UAE Minister Mariam Al Mheiri attends international environment meeting in Iran

Minister stresses efforts to combat pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change

Mariam Al Mheiri signs an agreement with Dr Ali Salajegheh, vice president and head of the Department of Environment of Iran, over joint action on dust and sand storms. Wam

The UAE's environment minister has stressed the need to tackle pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change during a meeting with counterparts from various countries, in Iran.

Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, spoke at the Ministerial Meeting on Environment Co-operation for a Better Future, state news agency Wam reported.

Held in the presence of the Iranian President Dr Ebrahim Raisi, the gathering brought together ministers from the Middle East and Africa as well as representatives of the UN Environment Programme, various NGOs, and academics.

Ms Al Mheiri said the international community needed to work together to find solutions to pressing environmental challenges.

“The transboundary nature of the environmental challenges we face necessitates that we respond in a co-ordinated manner," she said.

"Building a sustainable future is a moral obligation towards the next generations, and our success depends on how well we all work together to drive low-carbon, nature-positive, and resilient growth.”

The UAE will host the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, as part of its drive to safeguard the environment.

The meeting of world leaders in November 2023 will seek to find solutions to the threats posed by climate change.

Joint action on dust and sand storms

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  A picture taken from Muharraq Island shows a sandstorm engulfing the skyline of Bahrain's capital Manama. The Middle East's sandstorms are becoming more frequent and intense, a trend associated with overgrazing and deforestation, overuse of river water and more dams. AFP

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  Massive dust and sand storms have descended on the Gulf this week, bringing extraordinarily high levels of dust and pollutants, particularly in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Bahrain's capital Manama (pictured) has been similarly affected. AFP

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  Children play outside during a sandstorm on Muharraq Island, north of the Bahraini capital Manama. People in the Mena region are being advised to stay indoors, especially babies and at-risk groups, and to avoid physical exercise. AFP

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  Cars on a highway in the Bahrain Financial Harbour area during a dust storm in the capital Manama. People in the Gulf are accustomed to frequent sand and dust storms and have attached the Arabic word “Shamal”, which means northern, to the phenomenon owing to the direction of the winds. AFP

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  Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is obscured by a haze of sand and dust in Abu Dhabi. Winds have reached 40 kilometres an hour in the capital. Victor Besa / The National

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  The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is almost hidden by dust. Visibility was down to a few hundred metres in the city. Victor Besa / The National

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  Jumeirah Lakes Towers in a hazy Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Strong winds stir up dust and sand in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

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  The Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh during a dust storm. AFP

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  The 302-metre building is almost obscured by dust. AFP

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  Saudi Arabia's National Centre for Meteorology issued alerts for large parts of the kingdom, including Riyadh and the Eastern Province. AFP

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  A haze of dust covers Riyadh's skyline. AFP

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  Dust storms created hazardous conditions for drivers in Kuwait City, where winds reached 50kph. EPA

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  A man waits to cross a road in Kuwait City as orange-red dust blows in the air. AFP

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  Kuwait's Ministry of Interior urged the public to exercise caution as dust severely reduced visibility. AFP

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  Schools in Kuwait were closed owing to the weather. AFP

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  Towers in Dubai Marina are hard to see through the dust. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel in the haze. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Beachgoers view a hazy skyline at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The conditions appear to be the tail of a storm that covered Iraq. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Cars drive on a highway in the Seef district during a dust storm in Bahrain's capital Manama. AFP

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  Cars drive on the main highway during a dust storm in the Bahraini capital Manama. AFP

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  Haze obscures the dhow harbour in Doha, Qatar, during a heavy dust storm. AFP

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  Haze obscures Doha's skyline. AFP

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  A man covers his face with a scarf in Doha during a heavy dust storm. AFP

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  A sandstorm covers Tehran, Iran. Schools and government offices closed in the Iranian capital and elsewhere in the country. AP Photo

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  Iraqis walk along a street at the Shorja market shrouded in heavy dust in central Baghdad. EPA

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  People with breathing problems are treated at a hospital during a sandstorm in Baghdad. AP Photo

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  People travel along a street during a sandstorm in Baghdad. AP Photo

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  A patient suffering from breathing problems at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province. AFP

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  People walk on a street in Baghdad during a sandstorm. AP

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  A man walks along the Euphrates river in Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province during a heavy dust storm. AFP

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  The dust has affected visibility at Abu Dhabi's Corniche. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  Abu Dhabi city is difficult to see through the dust. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  The Marina Mall area in Abu Dhabi is obscured by the dust. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  Adnoc headquarters in the capital amid the dust storm. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  Qasr Al Watan is obscured by a haze of sand and dust in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

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  Museum of the Future during the dust storm in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Burj Khalifa obscured by the dusty and hazy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Abras on Dubai creek during the dusty weather. Pawan Singh / The National

On the sidelines of the meeting, Ms Al Mheiri signed an agreement with Dr Ali Salajegheh, vice president and head of the Department of Environment of Iran, for the countries to partner on efforts to tackle sand and dust storms.

The UAE's environment ministry will work with Iran's environment department to share knowledge and expertise and develop a regional action plan to address the issue.

The agreement will include exchanging expert visits, setting up a joint task force and shaping plans for early warning and forecast alerts over impending storms to boost readiness for extreme conditions.

Doctors in the UAE offered safety advice after storms swept across the country weather in May.

Dr Emad Al Nemnem, a pulmonary disease consultant at Burjeel Medical City, said residents with respiratory diseases are at greater risk and must take extra care.

“Sandstorms are especially dangerous for patients with respiratory disorders, particularly those with chronic bronchitis and asthma,” Dr Nemnem said.

“The symptoms start with an increase in coughing, sputum and chest tightness.”

He advised asthma patients to carry their inhalers at all times and consult a doctor or head to the emergency department if breathing becomes difficult.

“We urge patients to drink lots of water, wear good-quality masks even at home and get an air purifier,” he said.

In a WhatsApp alert, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said exposure to sand and dust could be harmful to all.

Sand and dust storms occur relatively frequently in the Middle East.

They most often hit during the summer and turbulent weather, such as during the transition from winter to spring, when rising temperatures cause strong winds.

The number of storms is expected to increase with the effects of climate change, a report published in 2017 said.