UAE & Saudi Seek Whopping $1 billion for Solar
Two of the top four oil-producing OPEC members, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have joined forces in a push to secure $1 billion in funding for Middle East solar-power, Bloomberg reports.
Moroccan Governor Pushes to Legalize Marijuana
Beyond the Mediterranean coastline, northern Morocco’s mountains are pocked with small scale dope farms. The government has tried hard to eradicate them, to little effect, but one governor sees green in the “illicit” plants.
Four Tweets Get Female Kuwaiti Blogger Jailed for 20 Months
Kuwait didn’t earn a mention in the “worst countries for journalism” published by online ‘zine Foreign Policy, even though three of its Middle Eastern neighbors made the cut. But it should be named and shamed for the recent prosecution of a young microblogger.
If Saturn Were as Close to Earth as the Moon
Imagine looking out your window every day and seeing Saturn like this. In a recent photo series, space artist Ron Miller does the imagining for us by depicting this and other planets as if they were located as close to Earth as the Moon.
To the Dead Sea from the Red Sea Looks To Be Dead
Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation and Agriculture, Hazim Al Naser, disclosed that the controversial Red-Dead Water Conveyor project may now be shelved in favor of a series of smaller schemes to provide the kingdom with drinking water. His statements mark the first time that a ranking official questioned the project’s viability. Al Naser spoke […]
Dubai’s Outdoor Workers Get Solar-Powered Cooling Hats!
Employers in Gulf countries often come under fire for making their employees work during hot summer days, when temperatures regularly hit the 40°C or 100°F mark, so the Dubai municipality came up with a curious solution.
Better Place EV Buyers are Late with Their Bill
Sunrise Ltd, the court-appointed new owners of Israel’s Better Place electric vehicle company, now known as Green EV, is struggling to pay the company’s liquidators, and other potential buyers are asking the courts to reassign assets. Green EV is having a hard time paying off its bills, and that is surprising? Step in for a […]
Israeli Kobi Levi Still Designing Outrageous Footwear
Olive Oyl is so much more than a 1930’s cartoon character, she was my first role model. This dark-haired skinny-bones with the giant feet was a working woman and single mom who always had two muscle-bound sailors fighting over her. What a welcome relief from Malibu Barbie! So when I spotted a set of bulbous […]
Palestine’s First Bike Lane in Jericho Brings Oldest City Up to Speed
Biking enthusiasts in Palestine have welcomed the construction of the first cycle lane in the Palestinian territories on the main road leading from Jericho to Jerusalem. The 1,200-metre two-way cycle lane on the west side of Jerusalem Street in Jericho was completed in July at a cost of 179,000 euros and will be formally opened […]
Burj Doha and Qatar’s First Vertical Garden (Photos)
Cousin to the world’s tallest building, the rounded silhouette of Burj Doha soars over the capital of Qatar’s skyline. Designed by Jean Nouvel, it is the first building in the emirate with a vertical garden, and check out that modern mashrabiya.
“Spit” Samples Indicate that Cell Phones Damage DNA
Scientists have long been worried about the possible harmful effects of regular cellular phone use, but so far no study has managed to produce clear results. Currently, cell phones are classified as carcinogenic category 2b — potentially carcinogenic to humans — by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A new Tel Aviv University […]
Radio Waves Carry News of Climate Change
The ionosphere, one of the regions of the upper atmosphere, plays an important role in global communications. Ionized by solar radiation, this electricity-rich region is used for the transmission of long wave communications, such as radio waves. Now Prof. Colin Price of Tel Aviv University (he discovered the link between lightning and climate change) has […]
Hijab Culture for Islamic Clothing in the Sustainable Fashion Limelight
Long sustainably-made silk robes, vibrant headscarves fro organic cotton, and intricate lace face veils paint a modest, underground and mystical picture of Muslim fashion. Despite the modest nature of Islamic clothing designed to honour the religion, Muslim attire is adorned with bright designs, bold colours and stunning materials. In recent years Islamic clothing has taken […]
Climate Change in the Arab World – a New Blog
We are absolutely thrilled to announce the launch of a new blog that will devote itself to climate change in the Arab world, a looming disaster that has been eclipsed by the rather more dramatic social and political events dominating the region’s discourse.
Middle East’s Largest Mural Was Carved Out of Cement
We tend to lean away from cement as much as possible given its super high embodied energy content, but we can’t help but admire this phenomenal mural carved out of the material and cast in bronze by Khaleel Abu Haltam.