Sleek, green and probably expensive; GM’s extended range ELR will soon be coming off assembly lines The love for expensive and unique cars in many parts of Middle East is something we love to cover, including such models a white gold Mercedes sports coupes running on biofuel, and a white gold Bentley said to actually […]
Gulf conservation groups have teamed up with National Geographic Al Arabiya to showcase 100 stunning images of Arabian species The Gulf countries of the Middle East may be more famous for their outlandish construction projects, endless deserts and malls than their biodiversity but one art exhibition is hoping to change all that. A large coalition […]
These innocuous-looking pellets release deadly fumes that killed a young IT professional in Dubai last week. This is the second pesticide-related tragedy we are covering this week. A few days ago, no fewer than 15 top racing camels in Qatar died after their breeder administered a toxic chemical to their skin, which the owner blames […]
Water trouble has forced residents at Dubai’s man-made Palm Island to wash in the sea and use toilets at shopping malls The sustainability and usefulness of Dubai’s artificial palm-shaped Island has been widely debated but I think a recent problem at one luxury complex has ironically helped raise awareness of how difficult life can be […]
When is energy-intensive desalination a last resort? One of humankind’s worst tragedies is currently unfolding in the Horn of Africa, and it is caused by the absence of water. Two years of failed rain, and subsequent drought and famine, is responsible for the daily deaths of roughly 2,000 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. According to […]
Ford has appointed The Green Sheikh (right) as the Ambassador to their generous environmental grants program. Already a columnist for Green Prophet and a roaming environmentalist whose Ramadan post sent bright green ripples throughout the Muslim world, the Sheikh from Ajman known for his eco-sensitivities has taken on yet another major role. And no, he hasn´t […]
There’s a lot of buzz about overfishing, but navigating what is sustainable to eat is not so easy in the Middle East, where we don’t have such well-established research institutes as the Monterey Bay Institute in California. Luckily, we do have the WWF-EWS in the United Arab Emirates, which has been doing an excellent job […]
The Green Sheikh appropriately devotes this month’s column to the environmental and social benefits of Ramadan. Every year more than 1.6 billion people around the world celebrate the amazing holy month of Ramadan, (learn how to green your holy month) fasting from dawn to dusk, abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations. Only those who are […]
Since 2007, land dedicated to organic greenhouse farming across the United Arab Emirates has increased by 15 percent Despite some debate over the carbon-footprint of locally grown food when using desalinated water, it is widely accepted that growing your own food locally is better and greener than shipping it in from all corners of the […]
Lack of space in urban environments often means that farming opportunities are limited, but a technique of farming indoors and upwards may resolve this problem Over a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend an event featuring Dickson Despommier, the grandfather of vertical farming. As Green Prophet editor Karin explains in an interview with […]
In a moment of unabashed self-aggrandizement, Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan from Abu Dhabi commissioned beach graffiti visible from space. We have nothing against Sheikhs per se. A member of Ajman’s royal family, HRH Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Al Nuami, also known as the Green Sheikh (who knows how to treat a lady), has […]
As Masdar’s partnership program gains traction in the London Thames estuary, the company is mooting wind power back home – in Abu Dhabi. Masdar is on target to complete the world’s largest offshore wind farm in London’s Thames estuary by the end of 2012. In partnership with the Danish firm Dong Energy and E. ON […]
Sheikh Abdul Aziz introduces ECOFFEE founder Norman Cescut, who describes three “amazing” days spent with the man we call “The Green Sheikh.” Through social media, ECOFFEE Founder Norman Cescut was following my various ecological trips worldwide, and soon asked me if I was interested in doing sustainable business with him. I told him: “it is […]
McDonalds is poised to recycle all of its vegetable oil from UAE branches into 100% biodiesel. In conjunction with Dubai-based Neutral Fuels, LLC, McDonalds UAE has committed to converting all of its used vegetable oil into a biofuel. Neutral Fuels LLC is the first commercial producer of 100 per cent biodiesel in the Middle East. […]
We speak to the Emirates Diving Association about why they accepted funding from the gas-guzzling car manufacturer Ford Motors The Emirates Diving Association (EDA) based in Dubai has been working hard over the last couple of years to protect the marine environment, collect data to track changes in coral reefs in the United Arab Emirates […]