Category: Green Products

RECORDS : Morocco holds the Record for ‘Africa’s Tallest Turbine’ : February 2022

The state-of-the-art wind turbine in Morocco’s Oualidia is expected to generate an annual average of 2.500 MW/h, reducing CO2 emissions by 2.500 tonnes every year.

The 144-meter tall structure, part of the InnoVent’s Oualidia wind farm, provides a milestone thanks to high production capacity and cost-efficiency.

Construction work for the turbine began in 2019 following a deal between Morocco’s government and Spanish renewable energy company Nabrawind Technologies.

The installation is the first “self-erecting turbine” for Nabrawind Technologies.

Aside from breaking the continental height record for turbines, the Nabralift tower is special on grounds of the innovative construction method. The company used an innovative self-erecting system to construct the tower, without the need for conventional large-size cranes.

Built in collaboration with French developer InnoVent, the turbine additionally breaks the record for the tallest turbine constructed with a self-erecting system.

The innovative construction model was also cost-optimal as the tower only needed 80 square-cubic meters of concrete for its foundation, down from 500 square-cubic meters necessary for structures of such height, lowering cost by 60%.  

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

Saudi Arabia Declares ‘Feb. 10th – Arabian Leopard Day’

Saudi Arabia has declared Feb. 10 as “Arabian Leopard Day” in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered big cat.

The move, which was announced by the Council of Ministers last month, is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the species, which is now classed as critically endangered, from extinction.

The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. But overhunting and a lack of natural prey means there are now fewer than 200 left in the wild.

In December 2020, Prince Badr Bin Farhan, the minister of culture and governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla, established the Global Fund to Protect the Arabian Leopard from Extinction in the Sharaan Nature Reserve. Its aim is to sustain the leopard population and its prey, and protect its natural habitat.

Images of the Arabian Leopard were projected onto buildings and monuments across Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Feb.10.

In recent years, the commission and the National Center for Wildlife have been working on a number of initiatives to protect the big cat. Among these is expanding a breeding program within the Sharaan reserve.

Also, last year, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, launched the nonprofit foundation Catmosphere to raise awareness of the many endangered cat species around the world, including the Arabian leopard.

The Kingdom also works closely with Panthera, which is devoted to the conservation of the world’s wild cat species.

The Arabian leopard lives in high mountains and is native to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and the UAE. Anyone found hunting the animal in the Kingdom faces a fine of SAR400,000 ($106,000) — rising to SAR30 million for repeat offenders — and up to 10 years in prison.

source/content: arabnews.com

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The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Sculptor Husban El-Enizi spends 8 years Carving Words of Qur’an onto 30 Marble Slabs

Husban bin Ahmad El-Enizi. Sculptor.

A Saudi sculptor who spent eight years carving the words of the Holy Qur’an onto 30 marble slabs hopes his feat will be recognized by Guinness World Records.

Husban bin Ahmad Al-Enizi’s passion for the art started 20 years ago after he developed an interest in the Arabic language.

He went on to sculpt a stone encyclopedia of basmalah (the opening part of the Qur’an) on blocks and granite sourced from his base in the Tabuk region.

Al-Enizi used Ottoman calligraphy to create his Qur’an sculpture on green marble slabs and said that the Tabuk region, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, with its many castles and palaces, had inspired artists down through the centuries.

The region has been home to the Thamud, Aramean, and Nabataean people, among other tribes, and archaeological sites show human presence dating back several centuries B.C.

Ancient inhabitants of the area produced ploughs, boats, and even houses by carving in wood and stone and Al-Enizi noted that the Saudi government had helped to keep sculpting and other traditional arts and crafts alive through the establishment of the Heritage Commission.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Husban bin Ahmad Al-Enizi used Ottoman calligraphy to create his Qur’an sculpture on green marble slabs. (SPA) 

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SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia sets World Record for ‘Biggest SAXAUL TREE Botanical Garden’ : December 2021

‘Al-Ghadha Park in Unaizah (Makkah), which covers an area of more than 172 million square meters, has earned a Guinness World Record for the largest saxaul tree botanical garden.

“The saxaul trees give the area a unique beauty and magic that draws hikers from the Qassim region and beyond.”

Saleh Al-Waneen, a spokesperson for the Saxaul Association, told Arab News how the trees evolved to withstand the harsh desert climate.

“The tree grows and reproduces without any human intervention, and can go without water for many months,” he said. “In fact, this type of tree flowers, grows and thrives in the hottest temperatures in the summer without any irrigation or rain. It loves the heat and direct sun. Temperatures sometimes reach 58 C.

source/content : arabnews.com

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The people of Unaizah, a governorate in Al-Qassim Province, have cared for the indigenous trees for more than five decades, and there are strict laws against cutting them down. (Supplied) / arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Aziza Chaouni Awarded Bronze for Sustainable Project at 6th Int’l Holcim Awards,Venice : November 13th, 2021

Aziza Chaouni. Architect. Educationist. Teacher.

The Fez-born architect was honored for her project on addressing climate change-induced tribal displacement.

The Moroccan architect earned both the Global Holcim Awards Bronze prize and the Acknowledgement Prize for her project “Cultural Interlude.” The project draws a self-sustaining music school and ecotourism center that aims to preserve the tribal cultural heritage in an oasis located in the town of M’Hamid El Ghizlane, in Zagora province. 

Chaouni is also the co-founder of the Bureau of Ecological Architecture and Systems of Tomorrow (EAST) with Takako Tajima, a renowned landscape architect based in Southern California. Tajima has won many prizes, including The Architectural League Prize from the Architecture League of New York in 2009.

www.azizachaouniprojects.com

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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Aziza Chaouni awarded at 6th International Holcim Awards / pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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CANADA / MOROCCO

Hakim Alileche Wins Global Awards in Producing Organic Olive Oil – Dahbia, Algeria

Hakim Alileche. Algerian Organic Olive Oil Producer. Brand – Dahbia.

Hakim Alileche left a successful career in graphic design and moved to the Algerian countryside to produce organic olive oil that has won him international recognition.

The 48-year-old says he chose the Ain Oussera plateau for its cheap land and water supply.

“In Algeria, it’s a sacred tree.”

His oil won first prize at the Dubai Olive Oil Competition in the Extra Virgin Early Harvest category in February 2021 and in May he won silver at the Japan Olive Oil Prize.

He has labelled his oil Dahbia, the name of both his mother and his wife.

source/content: english.aawsat.com

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pix: bestoliveoilsorganic.com/pages/dahbia

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ALGERIA

International Conservation Organization (IUCN) Elects Emirati Woman Razan Al-Mubarak as President : September 2021

Razan Al-Mubarak. Founding Managing Director, Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Head of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD). Managing Director, Emirates Nature (NGO).

 The International Union for Conservation of Nature has named an Emirati woman as its new president at its World Conservation Congress in Marseille.

Al-Mubarak is the founding managing director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, which under her leadership has supported more than 2,000 species conservation projects in more thsn 160 countries. 


She is also the head of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the managing director at Emirates Nature, an NGO affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund.


Members elect the chairs of IUCN’s commissions, which bring together 18,000 volunteer experts from around the world in a range of disciplines from species conservation to environmental law and protected area management.


IUCN is a union that brings together some of the world’s most influential organizations and experts to conserve nature and accelerate the transition to sustainable development.

source/content: arabnews.com

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature has named Razan Al-Mubarak as its new president. (IUCN) / pix: arabnews.com

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

ESO launches Unique Atlas on Sultanate’s Whales and Dolphins

A new e-book ‘Marine Mammal Atlas of Oman’ released by the Environment Society of Oman (ESO).

Produced by Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC, with sponsorship from Renaissance Services SAOG and supported by the Environment Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and the Natural History Museum, this full-colour photographic book is the culmination of 20 years of scientific research, providing a thorough geographical representation of the Arabian whales and dolphins that call the Northern Indian Ocean their home.

‘Marine Mammal Atlas of Oman’ is freely available online on the following link: www.eso.org.om/index/images/file/2021-08/MarineMammal_2_.pdf

source/content: omanobserver.om

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pix: omanobserver.om

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OMAN

UAE Pavilion Wins Prestigious Golden Lion Award at Venice Architecture Biennale: August 2021

Wetland, the UAE’s innovative pavilion at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, has been awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation.

More than 60 nations developed national pavilions, including the UAE’s Wetland exhibition, which was curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto.

Wetland examines the potential for creating sustainable building materials from the UAE’s salt flats or sabkhas and features an environmentally friendly cement produced with recycled desalinated water.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Roberto Cicutto, president of the Venice Biennale, applauds as Italy’s culture minister Dario Franceschini, left, awards the Golden Lion for the Best National Participation to Wael Al Awar, right, curator of the Wetland project presented by the United Arab Emirates at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition. EPA / Andrea Merola / pix: thenationalnews.com

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Syrian Cheesemaker Razan Al-Sous, Founder of Yorkshire Dama Cheese – Gains Royal Approval in the UK

Razan Al-Sous and her husband Raghid Sandouk fled Syria to start a new life in Yorkshire, leaving behind their dream of setting up their own pharmaceutical company but opening up a new entrepreneurial life in the city of Huddersfield.

With the simple idea of making halloumi-style cheese from cows’ milk and launching a best-selling range of Arabian flavoured cheeses, the innovative pair have won more than 30 awards for their product and gained royal approval from Princess Anne.

When they arrived in Yorkshire, Mr Sandouk’s brother let them run his chicken food outlet and it was there the first Yorkshire Dama Squeaky Cheese was created.

Now they have nine flavours in their range, from plain and chilli to black onion seed, rosemary and mint.

The couple recently won their latest award, for their black pepper squeaky cheese.

n 2017 the couple expanded to new premises and were given a royal seal of approval when Princess Anne officially opened their factory in Sowerby Bridge.

Now the couple have been invited to Buckingham Palace.

This month they won yet another award for their Middle Eastern style cheese, Nabulsi, which contains black onion seeds and has now become a bestseller in the UK.

www.yorkshiredamacheese.co.uk

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Syrian cheese maker Razan Al-Sous. / pix: Ashraf Helmi / The National

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BRITISH / SYRIAN