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 biggest laboratory for technology, research, and development.” In the ensuing… Continue Reading
As Middle Eastern countries seek solutions to traffic congestion and pollution, some hope that more residents will commute by bicycle. 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
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
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 irrigation systems have been decimated by bombing and shelling. Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain has sustained damage from war and weather, which… Continue Reading
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 director in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance, recently published an essay about Afghanistan’s plans to overcome its… Continue Reading