by Ehsan Bayat | Sep 25, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
Long considered an epicenter of fossil fuel production, the Middle East is now leading the way in renewable energy initiatives. Whether it’s a college student club in Saudi Arabia focusing on sustainability or a petroleum company building a wind farm, representatives...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 29, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Transportation
Israel is running out of land for development, and Israeli officials are floating an idea for expansion that other small countries have successfully employed: building artificial islands. One of Israel’s biggest needs is a new airport, as the Middle Eastern country...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 22, 2018 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Technology, Water
Greenhouses have long been used to grow produce when the outside conditions aren’t conducive to farming. Middle Eastern countries face increasingly challenging conditions for agriculture, including productive land turning into desert, a lack of water, and harsh...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 15, 2018 | Conservation, Crops, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
While the Middle East is rich in oil, the region is increasingly struggling with the lack of a more important natural resource: water. Changing climates, population growth, and desertification—the process by which fertile land becomes desert—have made water scarce....
by Ehsan Bayat | Jul 18, 2018 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Energy, Infrastructure, Pakistan, Water
Pakistan’s farming sector is in the midst of a severe water shortage that could devastate the country’s summer crops and impact the winter growing season. Government officials hope that projects such as a large dam and a new national water policy will help end the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jul 11, 2018 | Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Transportation, Travel
The Saudi Arabian government is making a massive investment in urban infrastructure as the country prepares for unprecedented population growth in the next decade. The city of Riyadh, for example, which has grown relatively unhindered due to not having any real...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jun 27, 2018 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Construction, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Water, Weather
The soil and climate of Afghanistan are especially well-suited for pistachio trees, which grow wild in the region. However, many pistachio trees have died due to neglect, war, and drought, while many others have been cut down for firewood. Deforestation is another...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jun 13, 2018 | Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Transportation, Travel, UAE, Water
A new cruise terminal in Dubai should significantly boost cruise traffic and tourism in the Middle East. Dubai already has a cruise terminal that regularly receives cruise ships, but the Emirate recently announced plans for a new terminal, expected to open in late...
by Ehsan Bayat | May 30, 2018 | Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Travel
As Middle Eastern cities rise from the desert and economic growth facilitates new and innovative building design, architecture is becoming a means for the region to express its identity, culture, and relationship with history. Building design and urban growth in the...
by Ehsan Bayat | May 17, 2018 | Agriculture, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Travel
Developing a healthy tourism industry has been a longtime priority in the Middle East, and area leaders have called for strengthening infrastructure to better accommodate visitors. In 2007, the research group Global Futures and Foresight released a study looking at...
