever chemicals” like the ones ejected by Lulelemon yoga pants into strategic areas don’t go away. They don’t break down in nature, and once they’re in water, soil, or our bodies, they tend to stick around. But scientists at Florida International University think they’ve found a smarter way to deal with them, and it uses something as simple as pH.

Koh Phangan’s angels for the dogs and the cats

Koh Phangan may be known for yoga, detox retreats, and full moon parties, but beyond the curated paradise lies a different reality—one of injured stray animals and the quiet work of rescue. This story explores PACS (Phangan Animal Care for Strays), a grassroots animal shelter tackling overpopulation, disease, and neglect on the island. Through firsthand experience with teens, it reveals how meaningful travel, volunteerism, and compassion offer a deeper kind of healing—far from the Instagram version of paradise.
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