An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq, 19 July 2022. Baghdad suffers a heatwave as temperatures rose to more than 50 degrees Celsius, amid an acute shortage of electricity. EPA / AHMED JALIL
An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq, 19 July 2022. Baghdad suffers a heatwave as temperatures rose to more than 50 degrees Celsius, amid an acute shortage of electricity. EPA / AHMED JALIL
An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq, 19 July 2022. Baghdad suffers a heatwave as temperatures rose to more than 50 degrees Celsius, amid an acute shortage of electricity. EPA / AHMED JALIL
An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq, 19 July 2022. Baghdad suffers a heatwave as temperatures rose to more t

MENA

How to stay cool without air conditioning: Middle East tips to beat the summer heat

As temperatures across Europe hit record highs, The National's Middle East reporters share tips on how to stay cool

  • English
  • Arabic

Europe is sweltering under a heatwave and many are casting around for any way to stay cool in countries not used to the kinds of temperatures more common in the Middle East than England.

Here The National's correspondents from Beirut to Baghdad offer tips on how to stay cool when there's no air conditioning ― given they're used to keeping their cool despite power cuts, fuel shortages and crumbling infrastructure.

Hamza Hendawi: Cairo, 38ºC

A boy swims in the Nile during hot weather in Al Qanater, about 10 kilometres north-west of Cairo, Egypt.
A boy swims in the Nile during hot weather in Al Qanater, about 10 kilometres north-west of Cairo, Egypt.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority has said this could be the country's hottest summer for five years.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority has said this could be the country's hottest summer for five years.
Recent temperatures in the Egyptian capital have reached 43°C.
Recent temperatures in the Egyptian capital have reached 43°C.
Forecasters say temperatures were set to peak at 46°C during the heatwave.
Forecasters say temperatures were set to peak at 46°C during the heatwave.
Power cuts have been reported in Cairo as people use more electricity to tackle the heat.
Power cuts have been reported in Cairo as people use more electricity to tackle the heat.
The meteorological authority says temperatures are between 5°C and 7°C higher than normal for this time of year.
The meteorological authority says temperatures are between 5°C and 7°C higher than normal for this time of year.
Cairo residents could be faced with hot weather for at least another week.
Cairo residents could be faced with hot weather for at least another week.
Meteorologists have also predicted an increase in humidity across the country.
Meteorologists have also predicted an increase in humidity across the country.
People swim in the Nile as temperatures rise in Cairo.
People swim in the Nile as temperatures rise in Cairo.
A man fishes in the Nile near Al Qanater as Egypt faces a heatwave.
A man fishes in the Nile near Al Qanater as Egypt faces a heatwave.

Take a cold shower to get your body temperature down, strip down to the bare essentials and lie on your back on a tiled floor close to a window that’s facing away from the sun.

Because it’s often hotter indoors than it is outdoors (without air conditioning, of course), go out to a public park. In Cairo, the hotter it gets the more on edge people are ― tempers fray quickly and heated arguments are common, but it’s too hot for things to get physical very often.

Read more

How one Egyptian architect is keeping buildings cool without air conditioning

Poor and middle-class Cairenes flock to Nile-side boulevards to get a breeze in the evening. The pavements of most of Cairo’s many Nile bridges are filled with evening strollers and hawkers selling them soft drinks or, strangely, hot black sweet tea.

The parks, few and far between in the city of 20 million people, are thronged by families who take a long picnic in the evenings.

Those with deep pockets escape to the upmarket North Coast where temperatures are typically lower than in Cairo, swimming pools are in abundance in their gated communities and the golden sands and pristine blue waters of the Mediterranean are welcoming.

When stuck in sprawling Cairo in the summer, I go to my city centre country club and sit under a mature tree that offers deep shade, where I can sip an iced coffee or fresh juice.

Erin Clare Brown: Tunis, 39ºC

Boys swimming in the Mediterranean at the Kheireddine Bridge near the northern Tunisian town of La Goulette, about 12 kilometres east of Tunis. AFP
Boys swimming in the Mediterranean at the Kheireddine Bridge near the northern Tunisian town of La Goulette, about 12 kilometres east of Tunis. AFP

While most European homes do not have the tiled floors or open courtyards that keep many Tunisian homes cool in the summer, there's one thing we do have in common, greenery.

Throughout the Arab world, the country is known as "Tunisia the green", and all those trees help keep you cool in the hot climate.

So rather than hiding inside with the blinds drawn and a fan whirling, take a towel (maybe even a damp towel you stashed in the freezer for a bit), some watermelon and a big bottle of cool water outside and park yourself under a tree in the afternoon.

When temperatures climb above 40ºC, Tunisians head for their other hot-weather refuge, the water.

If you can’t get yourself to a beach, try looking for a nearby pond or creek for a bit of wild swimming to cool you down and keep you refreshed.

Tunisians also take care to keep their pets — and the street cats and dogs that are regular fixtures in every neighbourhood — cool, by putting out water dishes in shady areas of the street for passing pups and kitties to stay hydrated.

Early morning walks with your furry friends will help you both get your exercise before the sweltering heat sets in. If you do have to take your pup out for a break mid-afternoon, dip their paws in water before you go out and stick to the shady side of the street to avoid burns.

Sinan Mahmoud: Baghdad, 48ºC

An Iraqi man attempts to keep cool as temperatures soar in Baghdad. All photos: EPA
An Iraqi man attempts to keep cool as temperatures soar in Baghdad. All photos: EPA
Temperatures have hit 50ºC in the Iraqi capital.
Temperatures have hit 50ºC in the Iraqi capital.
Ice blocks for sale in Sadr City, north-east of Baghdad. EPA
Ice blocks for sale in Sadr City, north-east of Baghdad. EPA
A man uses cold water to cool himself down. EPA
A man uses cold water to cool himself down. EPA
An Iraqi street seller offers motorists cold water in central Baghdad. EPA
An Iraqi street seller offers motorists cold water in central Baghdad. EPA
Iraqis keep cool at the aqua park in Sadr City. EPA
Iraqis keep cool at the aqua park in Sadr City. EPA

When Iraq’s sweltering summer comes and temperatures in some places stay above 50ºC for weeks (and there are frequent power failures meaning no AC or fans), cold watermelon is the best friend of Iraqis.

There’s nothing like cold watermelon to beat the scorching heat in a summer without AC.

It's placed in the fridge to let it cool down a little before eating or drinking the juice ― unlike any other fruit, watermelon contains at least 90 per cent water, which makes it ideal to quench your thirst.

With Iraq's extreme temperatures, people get creative to cool off.

Misting fans and showers are set up on pavements in outdoor markets, while street vendors selling ice cream, cold drinks or (of course) watermelon are seen on every corner in the city.

Some Iraqis take a dip in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

In some areas, mainly in the south, families place ice blocks in front of fans to blast cool air.

My final piece of advice is to keep ice cream handy.

Nada Homsi: Beirut, 31ºC

Tourists take a selfie in front of Raouche Rock as the sun sets over the Mediterranean in Beirut. AP
Tourists take a selfie in front of Raouche Rock as the sun sets over the Mediterranean in Beirut. AP

Lebanon is struggling to provide any mains power at all and blackouts are common. While old traditional stone buildings can be good for staying cool, in Beirut’s concrete blocks the temperature rises fast.

My advice is to close all the doors to one room and use seveal battery-powered fans ― mine turn on automatically when the electricity cuts out and, if placed strategically, will circulate air around the room.

Then lie down on the tiles, because they stay cool in the hot summer.

We also freeze a watermelon ― it's delicious and will keep you cool. Cut the melon into squares and put them in the freezer overnight (assuming you have the electricity). For extra flavour, pair it with a traditional salty white Akkawi cheese.

The key is to stay hydrated ― I like to make a mint lemonade slushy with crushed ice.

Night time can be tough, but don’t underestimate the value of an open window.

Open all the windows to get the air moving around the house, letting through the occasional cool breeze. The downside, however, is the mosquitos.

James Haines-Young: Abu Dhabi, 40ºC

Pedestrians on Hamdan Street in central Abu Dhabi on a hot and gusty day. Victor Besa / The National
Pedestrians on Hamdan Street in central Abu Dhabi on a hot and gusty day. Victor Besa / The National

Other than the obvious ― find somewhere with AC and stay there ― in Abu Dhabi you just try to avoid going out too much in the daytime. If you do, move slowly and try to stick to the shade, although it doesn’t really feel as if it makes that much difference.

This week the weather has been OK because although the temperature might be about 40ºC, the humidity is only about 50 per cent.

When the temperature is more than 40ºC and the humidity tops 80 per cent, the only answer is to learn to live indoors.

You dash from building to building when you have to move around and for about three months you just accept the fact that you’ll start perspiring profusely as soon as you step outside.

You simply have to embrace indoor living ― find hobbies you can do inside, join a gym, shop in malls and crank up the AC.

And carry a spare T-shirt in case you do get caught outside and end up arriving looking like you just showered.

Pakistan squad

Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi

E-cigarette report
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

While you're here
Results

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
On Women's Day
THE BIO

Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.

Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.

She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.

Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring  the natural world.

Titanium Escrow profile

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi

Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

On Women's Day
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

While you're here
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%3Cp%3EThe%20fielding%20side%20shall%20be%20ready%20to%20start%20each%20over%20within%2060%20seconds%20of%20the%20previous%20over%20being%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20electronic%20clock%20will%20be%20displayed%20at%20the%20ground%20that%20counts%20down%20seconds%20from%2060%20to%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20clock%20is%20not%20required%20or%2C%20if%20already%20started%2C%20can%20be%20cancelled%20if%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09A%20new%20batter%20comes%20to%20the%20wicket%20between%20overs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09An%20official%20drinks%20interval%20has%20been%20called.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20umpires%20have%20approved%20the%20on%20field%20treatment%20of%20an%20injury%20to%20a%20batter%20or%20fielder.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20time%20lost%20is%20for%20any%20circumstances%20beyond%20the%20control%20of%20the%20fielding%20side.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20third%20umpire%20starts%20the%20clock%20either%20when%20the%20ball%20has%20become%20dead%20at%20the%20end%20of%20the%20previous%20over%2C%20or%20a%20review%20has%20been%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20team%20gets%20two%20warnings%20if%20they%20are%20not%20ready%20to%20start%20overs%20after%20the%20clock%20reaches%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09On%20the%20third%20and%20any%20subsequent%20occasion%20in%20an%20innings%2C%20the%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20end%20umpire%20awards%20five%20runs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
On Women's Day
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
  • Animals
  • Fireworks/ flares
  • Radios or power banks
  • Laser pointers
  • Glass
  • Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
  • Sharp objects
  • Political flags or banners
  • Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms

Sundar Pichai

Chief executive, Google and Alphabet

Satya Nadella

Chief executive, Microsoft

Ajaypal Singh Banga

President and chief executive, Mastercard

Shantanu Narayen

Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe

Indra Nooyi  

Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo

 

 

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tomorrow 2021
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
Updated: August 05, 2022, 5:08 AM`
Middle EastClimate changeEgyptIraq