Egypt is putting out a request for formal bids for wind farms to produce a staggering 2,690 Megawatts (2.7 GW) of electricity by 2016. At 80 million, Egypt already has the highest population in the Arab world, and it is growing fast economically, with over 6.5% growth expected this year. Its demand for electricity, understandably, […]
A gigantic electricity network would link electric grids throughout the Middle East and extend them much further in a massive infrastructure investment in a smart grid. At a press conference in the Cairo office on Saturday, Mohie Eddin said the World Bank is considering a smart grid plan that would link the eastern Arab states, […]
Before you pick up your sweetheart’s flowers this years, check first to find out where they come from. Only one month before Valentine’s day, when thousands of women are expected to swoon over after a last minute pitch to be romantic, Egypt will host the world’s leading flower producers at a three day long exhibition. […]
A vulture fitted with Tel Aviv University tags was “arrested” in Saudi Arabia. The charge? Espionage. Fitting migratory birds with tags and GPS transmitters allows ornithologists and other researchers to track their migration. Important questions are answered: where do the birds fly? Where do they rest? How far do they travel. Dubai researchers recently tagged […]
New regulations in Egypt will prevent from fraudsters from falsifying inorganic food. Organic agriculture is not so widespread in the Middle East. There are certain places in Israel that belong to the WWOOFing network, while Dubai creeps along with farms that unfortunately rely on desalination for their water. Turkey too is heading in that direction, […]
Egypt is planning ahead for climate change with a new generation of wheat. This declaration raises some questions about its intent for Sudan. Following the drought in Russia, Egypt’s resultant shortage of wheat, and high summer temperatures throughout the Middle East, the Egyptian Agriculture Ministry is taking steps to avert another potential wheat shortfall. Faced […]
Once considered an aphrodisiac drink, true sahlab is now becoming rarer. Sahlab, based on an increasingly rare orchid, is a popular winter drink all over the Levant, like hot almond milk. The tubers of Orchis macula are boiled, dried, then ground to a gray powder that, cooked in milk, makes a creamy drink something like […]
Desperation and an entrenched car-culture is pushing Cairenes towards outlandish solutions to their hellish traffic congestion In the bursting-at-the-seams megacity of Cairo, it seems that there is no escaping the traffic. Roads grind to standstill for hours most days and the traffic jams are only getting worse as the Egyptian population simultaneously heads to Cairo […]
Three years of extra snow has weakened Ireland’s salt stocks, demonstrating an overall lack of preparedness for the effects of climate change. Outline of Birket Maraqi salt lake in the oasis of Siwa, Egypt Facebook status updates from the UK read like this: “go away snow”, “does anyone know if its safe to drive to […]
Egypt finally harnesses a power that it understood centuries ago Egypt now has one of the very first entire towns in the world to be powered exclusively with solar power. And actually, it is a pair of towns, so it is a world first. The two villages were not previously on the national grid. Oum […]
Do wind turbines cool crops below? In a new study with applications for the Middle East, a pair of US researchers finds wind turbines could help to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture, during the hotter summers that we expect in our future. We already know that wind power is a way […]
From snow leopards to the Pakistani sand cat: The vast deserts, rough mountains and scarce waterways of the Middle East are home to many unique animals. Enjoy these 8 unique exquisite Middle Eastern mammals, birds and reptiles threatened with extinction because of hunting, loss of habitat, lack of prey, or poisoning. Share them with your […]
Everybody wants a greener Cairo, but residents don’t trust the government’s compensation plans. The Egyptian government can’t consistently strongarm elections and beat certain citizens to death and then expect its constituents to fall down with gratitude when their first serious green plan is rolled out. Especially when thousands of people will be pushed out of […]
With so many flat roofs across the Middle East, surely the region is ripe for a bit of rooftop gardening? Recent reports that people in the Gaza Strip are embracing rooftop gardening has got us thinking about the urban gardening phenomena and it’s relevance to the Middle East. Whilst growing your own maybe something greenies […]
American University in Cairo’s new campus was designed for efficient energy and water usage. Most observers would not think of Egypt as an environmental leader. Instead, the smog and litter of Cairo come to mind, or the negative environmental impact of the Aswan Dam. Yet we recently reported here that Egypt ranks No. 1 in […]