by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 19, 2019 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water, Weather
Agriculture has a long, rich history in Afghanistan. Prior to the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s, agriculture comprised about 50 percent of the nation’s GDP. Afghanistan was also the world’s largest exporter of dried fruits and nuts at that time. However, in the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 5, 2019 | Agriculture, Conservation, Construction, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Technology, Water
Revolutionary ideas that could change agriculture in Asia and the Middle East are coming from the tiny nation of the Netherlands. In October, a Dutch consortium announced that it will build two glasshouses in India to demonstrate how agriculture can be profitable. The...
by Ehsan Bayat | Nov 21, 2019 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Infrastructure, Technology, Water
The need to find new ways to efficiently water crops in the Middle East is vital. At present, there are no signs of relief from the region’s water crisis and food shortages. While growers continue to implement smart technology and new methods into their farming...
by Ehsan Bayat | Nov 7, 2019 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure
Two decades ago, agricultural worker Hashim Aslami traveled through Afghanistan telling any farmer who would listen that the future lay in saffron. This expensive spice, he said, sometimes known as “red gold,” was hard to cultivate but paid off in the markets, where a...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 24, 2019 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, History, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water, Weather
The roots of modern agriculture can be traced to the Middle East. There, farmers grew fruits, vegetables, and grains in the rich soil and prime conditions of the Fertile Crescent. In recent decades, however, climate change, industrialization, population growth, and...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 10, 2019 | Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Tourism, Transportation, Weather
A new city is rising out of the desert in Qatar. The country’s leaders are hoping this will help lead the oil-rich nation into a future with a more diversified economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels. Lusail City was first conceived in the early 2000s, the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Sep 26, 2019 | Construction, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Transportation, Travel
In October, visitors from around the world get an inside look at the Abu Dhabi’s world-class infrastructure and technology advancements in transportation. The occasion? The World Road Congress Abu Dhabi 2019. Tours of the city’s infrastructure highlights will show...
by Ehsan Bayat | Sep 11, 2019 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
As Middle Eastern countries continue to search for ways to grow food in the region’s relentlessly dry and dusty conditions, a South Korean agritech startup is entering with a solution. The founders of n.thing recently announced that the innovator has made a business...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 28, 2019 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Transportation, Travel, Water
In its seventh year, the Afghanistan Rural Access Project (ARAP) is making a difference for Afghanistan’s far-flung communities. With a focus on building bridges and all-weather roads, the project has improved people’s access to resources as well as transportation for...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 14, 2019 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Energy, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
European investment in Jordanian farming methods is helping the Middle Eastern nation significantly reduce water usage while increasing agricultural production. The investment comes at a vital time, as experts estimate that 40 percent of Jordan’s groundwater will be...
