Wind farm in Egyptian desert at Zafarana. (Image via windpowerworks.net) The Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) and Abu Dhabi’s green energy company, Masdar, signed a framework agreement on February 18th for a 200 megawatt wind power plant, slated for Egypt’s eastern coast near Suez. The project is the first collaborative venture between Egypt […]
The price a pedigree camel fetches could fuel a small town. Is it moral for camel races to continue, while much of the Arab world lives in poverty? Walk a mile for a camel? It certainly seems like rich people living in Abu Dhabi and other UAE states are more than willing to do this […]
Want to accelerate your solar idea and move more developments into the Middle East? The MENASOL conference in Cairo’s gathering a critical mass of opinion leaders, experts and financing personnel this May. In a part of the world where it can take centuries for there to be something new under the sun, Cairo will be […]
Ira reports on the World Future Energy Summit which he attended this January. The event hosted by Abu Dhabi is arguably the most important environment conference to fuel green change among Arab nations. Israel was not among the 36 countries to officially participate in the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi in January. Some […]
In a step towards preserve the wealth of its national animal and plant populations, Qatar will be setting up a gene bank of local species. Dr. Sheikh Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, the Director General for Research and Agricultural Development of Qatar’s Environmental Ministry, said that “Qatar has a precious legacy of flora and fauna […]
While many countries are taking pride in their sustainable of “green” building technologies, and LEED certification as we learn from Qatar, Israel may have gotten the upper hand by unveiling what it refers to as a “living building.” It even includes residency for local animals including porcupines. This new living-with-nature concept was inaugurated on January […]
Will Saudi Arabia’s IRENA Membership Help Influence Environmental Change? Saudi Arabia, a country which still contains much of the world’s remaining petroleum reserves, is now trying to put its environmental “money where its mouth is” by joining the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). In an article posted on January 17 in the UAE’s “The National” English news […]
Masdar City: What Renewable Energy Should Strive For When the 2010 World Future Energy Summit opened this week in Abu Dhabi, one of the primary goals of this year’s conference was to find more ways to rid the United Arab Emirates and other Middle East countries off their dependence on petroleum as a major energy supplier. The […]
In an historic move, for the first time Jerusalem sent an Israeli cabinet minister to Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates. With no diplomatic ties with Israel, National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau said that he did not meet with any Emirati officials while at the newly established International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reports AP. […]
The sunny MENA (Middle East- North Africa) region and its associated countries could solar power the world, Maurice reports. This map-maker left out Israel. Middle Eastern and North African countries, often referred to under the umbrella term MENA countries, have the potential to create more than 3 times the world’s power needs, according to a […]
Are the “Sons of the desert” doing their utmost to curtail climate change? One out of every 4 human beings on this planet is a Muslim. As such, are members of this planet’s largest religious group doing enough to combat the growing problems of global warming and climate change? Much of the world’s known petroleum reserves […]
More water than sand? It could happen one day in Saudi Arabia. This is something that would make Lawrence of Arabia turn in his grave: Recent studies are now showing that sand, once Saudi Arabia’s most common commodity (outside of oil) is now becoming almost as scarce as water. For those of you who are […]
Chickens won’t cluck at this: Aside from making life more comfortable for the hens, Agrotop’s henhouse incorporates wind and solar power, recycles wastewater, and even processes chicken waste into biofuel. Chicken is a consumer favorite all over the world, but many people aren’t happy with the way chicken arrives at their table – both from […]
Artist’s view of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City It all sounds very grandiose and really too good to be true, but a number of Persian Gulf states, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar are hoping to be able to satisfy a good portion of their massive energy needs through alternative and renewable energy sources, instead of […]
AECOM, a known global provider of technical and management support services, including many environmental projects, has now teamed up with the Ellerbe Beckett architectural firm, known for its environmentally designed building projects all over the world. AECOM is a Fortune 500 country with more than 44,000 employees. It is in involved in more than 100 […]