Feynan Eco Lodge, one of several eco tourist destinations in Jordan, has been rated by National Geographic as one of the top 50 eco lodges in the world and one of the top 10 eco lodges located in deserts, jungles, mountains, and savannas. Part of the reason that National Geographic considers Feynan to be so […]
Billionaire entrepreneur Yitzhak Tshuva, a man whose parents couldn’t afford to buy him a watch for his Bar Mitzvah, is now planning to undertake an even greater project on himself. The self-made Real Estate and business wheeler dealer is now planning to become fully involved in the construction of the proposed “Red-Dead” canal, that is […]
Jordan, a country with both an acute energy and water scarcity problem, is on the verge of building its first nuclear power plant, in a barren desert region in the eastern part of the country. According to a recent article in Ynet News, the plant will be built by Russia’s Rosatom Nuclear Corporation, and follows […]
A team of researchers from the University of Haifa have stumbled upon a rare desert plant living in Israel’s mountainous Negev desert, which can irrigate itself. The plant, the desert rhubarb, Rheum palaestinum, was first classified by a local Israeli botanist about 70 years ago. It has adapted to harsh desert climates by developing specially […]
The global contest for the Seven New Wonders of the World is not the only reason the Dead Sea is making news this week. Last Saturday, Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom announced that the World Bank agreed to finance a $1.25 billion feasibility study on the Red-Dead Canal plan. The plan, a joint venture supported […]
Although the Palestinian Authority had previously opposed nominating the salty lake that borders the West Bank, Israel and Jordan as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, Haaretz reports that as of today, the PA is on board. The New Seven Wonders is an international Internet voting competition that seeks to raise environmental […]
One of America’s most enduring gifts to the Middle East is the suburban indoor shopping mall. Israel’s first was the Ayalon Center outside of Tel Aviv (1986). Istanbul saw the Atakoy Mall go up in 1987. Jordan’s pioneer was Amman’s Abdoun Mall in 2001 (Picture from virtualtourist.com), and Beirut‘s ABC Mall opened its doors in […]
Although Israel and Jordan have not come to a joint stance on the Red-Dead Canal, Haaretz’s tenacious environmental reporter Zafrir Rinat reported Sunday that the two nations have banned the use of chicken manure as fertilizer in an effort to cut down a population of houseflies that thrives on manure and makes life miserable for […]
We’ve posted here before about a Walk About Love, a hike for Israel and a bike ride to benefit Israel’s environment. This October, get a more regional view through Peace Cycle, a bike trip from Amman to Jerusalem. While the rough terrain and stunning views will certainly be rewarding, Peace Cycle’s main purpose is activism […]
Jordan’s capital city, Amman, will soon have a spectacular landmark: the Sanaya Twin Towers, which will tower more than 200 meters over the city and will be the country’s tallest landmark. The project, which means starlight in Arabic, comes with a $300 million pricetag. It was begun in July, 2008, and has required the removal […]
Jabal Moussa, Jordan So we all know that the Middle East is biospherically fascinating, but at the ongoing meeting of the UN International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere last Tuesday, UNESCO took notice as well, adding more Middle Eastern sites to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In fact, for the first time, […]
“Jordan needs to develop sustainable or ‘green’ construction practices based on traditional concepts with modern material and practices,” said Jordan’s Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society, at the opening of the two day Think Green 2 in Real Estate Development Conference in Amman on Tuesday, May 26. The country has started with its […]
During the week of May 17, 2009 , attention was drawn to the California cleantech mission that introduced visiting investors to Israel’s cleantech world. Other big news was the announcement by Israel’s neighbor, Jordan, that it will be going ahead with the proposed Red-Dead Canal without its former partner, Israel. For more on this and […]
In a move that will have environmentalists and government officials in Israel reeling, the Jordanian government announced this week that it will go ahead with the controversial Dead Sea-Red Sea Canal from Aqaba in the Red Sea to the Dead Sea in central Jordan. The announcement for the $10 billion project (some reports say $5 […]
Stylish and modern, the Kuwait-born Queen Rania of Jordan is helping Jordanian farmers go organic, reports the Jordan Times. Known for her humanitarian work on women’s rights, she is now launching a national program for organic farmers. The plan is to convert up to 5% of Jordanian farms by 2014. She is also working to […]