by Ehsan Bayat | Apr 19, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
While the Middle East has long been known as a major exporter of fossil fuels thanks to rich oil reserves, the region is also embracing renewable energy to provide cheaper, more efficient power to its people. As the population—and energy consumption—grows in the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Apr 3, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
Unreliable electricity was once a long-standing problem in the Middle East, particularly in the 1990s when random power outages were frequent, and customers never knew if or when they would have electricity. The GCC Interconnection Authority, which was established by...
by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 27, 2018 | Conservation, Construction, History, Infrastructure, Iraq, Middle East, Technology
While war has subsided in northern Iraq, officials say a new battle is beginning: that to rebuild the country. At a recent three-day donor conference in Kuwait, leaders met to discuss aid for Iraq, which officials believe needs about $88 billion to reconstruct...
by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 13, 2018 | Afghanistan, Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
A long-delayed pipeline that will cross four Asian countries broke ground in Afghanistan in late February 2018, signaling a significant development in regional cooperation and the economic future of Central Asia. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline,...
by Ehsan Bayat | Feb 27, 2018 | Afghanistan, Conservation, Infrastructure
In February 2017, European Union and Afghan officials signed the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD), another step in solidifying a partnership to improve Afghanistan’s infrastructure, economy, and quality of life. This agreement comes as...
by Ehsan Bayat | Feb 13, 2018 | Agriculture, Conservation, Construction, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Water
Supplying food to desert regions where populations are increasing and water is scarce has become a significant challenge. Desert conditions, which can be extremely hot, windy, and bug-ridden, make growing most plants impossible. Greenhouses have long been a solution...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jan 25, 2018 | Afghanistan, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Transportation, Water
As Afghanistan continues to address the negative effects of decades of conflict, recovery efforts are rebuilding and strengthening the country’s infrastructure. Ongoing conflicts have left many of Afghanistan’s rural residents without accessible, clean water, and...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jan 5, 2018 | Afghanistan, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Transportation
Being surrounded by land can make economic progress especially difficult for developing countries. With no direct access to a port, landlocked countries can fall behind coastal neighbors that reap the significant economic benefits of maritime trade. Abid Amiri, a...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 21, 2017 | Conservation, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
The demand for fish in Egypt is quickly outpacing the supply, and the government hopes to bridge this gap by developing the largest fish farm in the Middle East. Berket Ghalioun fish farm is part of long-term plan to make Egypt more self-sufficient, eliminating the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 7, 2017 | Conservation, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
Saudi Arabia has taken its first major step toward large-scale renewable energy with its announcement that the government is taking bids for the Sakaka utility-scale solar energy project. The project is part of the government’s proposal to generate more than 9.5...
