Fashion’s next material revolution may not come from a lab in Paris or Milan — but from the tides of the Red Sea. Along Saudi Arabia’s coastline, scientists, designers, and textile innovators are transforming Sargassum seaweed into a wearable fabric, turning a fast-growing marine biomass into a new generation of sustainable textile. The initiative, led by KAUST Beacon Development in collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission and PYRATEX, is part of a broader effort to rethink how fashion sources its raw materials.

The project was recently presented as the Red Sea Seaweed Textile, demonstrating how locally sourced algae can be converted into blended yarns and finished garments. Stella McCartney does it. So why not Saudis?

“This material represents a milestone in our mission to build a future-focused, sustainable fashion ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates how local resources, scientific excellence, and creative talent can come together to deliver solutions for the global fashion industry,” said Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission.

KAUST’s role has been central. Its marine scientists studied the biochemical structure of Red Sea seaweed and developed responsible harvesting methods that preserve both the ecosystem and the algae’s functional properties.

An abaya made from seaweed?

“By researching the biochemical properties of Red Sea seaweed, we were able to integrate local algae species into an innovative blended yarn,” said Fiona Symes, COO of KAUST Beacon Development.

PYRATEX  then translated that biomass into textile form, blending the algae with Lyocell and organic cotton to produce a fabric that is breathable, traceable, and suitable for garment production. The Saudi Fashion Commission’s development studio produced complete garments from the material — not as conceptual pieces, but as real clothing.

Saudi Arabia’s fashion scene has been showing dynamic evolution. Recent runway shows in the Kingdom featured bathing suits in a historically very modest country.

These shows reflect a larger shift in how fashion in the Middle East engages global trends while honoring local sensibilities — moving beyond traditional expectations to embrace broader stylistic expressions that include functional, climate-appropriate swimwear alongside couture and everyday wear.

The seaweed fabric project reflects a growing shift across the fashion world. Designers such as Stella McCartney have long argued that sustainability cannot rely only on recycled synthetics or reduced harm. McCartney has repeatedly called for materials that are regenerative, ethical, and transparent — fibers that restore ecosystems rather than merely slow damage.

Luxury and performance brands alike are now experimenting with algae, mycelium, pineapple fiber, cactus leather, and agricultural waste. But what makes the Red Sea initiative distinctive is its regional grounding: a local marine resource transformed locally, with scientific validation and design integration.

Fashion is one of the most environmentally demanding industries on Earth, responsible for heavy water use, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. Changing fabrics may seem small, but materials determine supply chains, farming practices, and waste streams.

Seaweed offers a radically different model. It grows without freshwater irrigation, fertilizers, or farmland. It absorbs carbon and regenerates rapidly. It does not compete with food systems. And it invites coastal stewardship rather than land exploitation.

For Saudi Arabia, this project also signals a broader narrative shift. The Kingdom is increasingly positioning itself not only as an energy producer, but as a knowledge and innovation economy — where science, sustainability, and culture intersect.

For fashion, the message is equally clear: the future of luxury will not be defined only by design houses, but by material intelligence. Garments made from seaweed may not replace cotton or polyester tomorrow. But they challenge designers, investors, and consumers to imagine clothing that begins in ecosystems rather than factories.

As Stella McCartney and other sustainability leaders have shown, fashion does not change when trends shift. It changes when materials do.

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iyris delivers more resilient and reliable produce.

Iyris, a company from Saudi Arabia founded by foreign nationals, makes it easier to grow the likes of tomatoes – one of the world’s biggest fresh produce and processing crops – in environments increasingly impacted by climate change. The patented process, which tackles the challenges of hot climates, has the potential to revolutionize where crops are grown to address global food security issues. We interviewed one of the founders Mark Tester earlier this year on the innovation he championed. The company used to be marketed under RedSea Farms.

Their newly patented polyploid hybridization grafting process – mimics and significantly accelerates the natural evolutionary process of breeding genetic resilience into plant rootstocks. With this groundbreaking innovation, farmers can address, without having to change the way that they farm their land, their most urgent need: reliable, resistant crops that can mitigate and combat climate change.

The technology makes crops more resilient to stressful abiotic environments (e.g., salt, drought, heat and pests) delivering higher yields for farmers and reducing crop failure risk. The timescale and predictability of genetic resilience trait integration is significantly accelerated compared to previous methods. 

Related: How Daniel Hillel pioneered drip irrigation

Commercial trials of iyris’ current hybrid grafted diploid rootstocks, delivered an average 20-25% tomato plant yield increase over the best performing commercial alternatives. Expectations are that using this patented polyploid breeding process, yield increases will be even more significant. Results to date have demonstrated that polyploids can double yields when compared to diploids. 

Uniquely, iyris’ plant science innovation allows multiple plant traits to be integrated simultaneously. Previously, scientists and breeders targeted single traits and experienced low predictability rates for even a single integration.

“These achievements in plant science are unprecedented and a significant moment in our mission to feed the world sustainably. iyris can now offer farmers a commercially validated and reliable solution addressing the environmental and economic challenges of today – in tomatoes alone, that’s worth billions of dollars annually,” says John Keppler, Executive Chairperson of iyris.

iyris’ published rootstock patent – ‘Polyploidization of interspecific tomato hybrids to create stable and fertile rootstocks’ follows decades of work and research, most recently at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), led by iyris co-founder, Professor Mark Tester – the world’s pre-eminent plant scientist. Professor Tester’s thesis developed from research (with his then – PhD student, Yveline Pailles) into resilient relatives of the tomato growing on sea-facing rock faces in the Galapagos Islands.   

With increasing global temperature, and dwindling freshwater resources, ground-breaking innovative agriculture solutions are vital to break the food-water-energy nexus. The impact of climate change on global farming is becoming starker every year, and global food production is estimated to need to increase by 50%, by 2050, to feed soaring population rates. iyris’ innovation is perfectly timed given its potential to change the way that crops are grown, allow sustainable agriculture in previously unviable territories for farming and protect farmers from crop failure risk. 

Related: Lycored makes kosher and halal, non-animal tomato-based dyes

With its resilient hybrid tomato rootstocks already available in the market, iyris has proven the commercial viability of their technology in open-field trials. iyris has partnerships with two of the world’s largest tomato producers, with more commercial agreements to come. iyris hybrid rootstocks outperformed the best available alternatives across multiple crop seasons, hybrid tomato rootstocks sales have already exceeded 1 million units.  

The market context is extremely positive. The processed tomato market (2023 data) is estimated at US$51.8 billion with 182 million tons produced annually. iyris and Professor Tester have already started research into other plant groups such as eggplants, melons and pumpkins, with the potential to increase commercial results and improve resilience exponentially.

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Egypt-based agritech Viridia Tech has been named the overall winner of the 2024 Mega Green Accelerator, awarded the $100,000 grand prize in Saudi Arabia for their impactful data analytics platform, which helps farmers grow crops more sustainably and efficiently.

Viridia Tech has been named the overall winner of the 2024 Mega Green Accelerator, following an exciting industry Demo Day held in Riyadh where eight startups from across the Middle East and North Africa region showcased innovative solutions addressing food security, clean energy transitions, and the circular economy.

Read more: Red Sea farms from KAUST grows food with brackish water

The Mega Green Accelerator, launched in 2023 by PepsiCo, SABIC, AstroLabs, and eleven other strategic partners, received over 350 submissions. The eight selected startups participated in a six-month programme of trainings and workshops, mentorship from business leaders, and opportunities to network, scale their businesses, and gain access to investors.

“PepsiCo has been a key partner in the region for 70 years, and we remain committed to supporting progress and empowering the next generation. Through MENA Innovates, we are focused on driving meaningful change by backing startups and advancing broader initiatives that promote innovation across the region. We look forward to seeing how the startups will contribute to a more sustainable future,” said Wael Ismail, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo AMESA (Africa, Middle East, and South Asia).

At the Demo Day, Egypt-based Viridia Tech was awarded the $100,000 grand prize for their artificial intelligence and data analytics platform, which provides real-time insights and recommendations to help farmers grow crops more efficiently and sustainably and forecast yields accurately.

Foreign-founded but Saudi Arabia-based Mirai Solar out of KAUST produces an innovative solar-powered shade system, received the $30,000 second place prize.

The Mega Green Accelerator is part of PepsiCo’s MENA Innovates programs, which champion entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability through a series of events and initiatives that celebrate groundbreaking ideas and inspire future leaders.

Eight startups, including Mrüna and The Surpluss (UAE), AHYA TECHNOLOGIES (KSA), YY ReGen (Lebanon), P-VITA (Egypt), and Kumulus (Tunisia), were selected for this year’s edition of the Accelerator, led by PepsiCo, SABIC, AstroLabs, and eleven strategic partners.

None of the companies in the competition included submissions from Israel – a proven, global leader in agtech, solar and water tech. Green Prophet calls on Saudi Arabia aiming to be a global tourism and business hub by 2030 to fight antisemitism in all its forms, including the exclusion of Jewish candidates from MENA prizes and exhibitions. It is common for the Arab world to circumvent antisemitism by inviting “Palestinians” who can be Arab Israelis, without letting the Jewish Israeli members of the MENA region participate. Decades of quiet antisemitism are no longer acceptable in contests and calls to actions by EU-funded, UN-funded and privately-funded contests.

A few leading cleantech inventions from Israel include CropX, Ormat Geothermal, and SolarEdge, solar energy technology.

About the start-ups participating in the 2024 edition

Curious to know more about this accelerator hosted by PepsiCo, click here for last year’s winners which include companies from Lebanon, Jordan, and the UAE.

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Expensive emergency-style devices used by armies can be run by generators and pull water from air. They work like air conditioners. And here are 5 ways you can re-use your air conditioner water. Water generation companies from Israel like Watergen have been in the market for a decade and have been made to connect to solar systems. They are bought by agriculture developers for hydroponics in off-grid locations and they can be used at hotels where water might need to be shipped in weekly. Consider that even in countries like Jordan people still get weekly water deliveries!

Related: stackable emergency shelters

New advances in Saudi Arabia, out of its expat-majority majority university KAUST say they have developed improvements on energy-intensive water generation from air systems and that the solar integration they use is seamless.  Consider that Maria Telkes, a Hungarian-American inventor working with the US Army has already created a zero-energy passive water from air extractor decades ago that could be improved upon and used for water in disaster zones like in Turkey after one of their regular earthquakes – the latest killed 53,000 in Antakya last year.

Even in arid parts of the world, there is moisture in the air. This moisture could provide much-needed water for drinking and irrigation, but extracting water out of air is difficult because it takes a lot of energy. A new technology developed by KAUST researchers in Saudi Arabia may consistently extract liters of water out of thin air each day without needing regular manual maintenance.

Harvesting water from air is not a new idea, or even a new technology, but existing solar-powered systems are clunky.

Read more: Air Con runoff – cherish it like the rain

According to the researcher postdoc Kaijie Yang, who led the study, “solar-powered harvesters work in a two-stage cycle. An absorbent material first captures water from the air, and once it is saturated, the system is sealed and heated with sunlight to extract the captured water.

“Alternating between the two stages requires either manual labor or a switching system, which adds complexity and cost. The new harvester developed at KAUST requires neither — it passively alternates between the two stages so it can cycle continuously without intervention.

“Our initial inspiration came from observing natural processes: specifically how plants efficiently transport water from their roots to their leaves through specialized structures,” she says.

Looking at plants gave the team the key idea for their new system. “In our system, mass transport bridges play a crucial role as a connection between the ‘open part’ for atmospheric water capture and the ‘closed part’ for freshwater generation,” explains Yang.

The mass transport bridges are a collection of vertical microchannels filled with a salt solution that absorbs water. The water-rich salt solution is pulled up the channel by the same capillary action that pulls water up plant stems, and then the concentrated salt solution diffuses back down to collect more water:

“By optimizing the transport of mass and heat within the system, we enhanced its efficiency and effectiveness,” says Tingting Pan, another postdoc who worked on the project.

https://www.greenprophet.com/2024/01/redsea-hot-climate-and-saltwater-greenhouses/

During testing the system in Saudi Arabia, each square meter produced 2 to 3 liters of water per day during the summer, and about 1 to 3 liters per day in the fall. During the tests, the team ran the system for several weeks without the need for maintenance.

They also showed that it could be used as a direct point source to irrigate Chinese cabbage and desert trees.

“The materials we used were a water-wicking fabric, a low-cost hygroscopic salt and a plastic-based frame. We chose the materials for their affordability and availability, so we anticipate the cost is affordable for large-scale application in low-income areas,” says Qiaoqiang Gan, one of the study’s senior authors.

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The experienced diver with a passion for white whales used yoga breathing techniques to prolong her swim, so maybe the real story is the power of meditation.

Some scientists believe Belugas dislike contact with artificial materials such as diving suits. The experiment allegedly tested if removing the clothing barrier would improve chances of inter-species connection.

Unlikely this experiment will be repeated at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Research Center in Thuwal, on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Inaugurated in 2011 at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the center has a mission to formulate fuller understanding of the Sea and its creatures. Its marine biologists are undertaking the world’s largest project to tag the poorly understood whale shark to determine population demographics, sharks’ site fidelity, and potential connections with populations outside of the Red Sea.

Gentle giants, whale sharks aren’t kept in aquariums, so naked divers need not apply – although the balmy temperatures of the Red Sea would surely allow longer immersions.

Back at the Arctic Circle, whales and dolphins are caught in pens and “tamed” by instructors at the controversial Utrish Dolphinarium located along the White Sea in north-western Russia.  Domestication occurs before the animals are transported to aquariums around the world.

There are an estimated 100,000 Belugas in the wild. They are also in aquariums and sea parks across Europe, North America and Asia: the first to be held in captivity was at Barnum Museum in New York in 1861. It’s a practice that many animal conservationists consider cruel. No Middle Eastern aquarium houses Beluga whales.

These animals seemingly enjoyed their skinny dip with Avseenko, responding with their famously distinctive range of facial expressions. Their flexible bone structure allows them to mimic a large range of human-like looks.

Speaking to extreme sports blog Ant Williams, Avseenko said, “My Polar Circle story was a spiritual one. I tried to see how my concepts of open mind and heart, of ‘inner-smile’, work in extreme conditions, and how they can help people in their everyday lives. We can see now they really work. I had a great experience at the White Sea. We wanted to see what would be the reaction of Beluga whales to a human being who is vulnerable in front of Nature and society.”

While it is confirmed that the whales “smiled”, there’s no news if they also blushed.

All images by Viktor Lyagushkin/KNS News

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Like the ancient blue pigment found in ancient Egypt, old spiritual materials like the lotus flower inspire new environmental science: As assistant professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Dr. Peng Wang seems to embody this Saudi Arabian university’s motto, “Through Inspiration, Discovery.” His research focuses on the possible uses of environmental nanomaterials in order to solve three of the biggest environmental problems of our time; water scarcity, energy production and pollution.

Wang seems to enjoy the fine tuning of the size and form of these tiny materials in order to solve what sometimes seem to be intractable environmental problems.

He says, “on a personal note, there is always a lot of fun working with these very tiny materials.” Who wouldn’t enjoy studying the lotus effect, pore size modulation and superhydrophobicity? The following is a brief explanation of how environmental nanomaterials can help solve real-world problems.

The field of nanomaterials is concerned with the unique  properties of materials which come from their nanoscale features, that is– features from 1 to 100 nanometers in size. A lump of coal, graphite, soot, diamond and graphene are all forms of carbon which behave very differently because of the way the carbon atoms are arranged. Environmental nanomaterial science is focused on manipulating these materials at this scale in order to solve environmental problems.

Clean Hydrogen Energy from Sunlight

Professor Wang’s group is working on making one-dimensional anodized nanostructures out of Titanium Dioxide and Copper Oxide. These materials may be used in photocatalysis applications where sunlight provides the energy to separate hydrogen gas from water. He has designed cells where the hydrogen gas is generated at the same time as contaminants are decomposed through oxidation.

Superhydrophobicity

No, I didn’t make that word up the word superhydrophobicity though I wish I had.  And no, it isn’t something you vaccinate your dog against. Superhydrophobicity is the nanoscale property responsible for what is known as the lotus effect. The lotus flower plays a key role in some of the ancient Egyptian creation myths and is considered a symbol of purity in parts of Asia. Lotus plants often grow in muddy water but their leaves and blossoms are always clean. Tiny folds and bumps and other nanoscale structures on the plant create a superhydrophobic effect which prevents water from wetting the surface.

Typically waxy surfaces such as lotus leaves can cause water’s surface tension to pull it into flat or hemispherical beads, but the lotus’s superhydrophobic effect goes beyond this. The water is so afraid of the plant’s bumpy surface, it pulls itself into tiny balls which roll off carrying away the dirt. This property has already been exploited in the form of self-cleaning paint.

Wang believes this property can also be used to purify water by separating water from salt, oil and other contaminants. By changing the size of the nanostructures (in this case pores) in a material, it is possible to change its surface wettability.

This so-called pore size modulation has applications in water purification and in extracting water from air. Professor Wang’s group has already developed a smart material which could be switched from an oil attraction mode to an oil repulsion mode. They are currently in the process of scaling up this material as a step in its application outside of the laboratory.

Photos of Egyptian women with lotus flowers and water drop on a lotus leaf via Shutterstock

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Commissioned by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a leading Arab research organization that is devoting increasing resources to clean energy and water research and development, the 60 meter Breakwater Beacon also functions as a communal rendezvous spot.

Built with hexagonal precast concrete blocks, this curious new design takes cues from ancient Islamic art and architectural motifs, and from coral – a once ubiquitous natural Red Sea feature that is now imperiled by various development projects along the coast.

Although concrete has never been our favorite building material given that genuine earth construction has greater thermal massing and a smaller environmental impact, Breakwater Beacon is nonetheless a naturally-cooled tower that relies on the stack effect to promote ventilation.

UAP worked with Bureau^Proberts, Norman Disney & Young, and Robert Bird Group to complete construction of the new lighthouse, who contributed lighting and engineering expertise to the development.

The cellular structure softens harsh light to create a comfortable interior environment that invites community members to take part in events staged at the base of the beacon.

In essence the lighthouse looks and functions like a giant mashrabiya screen shaped like a funnel that sucks up hot air from the base, dispels it at the point, and draws a cooler current from the sea.

More than just an emblematic waste of material marking the university’s entrance – though it is that as well, the lighthouse does serve a purpose at night when it is lit up from within to guide men and women at sea.

:: Evolo

Images © Urban Art Projects

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