This is exciting news emerging from the planners of Masdar city, the first zero carbon city in the world. In a report published in UAE's the National newspaper, a big carbon neutral city will be built outskirts of Amman that will accomodate 700,000 people. This is the text of the report, which I will be debating later.   Chris Stanton May 15. 2008 The National http://www.thenational... [read more]

By: Batir Wardam   Few Arab cities, including Amman and Dubai took part in the symbolic initiative done two weeks ago to turn off lights in cities for one hour in an activity called Earth Hour advocated by the World Wide Fund (WWF). For many of the still evolving species of Arab environmentalists, this was a much celebrated step.    All Arab environmentalists know for certain that when it came... [read more]

IRIN news wire has published this story about Jordan's recent switch to unleaded fuel. Worthy of reading and documentation. The link to this story is here   Many petrol stations across Jordan no longer sell leaded petrol after a government decision to switch to unleaded fuel in a bid to improve public health. Emissions from vehicles which use leaded petrol are believed to be harmful - especially... [read more]

This is a nice video illustrating the technology and vision to be used in Masdar City, the first zero carbon and zero waste city in the world to be built in Abu Dhabi   In addition, this is an insightful analysis of the Masdar city from a technological point of view http://www.dinarstandard.com/innovation/Masdar040608.htm      [read more]

The first conference on green buildings will be held in Amman between 22-23 April 2008 under the title "Think Green". The Conference aims to bring together key stakeholders to promote environmentally-responsible design and construction methods and solutions that foster sustainable economic development. The Conference is supported by the World Green Building Council, Ministry of Public Works and Housing,... [read more]

Source: AFP   From blaring car horns to wedding parties, rising noise pollution in the 24-hour metropolis of Cairo has reached alarming levels, leading to hearing problems, irritability and even death. Living in the city centre, where noise levels reached an average of 90 decibels (dB) and never drop below 70 dB, was like spending all day inside a factory, a 2007 study by the Egyptian National... [read more]

Source: Financial Times   By Simeon Kerr in Dubai Published: February 10 2008   Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy initiative, Masdar, has laid the cornerstone of its carbon-neutral, waste-free city, saying it will invest $22bn in the hope that the project becomes a blueprint for sustainable development around the world.     Oil-rich Abu Dhabi said it was committing $15bn (€10... [read more]

Lulwa Shalhoub, Arab News Monday 11.2.2008   JEDDAH — People in Saudi Arabia are not yet familiar with the three-curved-arrow logo that indicates that a plastic or paper container can be recycled, a recent poll by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) employees showed. To raise awareness on environmental issues, a group of environmental activists gathered recently to organize... [read more]

The UAE is planning to introduce the first package of environmental protection codes in construction in the Arab World. The booming construction industry in the UAE will be environmentally regulated as of 2008. This is a news item from Gulf News   By Ahmed Elewa and Marten Youssef, Staff Reporters Published November 25, 2007   Dubai: The UAE is actively seeking to upgrade its environmental... [read more]

There is a continuous flow of praise for the new ecological standards used by the UAE construction boom. Such innovations bring hope of upscaling and replication in other Arab countries. This is a good feature from Ethical Corporation Magazine   By: Amelia Shepherd-Smith   Two years after it signed the Kyoto Protocol, the United Arab Emirates is developing its own green building ratings... [read more]

Good and adequate environmental information is the basic ingredient for good governance and decision making. In an effort to increase the effeciency of air pollution monitoring and evaluating ambient air quality the Ministry of Environment in Jordan will install a systemised package of air monitoring devices in big cities. This is a news report published by IRIN   AMMAN, 18 October 2007 (IRIN)... [read more]

The impressive World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain has just been shortlisted for the EDIE Award for Environmental Excellence. This is another documentation of the increasing popularity and appreciation of the sustainable building designs in some of the Gulf Countries. This is the report from AME Info   The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) designed by Atkins, has been short listed for the... [read more]

Source: AME Info   The emerging concept of green buildings has already attracted some of the biggest developers in the region, particularly in Dubai's booming real estate sector. But will the green concept impress not only conservationists, but also investors and developers who are looking for greener fortunes? LEEDing the way Some of the green initiatives in the real estate and construction... [read more]

It is not news anymore that the first global zero carbon and zero waste city will be established in Dubai, but I liked this article by gizmag blog as it includes a lot of technical details and some smashing prototypes. Enjoy the reading, and the photos   The sleek, modern capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, will be host to what is planned as the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste... [read more]

The thrust for sustainable and green urbanization in the Gulf is gaining more momentum. After a carefully designed visit of Japanese world's top sustainable achitect design giants Nikken Sekkei to the Gulf, reports of a package of projects worth US $ 1.25 billion have been recently unveiled. This is the story published in Al Bawaba website   Contracts with a combined total of US$1.25 billion... [read more]

Sustainable buildings are wittnessing high growth and momentum in many countries around the world. The concept is pioneering and such buildings will include hundreds of eco-friendly innovations. The cost of installation and maintenance will always be high until it becomes economically feasible but the technology is there and that matters. The Ecogeek blog, the world's leading blog for ecological... [read more]

Source: Middle East Online   The booming emirate of Dubai is the most congested city in the Middle East, according to a survey released Saturday, on the eve of Dubai's launch of a controversial road toll. An average employee in Dubai spends around one hour and 45 minutes a day in commuting, according to the survey, conducted by GulfTalent.com, a regional online recruitment portal. For... [read more]

Source: Arabian Business 23 June 2007   By: Angela Giuffrida   Contractors in Abu Dhabi will face fines for using hazardous building materials in government projects under a new contract introduced by the Abu Dhabi government. This is the first time the emirate has included a clause governing building products in its construction contracts and will form part of the new Abu Dhabi Law... [read more]

Source: Jordan Business June 2007   By: Nina Robertson   When Khaled Bushnaq decided 16 years ago to set up a firm that would provide technical consultancy in the field of energy conservation, most people were more than a bit skeptical. Energy conservation was almost entirely unheard of in the Middle East, and businesses were certainly not factoring energy-saving measures into their... [read more]

This is a mouth watering article published in June issue of the Jordanian magazine "Jordan Business" describing new ecological architecture innovations in the United Arab Emirates By: Naseem Tarawnah Without a doubt, one of the most dominant issues that plagues the world today is that of energy, or rather the lack thereof. The search for alternative sources of energy has been ongoing in various circles... [read more]

Source: Arabian Business Friday 1-6-2007 By: Becca Wilson   Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) will use the FM Expo as a platform to inform people about its new rating system for green buildings. The system, which will be based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system developed by the United States Green Building Council, is due to be rolled out... [read more]

Iwould like to think that this initiative is a genuine example of "corporate environmental responsibility" and not another public relations efforts. Only time and action will tell, and we will monitor the news.   Sama Dubai, the international real estate investment and development arm of Dubai Holding, has put environmental protection at the heart of its development efforts by becoming one of... [read more]

Khaleej Times 31 May 2007   Building projects in the Middle East will unnecessarily consume over 112 billion litres of potable water over the next two years putting increasing pressure on groundwater reserves and desalination plants, said a construction industry expert yesterday. Jeff Stephenson, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Oryx, a Qatar-based construction company, was... [read more]

Arab News 29.5.2007   The Jeddah Municipality has reserved 50 undeveloped plots of land around the city to become public parks and is calling on local philanthropists to sponsor and fund the development of public spaces, a municipal official said yesterday. The lands, worth an estimated SR30 million, are being developed with the help of private investors willing to sponsor the development... [read more]

Another accomplishment by Dubai, this time in an environmental "glamour". Congrats.   Gulf News- 12/5/2007   Dubai has won the most 'Environmentally Safe City' award from the Kuwait-based Arab Towns Organisation which considered the city's track record in developing effective programmes to maintain general cleanliness of the city and control noise pollution and other pollutants. Abdullah... [read more]

Emirates News Agency 8 May 2007   The world's first attempt to create a zero-carbon, zero-waste city was officially launched Monday during Cityscape in Abu Dhabi. The new six square kilometer energy, science and technology community will open in late 2009. The development is a unique, integrated "Green Community" in the heart of Abu Dhabi, which uses the traditional planning principals of... [read more]

Bonny Mascarenhas Bahrain Tribune   Manama Municipalities Council Chairman voiced concern yesterday over the possible sale of a vacant plot in the Diplomatic Area. During his last term as councillor he had made request to the Ministry of Works and Housing to purchase the land with the intention to build 1,460 housing units. Speaking to the Tribune, Majeed Milad the Council Chairman, said: “I... [read more]

By Faisal Darem Yemen Observer   Ten years ago, the Sana’a streets were awash in sewage gushing from the drains and out onto the streets. Every time it rained, waste flowed down the streets, increasing the risk of disease in the city and fouling the air.  Frustrated and disgusted, people demanded that the government find a solution to the mess.   But at the time, the Yemeni government couldn’t... [read more]

Yemen Observer By Ali Marmaduke Garbage collection is something that is generally noticed by the public only when it is not done well. Streets strewn with bottles, bags, and orange peels are visible evidence of a flawed system.  But when our waste is disposed of efficiently and smartly, few think to comment. Recently, there has been a quiet revolution in solid waste collection in Sana’a that surely... [read more]

From : Gulf News By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief   Al Ain: The beauty of one the highest spots of the country, Jebel Hafeet, and the long winding road up to the top, are being spoiled by waste left behind by tourists. Some of the places are also fast becoming landfills. Most of these places are inaccessible ridges and cannot be cleaned on regular basis. Strong winds carry around the lighter... [read more]