The Natufian hearths from Jordan’s Black Desert invite a reframing of food history. Bread and beer were not simply by-products of agriculture; the desire for these transformed foods may have helped drive cultivation itself. They also remind us that ingenious, place-based foodways—wild grains, tubers, local milling, communal baking—were born in arid lands and basalt fields. As climate stresses grow, that lesson in resilience and resourcefulness from the deep past feels timely.
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For instance is your clean tech firm or company in wastewater treatment considering an office in Riyadh or should you stick with Dubai? Below is a curated spotlight on 20 firms that shine for their deep expertise and proven ability to manage the complex risks of sustainable energy investment.
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Other notable mud structures in the wider Muslim world include the Bob Dioulasso Grand Mosque in Burkina Faso, and the Khiva Wall in Uzbekistan, which is built around a collection of Islamic schools and mosques. The Siwa Oasis in Egypt (which we visited and posted about here) and the Eastern Castle in Syria have also employed mud bricks in their construction, and research shows that the famous walls of Jericho were built using sun-dried mud bricks.
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Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts amplify existing disputes. Water scarcity can fuel unrest, as seen in Iran’s Khuzestan protests, and can undermine fragile peace deals in post-conflict states like Libya and Yemen.
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From Ma’amoul to Couscous, why not try a new vegetarian dish from the Middle East and North Africa region this Ramadan? There are some dishes that evoke such strong memories of a festive occasion, that eating them any other time of the year feels wrong. For me, Qatayf (mini nut pancakes) and Mamoul (date cookies) […]
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Over 100 partners, including 37 tech companies, 11 countries and 5 international organizations, have joined forces with the UN under the Coalition for Environmentally Sustainable Artificial Intelligence, aiming to ramp up global momentum to place AI on a more environmentally sustainable path.
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Millions of people were displaced during the Syrian civil war, a conflict created by drought. Hundreds of thousands died. In the best scenario the world won't move to Europe or America. People around the world will be able to adapt in place.
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In ancient times in Syria kids were the potters
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London born and bred, Asma al-Assad, the first lady to the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, has announced she has acute myeloid leukemia.
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Afghanistan farm uses solar panels to pump water to the farm. Water management, climate change mitigation is needed to stop unrest, violence and conflict in the Middle East. The Taliban currently controls Afghanistan.
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Women in Afghanistan got the right to vote before women in countries like USA, France, Ireland, UK and Sweden?
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Malta criminalizes virginity testing.
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The Arab Energy Fund, previously known as the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), has announced a significant commitment of $1 billion to drive energy transition and decarbonization efforts.
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The Syrian president's wife, who has been accused of playing a major role in the crimes of her husband and his regime during Syria's 12-year war, can be seen picking flowers and smiling in photos shared in May by Agence France-Presse. She's now rebranding in China and the United Arab Emirates.
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The strong grey trunk, the wide velvety leaves, the sticky itchy white milk resin that leaks from the cracked leaves, its round crimson fruits with their bellies filled with honeyed goodness. In my opinion, nothing beats a fig tree.
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