Category Archives: Middle East

Ruba Al-Zu’bi – Inspiring Green Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

By | | ,
3 Comments

Ruba Al-Zu’bi is a very well-known sustainable development policy and planning expert, and a true inspiration for youngsters in Jordan and beyond. Currently she is the Adviser for Science Policy and Programme Development to HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, the President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). Prior to that, Ruba led the Scientific Research Department at Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation. In the past, she had been the CEO of EDAMA, a Jordanian business association that seeks innovative solutions to advance the energy, water and environment sectors. Ruba Al-Zu’bi is Global Resolutions’ Jordan Ambassador and a Plus Social Good … Continue reading →

Biomass Energy Potential in the Middle East

By | | ,
5 Comments

The major biomass producing countries in the Middle East are Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Jordan. Traditionally, biomass energy has been widely used in rural areas for domestic energy purposes in the Middle East region, especially in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan. Since most of the region is arid or semi-arid, the biomass energy potential is mainly contributed by municipal solid wastes, agricultural residues and industrial wastes. According to conservative estimates, the potential of biomass energy in the MENA region is about 400TWh per year. Municipal solid wastes represent the best source of biomass in Middle East countries. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, … Continue reading →

From E-Waste to Circular Commerce: How Sustainable Omnichannel Fulfillment Is Reshaping Electronics in the MENA Region

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

In 2025, e-commerce across the Middle East and North Africa generated an estimated US$88.1 billion in revenue, with electronics accounting for roughly a third of that total, according to ECDB. Every phone, laptop, tablet, and smart device sold represents not just a transaction but the beginning of a waste lifecycle. The question facing the region isn’t whether electronics consumption will keep growing. It will. The real question is whether the infrastructure to handle what happens after the sale can keep pace. For years, e-waste discussions in MENA have focused on recycling centres and consumer awareness campaigns. Those matter. But an … Continue reading →

Energy Outlook for the Middle East

By | | , ,
1 Comment

There are several problems confronting the world with respect to its fossil fuels-based energy supply. The first problem relates to the ever-increasing use of fast-depleting conventional sources of energy, like petroleum, coal and natural gas. The contribution of fossil fuels in global energy supplies is above 80 percent. Energy demand will certainly increase manifolds during this century due to industrial and developmental activities as burgeoning world population. Global Trends in Energy Sector The concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is rising rapidly with use of fossil fuels leading to increasing emission of carbon dioxide which is having a … Continue reading →

The Vanishing Aquifers in MENA: An Overview

By | | ,
15 Comments

Aquifers are of tremendous importance for the MENA as world’s most water-stressed countries are located in the region, including Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen. However, aquifers in MENA are coming under increasing strain and are in real danger of extinction. Eight aquifers systems, including those in MENA, are categorized as ‘over stressed’ aquifers with hardly any natural recharge to offset the water consumed.   Aquifers in MENA Aquifers stretched beneath Saudi Arabia and Yemen ranks first among ‘overstressed’ aquifers followed by Indus Basin of northwestern India-Pakistan and then by Murzuk-Djado Basin in North Africa. The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer … Continue reading →

Startup Ecosystems in the Era of the Knowledge Economy: Challenges, Best Practices, and International Models

By | | ,
Leave a comment

Innovative entrepreneurship has become a major driver of economic competitiveness, industrial diversification, and the creation of skilled jobs in the contemporary global economy. In a context marked by the acceleration of digital transformation, the rapid development of AI, and the transition toward a knowledge-based economy, startup ecosystems are now recognized as strategic instruments for sustainable growth. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, historically dependent on natural resources and traditional economic models, is currently undergoing a gradual transformation toward economies increasingly driven by innovation and digital technologies. This evolution has been accompanied by the proliferation of incubators, investment funds, … Continue reading →

Water-Food Linkage in the Arab World

By | | , , ,
1 Comment

The water-food linkage represents an important and vital nexus in the Arab countries. Under the current unstable food security situation (fluctuating energy prices, poor harvests, rising demand from a growing population, the use of biofuels and export bans have all increased prices), the ability for the Arab countries to feed their growing population is severely challenged by competition over increasingly limited water resources. Agriculture is currently challenged by competition among sectors on available water resources. While the majority of water in the Arab region is used inefficiently in the agricultural sector (about 85% with less than 40% efficiency), which is … Continue reading →

مشكلة رمي النفايات في الأردن

By | | , ,
1 Comment

في الماضي القريب، كانت عمان تعتبر واحدة من أنظف المدن في العالم,  حالياً، وكما هو الحال في البلدان الأخرى، يشكل رمي النفايات على الأرض في المناطق العامة مشكلة بيئية متزايدة في الأردن,  والتي بدورها تشوه المظهر العام للبلاد كما أن لها آثاراً خطيرة على البيئة والإقتصاد والصحة العامة. القمامة غير المرئية تعتبر ظاهرة الرمي العشوائي للنفايات كارثة وطنية، حيث تنتشر النفايات المختلفة مثل العلب المعدنية والأكياس البلاستيكية وأعقاب السجائر والمحارم وأغلفة الطعام والإطارات القديمة على جوانب الطرق. لتسليط الضوء على المشكلة, قامت كاتبة المقال بدراسة ماسحة في عام 2011، حيث كشفت الدراسة عن المفاهيم الخاطئة لدى العامة لمفهوم “النظافة” في … Continue reading →

Industrial Symbiosis Prospects in Jordan

By | | , ,
2 Comments

In a developing country, such as Jordan, with a relatively emerging economy and limited natural resources, the industrial sector expends more effort than developed countries and even more than developing countries that are rich in natural resources. In such a situation, industries should look into finding solutions to sustain their existence, which is not confined to keeping their production lines running and making profit, but it goes beyond that, it goes to a whole way of thinking a way that integrates the surrounding environment and that confirms on the industrial sector responsibility toward the environment, the home of its raw … Continue reading →

Artificial Reef Construction in the Arabian Gulf

By | | , ,
2 Comments

Coral reefs around the globe are highly sensitive to abiotic and biotic factors that alter the natural balance of the marine ecosystem. This in terms threatens coral species with the effect of ‘bleaching’ which is slowly destroying the coral communities. As the ecosystem deteriorates, this in turn impacts the fisheries industry which in the Arab Gulf is a major source of local revenue and a major food source for the people of the region. Artificial Coral Reefs To counteract the susceptible marine ecosystems, a very innovative and creative approach that has been tried and tested in other parts of the … Continue reading →

مشروع قناة البحرين الأحمر-الميت

By | | ,
2 Comments

قناة البحر الميت و البحر الأحمر , و البعض يسميها قناة البحرين أو قناة ال “ Red-Dead  “  هذا هو المشروع الذي تم توقيعه في التاسع من كانون الأول لعام 2013, حيث تم بالإتفاق مع السلطات الثلاث الأردنية , الفلسطينية و الإسرائيلية معا . يهدف هذا المشروع الضخم بناء خط انابيب يمتد من البحر الأحمر إلى البحر الميت، وهو جزء من مبادرة من شأنها انتاج ملايين الأمتار المكعبة من مياه الشرب للأماكن الجافة في المنطقة وجلب مياه البحرالأحمر إلى البحر الميت  لتحقيق الاستقرار في مستوى مياهه وتوليد الطاقة الكهربائية لدعم احتياجات الطاقة لهذا المشروع . مشروع قناة البحر الأحمر – البحر … Continue reading →

Solid Waste Management Challenges in GCC

By | | ,
14 Comments

The challenges posed by solid waste management to governments and communities are many and varied. In the GCC region, where most countries have considerably high per capita waste generation values, the scale of the waste management challenge faced by civic authorities is even bigger. Fast-paced industrial growth, recent construction boom, increasing population, rapid urbanisation, and vastly improved lifestyle coupled with unsustainable consumption patterns have all contributed to the growing waste crisis in the GCC. Among the GCC nations, United Arab Emirates has the highest municipal solid waste generation per capita of 2.2 kg (which is among the highest worldwide) followed … Continue reading →