JEDDAH // In the 1980s, expatriates working at Saudi Aramco, a Saudi oil company, used to spend their weekends water skiing and swimming in a lake in the heart of the desert.
Two decades on, however, and there is nothing left of Lake Layla, once considered the largest body of water on the Arabian peninsula.
The evaporation of the lake, and the increased frequency of sandstorms, such as the one that obscured the skies over the capital, Riyadh, a fortnight ago, are the most tangible results of climate change, environmentalists say. They have also warned of worsening climate conditions to come unless more is done to limit the emissions of gases heating up the planet.
The department of meteorology at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah last week predicted there would be more sandstorms as the drought worsens and vegetation dies.
Climate change is not a common topic of discussion in Saudi Arabia, which ranks second after the United States in production of carbon dioxide per capita, according to a United Nations report.
The United Nations Development Program's human development 2007/2008 report showed that Saudi produced an average of 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person, accounting for 1.1 per cent of global emissions with only 0.4 per cent of the world's population.
"If all countries in the world were to emit CO2 at levels similar to Saudi Arabia's, we would exceed our sustainable carbon budget by approximately 511 per cent," the report said.
Saudi Arabia is a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, a global treaty intended to achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide at the atmosphere level. The country has invested US$300 million (Dh1.1 billion) to research cutting emissions of CO2 and protecting the environment.
But analysts have said Saudi has been too slow to cap emissions of CO2 and methane gas, which have contributed heavily to an increase in temperatures.
The government, too, has opposed any global action to reduce CO2 emissions that would affect the price or supply of oil.
Asa'ad abu Rizaizah, a Saudi environmentalist, said the government should develop more public policies to protect the environment and to focus on reducing methane gas, which has a larger impact on climate change than CO2.
"The government is investing money to reduce CO2 emission, but municipalities are not doing much to dispose safely of the waste in dumpsters which produces methane gas," said Prof abu Rizaizah, who is an associate professor of environmental engineering.
Scientists measure the impact of greenhouse gases through the Global Warming Potential (GWP). The GWP for methane over 100 years is 25, which means that an emission of one million metric tonnes of methane is equivalent to emission of 25 million metric tonnes of CO2.
Prof abu Rizaizah called on the government to develop an advanced public transportation system to limit the number of cars on the roads and therefore cut carbon emissions. He also wants the country to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel for energy.
Saudi depends heavily on fossil fuel to meet local demands for electricity, which is growing by six to seven per cent annually, according to official figures.
There has been some effort to look at alternatives to fossil fuel.
This month, the oil minister, Ali al Naimi, said the kingdom hoped to become a leading supplier of solar energy.
Ali al Barrak, the chief executive officer of Saudi Electricity Company, also said the country was in talks with French companies to build a nuclear power plant.
"We can have a nuclear power generation plant by 2018 if we started now," Mr al Barrak told the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat.
Saudi Arabia signed up to the Kyoto protocol and pledged to play a positive role in tackling global warming and climate change through investing in new technology, as it opposes any tax on oil production.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), of which Saudi is a member, has also committed to reducing harmful emissions.
In 2007, King Abdullah announced during the Opec heads of state summit in Riyadh that he would donate $300m for research into helping the environment, including investments in technology such as carbon store and capture.
Mr al Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, told the Opec summit that his country was as concerned as any other in tackling climate change but the world had to accept it would be dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come.
Saudi Arabia and the wider Opec cartel agreed that safeguarding the environment's future was one of the three top priorities, alongside reliability of oil supply and global prosperity. However, they stressed that countries should learn how to manage their consumption instead of backing action against supplying nations.
Taxes against supplying nations and a cut in oil consumption could seriously affect the economies of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, Reuters quoted Mohammad al Sabban of the Saudi ministry of petroleum as saying.
"Countries talking about reducing dependence on oil could impact our economy," Mr al Sabban told an Opec energy conference two weeks ago.
Efforts to cut CO2 and at the same time reduce dependency on imported oil could impact the economy, he said. "We stand to lose out to such policies that are biased against oil producers."
wmadhi@thenational.ae
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
