With Dubai’s property sector still in crisis, many predict the end for real estate glitz and the start of a more modest UAE Whilst the Gulf states continue with business as usual by supporting fuel subsides in order to avoid political unrest, there are some areas of luxury in the Gulf which will have to […]
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, VP for UAE & ruler of Dubai, presented South Korean President Lee Myung-bak with the Zayed Environmental Prize. Named after the late UAE President Sheikh Zayed, the $1 million Zayed Environmental prize is awarded biannually to political leaders, scientists, and activists who are leading the way in sustainable initiatives. Najib Saab, the […]
Along with 70 other environmental advocates, journalists, scientists, and other concerned citizens, Dana Al Hammadi is en route to Antarctica on an awareness-raising mission. Dana Al Hammadi is an inspiration to women everywhere. Thirty-seven years old and a mother to five children, she has embarked on one of the most important trips of her lifetime […]
The Green Sheikh, who attended the event, encouraged everyone to get out of their comfort zones to help create a more sustainable UAE The main problem with a lot of green events and green conferences is that they end up preaching to the choir. The green-savvy will attend to learn more but it’s very hard […]
Irina Forster is one of 186 new professionals qualified to oversee building projects according to the Estidama Pearl Rating system. Rola questions – with good reason – whether Arab governments are sincere about sustainability. While certain of them such as Qatar and Abu Dhabi are making some effort to reconcile their fossil addiction, others continue to […]
When the PRT plan at Masdar was scrapped, what exactly did we lose? The folks at Singularity Hub offer an interesting analysis of Masdar’s PRT failure. Why is it, David Hill wonders out loud, that we have made massive advancements in telecommunications but precious few in transportation? Masdar gave us the perfect opportunity to take the next […]
This female Bald Eagle may be saved – but what about others? Bald Eagles, longtime American symbols of strength and independence, are now fighting for their very survival in Canada due to their main food source, chum salmon, being scarce due to pollution and over fishing. Chum salmon are salmon which after fighting the river […]
This story makes our hearts sing! Taking the threat of plastic bags seriously, Abu Dhabi is preparing for the 2013 total ban with a plastic-free weekend. Residents of the United Arab Emirates use 11.6 billion plastic bags every year. That’s 11.6 billion camel-killing, toxin-oozing, non-biodegradable bags that choke our water ways and blight beautiful places. […]
How governments respond to water woes will determine the future stability of the Middle East. It’s impossible to point to any one issue and claim it as the final explanation for the protests unnerving leaders in the Middle East. Weeks ago one Tunisian man set himself on fire when he was told he couldn’t sell […]
Robert Ferry and Elizabeth Monoian working in their Abu Dhabi Studied Impact Design studio. Robert Ferry and Elizabeth Monoian have made the United Arab Emirates their home, for which we are very grateful. Their teachings, their design studio Studied Impact, and their public initiatives such as the internationally-acclaimed Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) have coincided […]
Plans to create a local cleantech industry drove part of Masdar’s ecotopian vision. That may be changing. According to bidding documents obtained by Bloomberg News, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC) is about to decide on the awarding of Masdar’s second 100 MW solar project, for completion in 2013. ADFEC is a private joint […]
Abu Dhabi plans to best the US with a bigger, greener line of zero-emission buses. Abu Dhabi never ceases to amaze us with their growing emissions reduction initiatives. A couple of their most recent developments include the sewage-fed forest and solar-powered recycling bins. While the emirate occasionally produces environmental hazards such as the bejeweled Christmas […]
Who knew? Now you can get sushi and organic food delivered to your home, from Masdar City. But there is a caveat. When we think of Masdar City, we think of solar power and funky space-buildings. We think of desert and withering heat. And perhaps we dream that one day this city will be completed […]
Nabito Architects in Barcelona are negotiating with Abu Dhabi engineers to build these stunning sustainable skyscrapers. Dubai’s skyline is going to look increasingly dull compared to what is planned for Abu Dhabi. In addition to Masdar City and the Lunar Cubit energy-generating pyramids that won the Land Art Generator Initiative’s 2010 design competition, a new […]
WikiLeaks show the Saudis overestimated their oil reserves by about 40% – the US is worried. As the largest exporter of crude oil, Saudi Arabia has kept international oil prices reasonably steady. Until now. The recent instability in the region coupled with overambitious estimates and slowing production has cast serious doubt on the country’s ability […]