It might seem ironic that the oil-rich Middle East also holds nearly half of the world’s renewable energy potential – but yesterday the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, officially inaugurated Shams 1, the largest concentrated solar power plant (CSP) in the world. The plant was designed and developed by Shams Power Company, and it cost $600 million and took three years to build. It’s owned by Masdar, Abengoa Solar and Total.

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Post tags: abengia solar, abu dhabi, abu dhabi's renewable energy target, ceo of masdar, large-scale solar projects, Masdar, middle east renewable power potential, shams 1, Shams Power company, sheikh khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, sultan ahmed al jabber, total, world's largest concentrated solar power plant

Read the rest of Artist Tadashi Kawamata Stacks Hundreds of Chairs Into a 20-Foot-High Sculpture

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Post tags: "green furniture", abu dhabi, Abu Dhabi art fair, Architecture, Art, Chairs For Abu Dhabi, Hokkaido, Japanese art, meeting point, recycled chairs, Recycled Materials, shelter, social design, Tadashi Kawamata, united arab emirates

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "solar energy", abu dhabi, clean tech, clean tech hub, csp, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, eco design, green design, greywater recycling, masdar city, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, MIST, MIT, photovoltaic panels, Recycling initiatives, shams 1, sustainable design, united arab emirates, World Future Energy Summit

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", abu dhabi, arab eco home, arabian gulf, eco design, eco villa, Estidama, Green Building, green design, green living arab style, Middle East, oil, pearl rating system, Sorough, sustainable design, Urban Planning Council, water conservation

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Post tags: abu dhabi, dream car, electric car, emissions free car, emissions-free vehicle, fuel cell, hydrogen vehicle, hydrogen-powered vehicle from Japan, Japan, Osaka Sangyo University, sports car, WFES

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Post tags: abu dhabi, Around the world in 80 days, Brusa, closed cabin electric bike, Design, Designwerk, eco design, electric bike, green transportation, luxury electric bike, Masdar, sustainable design, swiss, Swiss electric bike, Tobias Wülser, World Future Energy Summit 2013, world's most efficient luxury vehicle, Zerotracer

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Post tags: "clean energy", "sustainable development", abu dhabi, alternative energy, clean tech, green design, Masdar, Masdar Clean Energy, parabolic trough technology, renewable energy, shams 1, Shams Power company, Solar Power, world's largest solar power plant

Read the rest of PHOTOS: Siemens’ LEED Platinum Headquarters at Masdar City Nears Completion

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "leed", abu dhabi, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, clean tech, Daylighting, eco design, Emirates Palace Hotel, Estidama, green design, LEED platinum, Masdar, masdar city, President of Iceland, siemens, Sustainability, sustainable design, Zayed Future Energy Prize

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Post tags: abu dhabi, abu dhabi sustainability week, air-scrubbing pavilion, clean tech, eco design, green design, Gulf, hwkn, March Kushner, Masdar, Matthias Hollwich, MoMO PS1 Young Architects Program, oil, renewable energy, Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, smog eating pavilion, sustainable design, united arab emirates, Wendy, WFES

Read the rest of Spiky Blue Wendy Pavilion Travels Abroad to Clean the Air During Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", abu dhabi, abu dhabi sustainability week, air purifying, Air quality, Architecture, Art, eco design, eco-art, green architecture, Green Building, green design, hwkn, Masdar, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Wendy, wendy abroad

Bulgarian environmental artist Christo has draped an inexplicable array of landscapes and objects in a distinctive orange hue since the 1960s – but few of his installations have been as conceptually perplexing as his latest planned installation. The Mastaba is to be a permanent flat-topped pyramid of oil barrels located in the desert about 100 miles from Abu Dhabi. While oil-rich nations vie for the dubious accolade of having the “world’s tallest building,” Christo’s sculpture—comprised of 410,000 oil barrels—is set to make Abu Dhabi home to the world’s largest permanent sculpture.

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Post tags: abu dhabi, christo, Conceptual Art, oil barrel sculpture, the mastaba, united arab emirates, worlds largest sculpture, worlds most expensive sculpture

The Siemens Headquarters by architects Sheppard Robson in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is anticipated to be the first LEED Platinum office building in the Middle East, and it could set a new standard for sustainable building practices in that region. The headquarters is part of a strategic partnership between Masdar and Siemens to develop and utilize key energy-efficient technologies. Masdar City, a new area in Abu Dhabi designed by Foster and Partners, is envisioned as a hub for sustainable urban development, renewable energy and other clean technologies – and the Siemens Headquarters is a perfect anchor project for it.

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Post tags: abu dhabi, connection to pedestrians, connection to transit, first LEED Platinum office building in the Middle East, Foster and Partners, LEED Platinum building, Masdar, masdar city, maximixing views, maximizing daylight, mitigating solar heat gain, reducing energy consumption, reducing water consumption, renewable energy company in Abu Dhabi, shading system, Siemens Headquarters Middle East, space plan flexibility, sustainable urban design, void-forming technology

Suhail Mohammed Suleiman’s proposal for a sustainable mosque to be built in Abu Dhabi has been given the green light. While construction is not confirmed, the eco-mosque would be a symbol of the region’s commitment to sustainable development. Powered with solar panels and planted with a green roof, the proposed structure would boast many green features, including a system that captures and recycles the run off from ritual washing in order to help irrigate the landscaped surroundings.

Read the rest of Eco-Mosque Design Receives Green Light For Construction in Abu Dhabi

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Post tags: abu dhabi, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, ALHOSN University, eco design, eco mosque, Estidama sustainability framework, green design, green mosque, green roof, Suhail Mohammed Suleiman, sustainable design, water recycling

Read the rest of Abu Dhabi’s Stunning Al Bahar Towers are Shaded by a Transforming Geometric Facade

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Post tags: abu dhabi, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, abu dhabi investment council headquarters, Aedus, Aedus Architects, AIDC, al bahar towers, mashrabiya, solar gain, united arab emirates

Read the rest of SOM’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Will Be a Healing Green Oasis in Abu Dhabi

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", abu dhabi, desert architecture, eco design, eco hospital, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Green Hospital, hospital, medical center, oasis, sheikh khalifa medical city, skidmore owings and merril, SOM, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Read the rest of Siemens’ Middle East Headquarters Will Be An Energy Efficient Model for Masdar City

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Post tags: abu dhabi, eco design, energy efficient design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, high performance envelope, high performance facade, LEED platinum, Masdar, masdar city, Sheppard Robson, siemens, Siemens Headquarters, siemens middle east headquarters, siemens real estate, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Read the rest of 7 Gorgeous Green Buildings in the Middle East

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Post tags: abu dhabi, airport, Aldar Central Market, casablanca, eco design, erhlich architecture, Foster + Partners, green design, kuwait, LEED gold, Masdar, masdar city, morocco, qatar, solar-powered, solar-powered stadiums, sports stadiums, sustainable design, Zero Carbon, zero-emissions

Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council recently unveiled their revitalization plan for a messy 1770 hectare sprawl between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Shahama and Bahia Revitlization Plan is the result of a concerted collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Municipality, local residents, and prominent community members to develop a coastal upgrade that meets all four pillars of the Estidama sustainability program. The sprawl will be transformed into a pedestrian-friendly, dense, mixed-use complex that makes the most efficient use of natural resources.

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Post tags: "sustainable development", abu dhabi, dubai, Estimdama, green design, green spaces, pedestrian friendly, Shahama and Bahia Revitalization Plan, sustainable design, urban density, urban planning, Urban Planning Council

Read the rest of PHOTOS: A First Look Inside Masdar: Foster + Partner’s Carbon-Neutral Eco City

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Post tags: abu dhabi, desert, eco design, eco-city, environmental city, Foster + Partners, Green Building, green city, green design, green prophet, land art generator initiative, Masdar carbon neutral city, masdar city, masdar city centre, Masdar eco-city, Norman Foster, organic market, pod cars, recycled products, street fair, Sustainable Building, sustinable city

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Post tags: abu dhabi, Aldar Central Market, eco design, Foster and Partners, green design, green roof, souk, sustainable design