In the Syrian desert, on the road from Damascus to Palmyra, stands the impressive Harbaka Dam. Built by the Romans in the first century BC, it watered fields, a palace and bathhouse.
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But between 100 and 700 AD, rainfall in the eastern Mediterranean dried up, weakening the empire's grip. The Persians and then the Arabs, societies well adapted to desert climes, gained supremacy and amid the ruins of Roman rule, a Persian poet wrote: "The spider weaves the curtains in the palace of the Caesars."
In the now silted-up dam, only shallow pools of water gather after infrequent rainstorms.
As in the past, so again today. Water is at the nexus of four trends that are shaping the Middle East: political transformation; soaring food prices; growing energy challenges; and climate change.
Rising food prices were a factor in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. Policymakers' concerns about food security have intensified, as the Gulf in particular imports nearly all of its needs.
Since 1980, Saudi Arabia spent at least US$100 billion (Dh367.29bn) in subsidies to become the world's sixth-largest wheat exporter, the required irrigation consuming the equivalent of six years of the flow of the Nile. In 2008, faced with dwindling groundwater reserves, the kingdom ended the policy.
In Yemen, groundwater is being extracted 50 per cent faster than it is replenished. Diesel subsidies encourage over-pumping from wells, and 40 per cent of water goes to irrigate the stimulant qat, not food.
Two centres of the current Syrian protests are the southern breadbasket Hauran region, around the city of Deraa, and the north-eastern Kurdish area. Both have been badly hit by long-running droughts, which were neglected and mismanaged by Damascus.
Ethiopia's plans to build a dam on its section of the Nile, announced in March, raised concerns in Egypt, and the independence of South Sudan further complicates sharing of the Nile's waters.
Disputes over another historic river, the Jordan, are one aspect of the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict. The famous Dead Sea, into which the river runs, has fallen by 22 metres since 1970 due to over-extraction of water from the Jordan.
The GCC countries are almost entirely dependent on costly desalination, damaging ecosystems by making the Gulf increasingly hot and saline.
Desalination's energy demands put an increasing stress on gas supplies, leading to consideration of nuclear and even coal power.
Despite this, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have among the highest per person water consumption in the world.
There are four actions the Middle East can take to head off a water crisis.
First, eliminating subsidies to make the real cost of water clear to users. Those affected by rising prices can be compensated through direct payments and financial support for efficiency improvements, as tested in India. This is the sine qua non for all other policies.
Second, improving efficiency. Reminders of ancient societies' ingenious use of water in an arid climate stand all over the Middle East.
The narrow canyon that forms Petra's entrance funnels water into the ancient city, while the citadel in Amman has a large cistern to catch rainfall.
The qanat of Iran, and its Emirati/Omani equivalent, the falaj are long underground channels, painstakingly engineered and dug to bring water from the mountains.
There are many modern equivalents of such approaches. Efficient dishwashers use 3,500 litres a year each household less than a standard machine; and 19,000 litres less compared with washing by hand.
Low-flow taps and shower heads cut water consumption by 70 per cent. "Grey" water, such as run-off from sinks and showers, can be used to flush toilets or for garden irrigation. Chemical additives reduce the amount of watering required on roads to keep down dust.
Agriculture, the biggest water consumer, can benefit from simple improvements such as fixing leaks, introducing drip irrigation and shifting to less water-intensive crop varieties.
Third, improving supply. Reverse osmosis desalination is much less energy-intensive than the thermal methods (essentially, boiling water) that predominate in the Gulf.
Using waste heat from power stations in combination with reverse osmosis is more efficient still, while nanotechnology offers some new approaches.
The Gulf should be the centre for research on new desalination methods. Why is there no progress towards solar desalination, at first sight the ideal technology for the region?
Fourth, on the longest time scale, playing a constructive role in global efforts to tackle climate change.
Severe droughts and changes in river runoff could tip the balance in unstable neighbours, such as Yemen, Iraq and Pakistan.
Many in the Middle East have forgotten their ancestors' skill at surviving in a desert climate. The region needs to rediscover the true value of water.
Robin Mills is an energy economist based in Dubai, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis and Capturing Carbon
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
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- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)