What is “VERTICAL FARMING”

The UAE boasts a population of 9.4 million and a thriving economy based largely on fossil fuels, but one sector in which it falls far behind other parts of the world is food security. With a harsh desert climate and scarce water resources, the country is forced to import as much as 80% of its food from overseas. Indeed, by some estimates, a mere 10-15% of Emirati food is locally sourced.

Cog...

UAE Students create “DEBRIS-CLEARING” Robot

A team of students at the Abu Dhabi University (ADU) are currently at work on developing an autonomous floating robot that is capable of collecting plastic and other forms of oceanic debris without the input of a human controller. The robot works in tandem with a drone that scans for areas of rubbish from above, then relays that information to the collector below.

At present it has only been...

National Strategy for Integrated CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been preparing a strategy to better manage chemicals since 2017. Known as the ‘National Strategy for Integrated Chemicals Management’, it will cover the circulation of chemicals in the country, along with imports, trafficking, capacities and disposal.

First meeting for the strategy

Two years on from the initial launch of the plans, the strategy was offic...

Why is the UAE sending Palm Trees into SPACE?

The UAE has successfully sent a package containing palm tree seeds to the International Space Station (ISS) as the first phase of its plan to experiment whether the hardy plant can germinate in orbit. The payload arrived by the rocket Falcon 9, which was launched last month from Space X at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA./p>

Dubbed ‘Palm in Space’, the project has been timed to coincide with ...

What causes LUNG CANCER?

90% of lung cancer diagnoses in the UAE are caused by smoking, according to the official cancer portal of the national government. However, given that a significant proportion of Emirati youths smoke heavily, and that a mere 150 new cases of lung cancer are identified in the country every year, experts believe that many sufferers are unaware that they might carry the disease.

“Nearly 50% of ...

Firms collaborate on F.E.E.D Offshore Project

A UK firm will collaborate with Al Yasat Petroleum, an offshoot of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), to undertake early design work on an offshore oil project in the Middle Eastern country’s territory. The Emirati subsidiary awarded the contract to Petrofac JV to carry out the front-end engineering design (FEED) part of the project.

Petrofac will now put together and submit a FEED ...

Can you tow an ICEBERG from ANTARTICA?

An Emirati businessman has raised eyebrows all over the globe through his ambitious scheme to tow an entire iceberg from Antarctica to the UAE. The grandiose project has been dismissed by some sceptics as “fantasy” and by the UAE government as nothing more than “a rumour”, but Abdulla Alshehi insists it is viable.

Rather than being a vanity project, the idea is actually rooted in environment...

Can you prevent MIGRAINES?

Chronic migraines afflict approximately 15% of the population and are up to three times more prevalent in females than males. This is chiefly due to the hormonal imbalances which women are subjected to and, along with fatigue, hunger, sleep deprivation and stress, can serve as a trigger for a migraine episode.

While a cure for migraines still eludes medical scientists, preventive treatment a...

What fuels are “UAE RESIDENTS” searching for?

Digital marketing suite SEMrush have published a study which demonstrates that UAE residents are showing a growing interest in environmentally-friendly sources of energy. According to an analysis of 11 fuel-related search terms over the last three years, Emiratis are most commonly searching for electricity online, pointing to the rising uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.

Diese...

What Chemicals does “BLACK HENNA” contain?

For centuries, henna has been used as a natural dye to tint skin, fingernails and hair, as well as different kinds of fabrics and materials. In its natural form, henna is made from the henna plant, known as Lawsonia inermis in Latin, and has no unwanted side effects.

However, over recent years there has surfaced a growing market for “black henna”, which is not created solely with the henna p...