by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 21, 2019 | Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Transportation, Travel, UAE
In 2016 Dubai’s government leaders announced an ambition plan: by 2030, one-fourth of all trips in Dubai would be driverless. At the time, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, told a media outlet that he wanted Dubai to become “the world’s...
by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 7, 2019 | Conservation, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Water
In early 2019, UNICEF appealed to humanitarian leaders around the world for almost $4 billion to help 41 million children in 59 countries who are affected by conflict or disaster. Without aid, UNICEF leaders have said, these children’s safety and their futures could...
by Ehsan Bayat | Feb 13, 2019 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, History, Middle East, Technology, Water, Weather
The Middle East has long struggled with lack of water. However, another natural substance is threatening to taint the region’s limited supply: salt. An entire industry has been built around reducing salinity to provide fresh water for the region. As a result,...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jan 23, 2019 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Technology
As 2019 begins, Afghanistan faces major challenges due, in part, to factors far outside of its control. Inrin, an independent humanitarian news site, recently reviewed the humanitarian crises and related news it expects to shape 2019. Here’s how Afghanistan factored...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 18, 2018 | Afghanistan, Conservation, Construction, History, Infrastructure, Middle East
A recent two-day United Nations conference focused on strengthening support for a peace process in Afghanistan, a country working toward stability after decades of war. Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s president, attended the conference along with foreign ministers from...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 11, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Tourism, Transportation
The rapidly developing Middle East, like any growing region, is grappling with building and maintaining roads and public transportation systems to serve the increasing population. An ongoing emphasis on healthy lifestyles is continuing to push cycling to the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Nov 16, 2018 | Agriculture, Conservation, Construction, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
The boom in energy use in the Middle East is causing regional leaders to rethink how they allocate natural resources. While the area’s large reserves of oil and natural gas have provided cheap fuel for decades, many now believe that fossil fuels are not the best way...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 26, 2018 | Afghanistan, Conservation, Construction, Crops, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Technology, Water, Weather
The western region of Afghanistan is facing its worst drought in a decade, following several years of extremely low rain and snowfall. Some blame the lack of snow on the La Nina weather cycle in the Pacific Ocean, which resulted in rainfall totals that were 70 percent...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 19, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
Making fresh water from salt water, a process called desalination, has become vital in supplying water to the desert countries of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, which creates 20 percent of the desalinated water in the world, recently announced plans to construct nine...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 2, 2018 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
Farming in the dry, arid Middle East is often a fight against nature. As populations have increased, resulting in more demand for food and higher water usage, innovative farmers and researchers are experimenting with alternative farming methods, including greenhouses...
