Built on the profits of oil, should Masdar hold the mantle of energy leadership for the world? Yosef asks. According to the Masdar City website, the undertaking is intended to be Abu Dhabi’s “multi-faceted response to the challenges facing a sustainable future.” The city, intended to house 50,000 residents in a kind of technosphere designed […]
Not in the Pacific, but near Abu Dhabi: Bu Tinah island is small paradise for birds and marine life Increasing salinity and higher water temperatures may be causing problems for wildlife in many parts of the Persian Gulf. But in one location at least on Abu Dhabi’s Bu Tinah islands, located 130 km west of the […]
Solar field at Kuraymat, Egypt is now fully assembled. Image via changents.com Ra, the sun god of the ancient Egyptians, would be proud: Egypt’s first large-scale solar thermal facility is nearing completion. A parabolic trough solar field, incorporating nearly 2,000 collector units and covering 130,000 square meters, has been installed at the Kuraymat project site, […]
The scenic countryside in Hail, Saudi Arabia to become part of the largest eco-park in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is probably not on your list of dream vacation spots – especially if you’re a woman traveller, or want to work on your tan, or get back to nature. However, seeking to boost its tourist […]
Arab solar energy company gets awarded for its sustainable vision in Beirut, Lebanon. They sealed a $15 million round of financing this year; now Abu Dhabi’s solar developer Enviromena Power Systems (“Enviromena”) won the “Sustainable Development of the Environment Award” at the Takreem Arab Achievement Awards held in Beirut last month. Hosted by Al Jazeera’s […]
Scientists seek to solve the mystery of disappearing coral in Abu Dhabi. Bring in Inspector Clouseau! It doesn’t take a whole lot of common sense to figure this one out: you build monolithic structures and artificial islands on a fragile seashore along the Persian Gulf, have oil tankers pulling petrochemicals from the land which leaks […]
Is Masdar City a beacon for Middle Eastern development? It may take another 10 years to find out. We have been skeptical of Masdar City and Foster+Partners, the architects responsible for the emergent eco-city’s design, but BBC reporter Tom Reap’s recent article paints a compelling portrait of this dubious venture. Although projected building costs are […]
Nissan’s all-electric LEAF gives a run for Volt’s and Better Place’s money. Nissan has no plans, however, to target infrastructure-poor Middle East. The battle over which company will market the first practical electric car is becoming more intense with the introduction of Nissan’s new total electric LEAF model. The Japanese carmaker is marketing this new entry […]
Are the United Arab Emirate states being over-the-top extravagant when purchasing super luxury cars? Word has it that an Abu Dhabi billionaire is the proud owner of a Mercedes V10 Quad Turbo sports job that has a body made of white gold!
A Simplified Thermal Solar Power Unit in the UAE: Turkish Coffee Anyone? The United Arab Emirate’s hot sunshine will soon be providing energy as well, thanks to an agreement the American solar energy company eSolar and the German industrial services Company Ferrostaal. As noted in the UAE news site The National, the consortium will also build […]
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 […]
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 […]
A new fund based in Abu Dhabi to accelerate clean tech has just closed its first round of financing. Masdar City is expected to get a big boost. Abu Dhabi’s “Masdar Clean Tech Fund” just completed its first closure, and was successful in raising an impressive $265 million. The fund is co-managed by Masdar Venture Capital […]
Qatar’s new LEED-certified convention center could be as “green” as Masdar City. It will boast a world first of LED lighting in exhibition halls. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not the only Persian Gulf locations building environmentally sustainable projects. Now, Qatar is building a unique convention center, which although still unfinished has already achieved the […]