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 around the world. In a video message delivered to the conference in Geneva, Switzerland, UN Secretary General Antonio… Continue Reading
As Middle Eastern countries seek solutions to traffic congestion and pollution, some hope that more residents will commute by bicycle. Continue Reading
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 to serve the escalating demand for energy in… Continue Reading
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 lower than usual. Wells have run dry, and… Continue Reading
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 more desalination plants on the coast of the Red Sea. According to… Continue Reading
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 from sectors across the region are saying that the future is in renewable energy,… Continue Reading
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 currently has only one major international airport, Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The facility… Continue Reading
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 geographic boundaries, expects its population to increase from 6 million to 8 million by… Continue Reading
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 issue. However, experts hope that more pistachio trees can be planted across the… Continue Reading
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 2020, that developers hope will create a “maritime hub” in the region.… Continue Reading