This beautiful solar-powered home could usher in Egypt’s period of healing, sustainably. Last year when I visited Egypt, it felt heavy. For three decades, Mubarak’s forces succeeded to subdue the once innovative Egyptian people. But in his absence, a palpable sense of hopefulness has returned. While many challenges remain, including rising temperatures, pollution, and insufficient energy […]
Explore the world's five most renowned and low-key "eco mosques" - Muslim places of worship - that are either high tech or made from mud.
Despite its numerous environmental challenges, Egypt can go green, according to Dominique Gauzin-Müller. It’s hard not to compare Dubai and Cairo – two cities that occupy many of our worried green thoughts. Although different on so many levels, one thing stands out: despite being relatively young and stroppy, Dubai is definitely the cleaner city. Sure, […]
Founding director of Property Development at the Masdar Initiative, Khaled Awad claims that fuel and water subsidies preclude meaningful sustainable development. Green building won’t be viable until the United Arab Emirates end water and fuel subsidies, according to Khaled Awad. The founding director of Property Development at the Masdar Initiative and co-founder of Grenea, a […]
The first Masdar city Market Street Fair and Organic Market was a huge hit among expats and Emiratis! Green Prophet was there. See exclusive pictures below. Hundreds of expatriates and Emiratis attended Masdar City’s first Market Street Fair and Organic Market this past Friday. A friendly family affair complete with cotton candy, clowns, and princess […]
Tafline finally gets to sink her teeth into the United Arab Emirates’ eco-scene, and wants to meet all the groovy green folks during her three week stay! Yours truly is touring the United Arab Emirates’ green scene on Green Prophet’s behalf and wants to see you! After a very brief but incredibly well-serviced flight from […]
Help save the world’s first green synagogue which is currently under threat of closing down due to financial difficulties Here at Green Prophet, nothing makes us happier than when faith embraces green ethics. From anti-consumerist Ramadans, eco Passovers and Purims to celebrating the Persian autumn festival, there really is something that everyone of faith can […]
Climatology models applied to urban planning could yield greener cities. If you have ever walked down the street in a city full of high rises and felt a sudden blast of cold air, or witnessed a swirling mass of dried leaves, chances are you experienced an artificial microclimate created by the surrounding buildings. It turns […]
This beautiful eco-lodge is chiseled into the side of Wadi Rum’s dramatic red sandstone walls. Chad Oppenheim’s design for an eco lodge in Jordan’s desert is absolutely breathtaking. Also called the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum resembles a martian landscape with its high red sandstone and granite walls. The downside is that this beauty […]
An Israeli architect designed an Olympic stadium that could travel the waterways from country to host country. Every four years a new country has the honor of hosting the Olympic Games – an international event that fosters transboundary competition and good will. But such events also wreak havoc on the environment in which they are […]
The success of greening Al Ain’s Liwa International school could have great environmental ramifications for other schools in the region. This could be a function of media coverage, of fossil fuel wealth, or of a high percentage of expatriates living there, but the UAE appears to be leading the Arab world’s environmental revolution. Dubai largesse […]
This Japanese-style resort and spa attempts to add value to, rather than subdue, its natural surroundings. My stepmother always says about life that there is no such thing as perfect, that there are only degrees of imperfection. So it is with green building. Foster & Partners are among the world’s most evolved architectural firms, but […]
Before we know it, the Middle Eastern sun will be hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk and kids will want to stay inside in front of televisions to escape the heat. But DI Berhard Gruber has designed a playground that is not only cool enough to play in, but also teaches kids about […]
Estidama is like LEED for the Middle East. Last week, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz announced a second package of economic initiatives for Saudi citizens, including $67 billion for the construction of 500,000 housing units. As the construction industry in the Kingdom continues its fast paced growth, the government is presented with a unique opportunity […]
Irina Forster is one of 186 new professionals qualified to oversee building projects according to the Estidama Pearl Rating system. Rola questions – with good reason – whether Arab governments are sincere about sustainability. While certain of them such as Qatar and Abu Dhabi are making some effort to reconcile their fossil addiction, others continue to […]