In October 2008, Dubai-based Timelinks, a pioneering environmental design company, will reach into the past to unveil a city of the future. The city - called the Ziggurat project - will be in the shape of a futuristic pyramid which, according to Timelinks, could support an entire community of up to one million people by harnessing the power of nature.

Ridas Matonis, Managing Director of Timelinks, said: "Ziggurat communities can be almost totally self-sufficient energy-wise. Apart from using steam power in the building we will also employ wind turbine technology to harness natural energy resources."

The sustainability concepts behind this innovative design are not just about reducing the carbon footprint of urban areas. Whole cities can be accommodated in complexes which take up less than 10% of what would be required for a population of this size notes Matonis. "If these projects were realized today the world would see communities that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and in tune with their natural surroundings."

Many questions remain that presumably will be answered when the full concept is revealed in October, such as food supply, waste systems and whether so many people would feel comfortable living insuch a small area. But what this urban design idea and many others that are being put forward - and in some cases being built - reveal, is that the sands of the United Arab Emirates are being transformed into a global showcase for some of the most innovative and exciting concepts of green building.

As was noted in a GLOBE 2008 special session on Greening the Gulf, The growing abundance of green technology in the Middle East has been made possible as a result of the Gulf’s vast oil wealth and record high world oil prices.

The movement underway to diversify the Middle East’s energy supply is increasing in intensity. Challenges such as rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and shrinking water supplies have turned the region into a growth center for environmental technologies and services.

Alternative energy and carbon capture projects are in the works, including solar and wind developments in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Indeed the entire Gulf region is exploring the challenges and opportunities associated with clean technology and climate change.

Saudi Arabia is setting new standards for urban design with the new King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), the single largest private sector project in the region. With a total land plot area of 168 million square metres, it has the potential to create one million jobs and be home to 1.5 to two million residents. KAEC is one of the six economic cities being set up in Saudi Arabia to promote balanced regional development, achieve economic diversification, create jobs and upgrade competitiveness. The other cities include Knowledge Economic City (Madinah), Jazan Economic City and Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City in Hail.

In January 2008, Abu Dhabi unveiled the Masdar Initiative, a plan to invest upwards of $15 billion to establish an international clean technology research centre, the world’s first carbon neutral city, and projects focused on hydrogen, solar, wind power and hydrogen fuel cells. The Masdar Research Centre itself will be a model of sustainable building design.  The building will have the lowest energy consumption per square foot in the city.  It will feature the largest photovoltaic system and the largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system and integrated wind turbines.  It will consume about 70% less water than a typical mixed-use building of its size.

Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, Director of WWF International’s One Planet Living initiative, noted earlier this year that "…Abu Dhabi is embarking on a journey to become the global capital of the renewable energy revolution. Abu Dhabi is the first hydrocarbon-producing nation to have taken such a significant step towards sustainable living."

"Masdar is an example of the paradigm shift that is needed and the strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi government is a case study in global leadership. We hope that Masdar City will prove that sustainable living can be affordable and attractive in all aspects of human living - from businesses and manufacturing facilities to universities and private homes," he added.

One of the most ambitious undertakings in Dubai is the Energy and Environment Park (ENPARK), a fully comprehensive eco-friendly community for both commercial and residential use, as a role model for Dubai’s commitment to sustainable development.

The project will be developed on an eight million square foot plot and will offer a business environment to foster sustainable development and clean energy.  The commercial components will include green commercial office space, retail and boutique manufacturing facilities as well as showrooms for energy saving technologies. It will also house energy efficient residential units as well as green hotel and conference areas.

This past week Enpark announced a Sustainable Development Policy, becoming the first free zone in the region to implement eco-friendly initiatives with major thrusts on energy and water conservation.

Some of the world’s most creative and impressive building designs can be seen in an article published by ‘designboom’ entitled "the future in dubai - dubai architecture: new buildings in the united arab emirates"

Breathtaking in their majesty, awesome in their vision, these designs could well be the portent of what cities of the future around the world will look like. A tour through the designs in the four pages shown below is nothing less than mind expanding.

But sustainability in the Middle East extends far beyond innovative building designs and expansive new city developments. The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency recently launched the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group, the first of its kind at the level of public sector institutions in the Arab world and the region. This is but one of a series of initiatives underway to remedy longstanding environmental problems in one of the richest areas of the world.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group will support the Environment Agency’s efforts to develop and implement new environmental standards and to make use of the best suitable technologies to enable the Emirates to achieve their environmental goals. It is also intended to enhance the competitiveness of member companies in global markets and support the Abu Dhabi government’s objectives of becoming one of the best five governments in the world with respect to sustainability.

Abu Dhabi has announced $15 billion in new green investments; Dubai wants to be the green business capital of the Gulf; Saudi Arabia is investing in green technologies and urban developments. From green cities to green investments the Middle East is indeed becoming a hotbed for green initiatives.