Category

Sustainability

Energy
December 18, 2009

Energy Rebate

People in Kuwait have no incentive to reduce their energy consumption. I personally don't really care about the Earth enough to let that influence the way I make my decisions, and i'd be lying if I said I was. The planet was here millions of…
Read More
EnergyUrban
November 26, 2009

Dubai Bicycle Lanes

I was walking around Dhiyafa Street on a recent trip to Dubai when I noticed something very unexpected. In one short stroll I was passed by (and I counted them) 15 people on bicycles! It was a strange feeling. There were bike lanes. The pedestrian…
Read More
ArchitectureEnergyUrban
September 3, 2009

Qortuba 2.0

I've lived in Qortuba all my life. There is something very wrong in the way it has evolved. Like all modern Kuwait, it's a planned residential development. First, the government divided up the land and laid roads and power lines. People built their homes on…
Read More
EnergyUrban
September 2, 2009

Masdar City

Masdar City is a planned, zero-carbon, zero-waste development designed by Foster + Partners currently under construction in Abu Dhabi. A city of 50,000 people with no cars and no pollution. The project sits in stark contrast to the rest of the ecologically unaware developments of…
Read More
Energy
June 18, 2009

Smart Electric Grid

Tarsheed is Kuwait's national energy consumption awareness program. Although well intentioned, I believe that the program alone will not solve our energy problem. This is evidenced by our recent need to import power from Qatar, which has agreed to supply Kuwait with 500 MW of…
Read More
EnergyMetroUrban
June 14, 2009

Traffic in Kuwait

"KUWAIT CITY, June 12: MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei has forwarded questions to Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on the preparation and implementation of action plans to address the worsening traffic problems in the country, reports Al-Shahid daily. Al-Tabtabaei argued the government should prioritize transportation…
Read More
Energy
May 15, 2009

Kuwaiti Fuel Tax

"Domestic consumption levels are Between 2007 and 2018, we are forecasting an increase in Kuwaiti oil production of 40.9%, with crude volumes rising steadily to 3.70mn b/d by the end of the 10-year forecast period. Oil consumption between 2007 and 2018 is set to increase…
Read More
Energy
May 11, 2009

Fuel Subsidies

Kuwait subsidizes the fuel it sells in our gas stations. The true market value of the petrol we pump into our cars is far higher than what we pay. The government does this to encourage economic growth by lowering energy costs on its citizens and…
Read More