The rare and beautiful dugong inspired “tails” about mermaids. This strange creature faces extinction in the Middle East. Image via Christian Haugen. Can you believe that between six and seven thousand “mermaids” still live in the shallow, saline waters of the Persian Gulf? Better known as dugongs or sea cows, these slow moving, gentle herbivores […]
The Arab world is getting dryer; Bin Laden blames the US and western globalization for climate change. We’ve covered this topic before: the effects of climate change on a region of the world that in even normal weather periods is not exactly flowing with fresh water. In one article we noted acute water crises problems […]
We covered the grand opening ceremony of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa Tower, formerly called Burj Dubai. But amidst all the fireworks and fanfare, does this 818 meter high monument to human engineering achievement represent any innovations towards combating global warming, climate change, or other environmental breakthrough – or is it simply another “Tower of Babel,” constructed […]
Want to read the most popular green stories of 2009 on your favourite Middle East environment blog? Read on. Every blog and news site does it as a way to gain perspective: Whether you’ve celebrated the Muslim New Year more than a week ago, or the Jewish New Year a couple of months ago, our […]
Will The World be saved? UAE attempts to rescue collapsed real estate market in Dubai. The massive world-shaped islands off the coast of Dubai have been an environmentalist’s nightmare. With little regard to marine ecosystems, and the future impact of these buildings, Dubai ‘s building of The World has been brought to a halt due […]
Artist’s view of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City It all sounds very grandiose and really too good to be true, but a number of Persian Gulf states, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar are hoping to be able to satisfy a good portion of their massive energy needs through alternative and renewable energy sources, instead of […]
Keen on doing business in the Gulf region? This might be your conference. The Gulf Environment Forum – the first comprehensive environmental conference and exhibition to take place in the Persian Gulf region – has been planned and is going to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 7-9, 2010. The forum is being […]
A model of Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. A playground for foreigners or ecological nightmare? Looking at this gigantic real estate project, one might wonder if there will ever be an end to all of the monstrosities that being erected on every piece of available land in the United Arab Emirates and other parts […]
The UAE Emirate state of Qatar is planning to launch an environmental program to turn desert areas into usable pasture lands and other green areas by findings ways such as desalination. They also plan on replenishing the country’s rapidly depleting ground water resources, and using scientific innovations for growing of grass and other plant life […]
Dubai’s mega developmental projects, including several artificial islands complexes, are beginning to cause a number of environmental concerns. The artificial islands, which when completed will contain large numbers of residential and commercial properties (including vacation resorts) are already having their effect on marine life in the Persian Gulf. One particular project, The World, encompasses three […]
Once again, in the UAE Gulf state of Abu Dhabi, the Zayed Future Energy Prize contest is open for entries on new and innovative projects in various forms of alternative energy. Inaugerated in January 2008 during the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, the contest, under the sponsorship of the Abu Dhabi government as […]
Reporting on a story about the coral monitoring stations in the Persian Gulf, Green Prophet mistakenly labeled the major Middle East waterway the Arabian Gulf. A reader wrote us asking for a correction on the name which has deep historical and new political roots. Today we interview Daniel M. Pourkesali, an Iranian-American who is working […]
(Snapshot of the WWF coral map of Qatar and UAE coral reefs). With worrying reports of coral death globally, with global warming to blame, it’s heartening to hear that Arab nations, who are more known for causing global warming, are now working to protect coral reefs. Mapping the reefs to know where to install underwater […]
Green Prophet had the opportunity to interview Gitanjali Bakshi, Research Analyst at the Strategic Foresight Group. The group has produced a report on the environmental impact of conflicts in the Middle East, which was presented at the Palais de Nations in Geneva this week. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what […]
We’ve oohed and awed over the green building projects in Dubai: A recent survey has consigned that old saying ‘Location is everything,’ to the scrapheap when it comes to property investors looking to flash their cash in the Middle East. Instead, eco is where it’s at, according to a new United Arab Emirates report. A […]