With all the talk of carbon footprints, another, less-discussed issue of critical importance in the drive to sustainability, particularly in the Middle East, is that of water footprints. A water footprint is a measure of how much water is used within the entire supply chain – be it of a product, an individual, a household, country or even an entire region.
A surprising amount of water goes into making many goods. Most people never think about water when they look at cheese, potatoes, and wheat, but a lot is used in producing such things.
And each footprint contains different categories of water used – known as green, blue and grey. Green water is water from rains, dew, and fogs that stays in the land, plants and trees. Blue water is the water found in lakes, ponds, rivers and underground aquifers. And grey water is wastewater from households, industry, and commerce.
A 125 millilitre cup of coffee’s water footprint is about 132 litres, given the water that went into the growing, cleaning, processing and other activities along its supply chain. One kilogram of beef uses about 1545l of water through its supply chain. Whereas coffee is made almost exclusively with green water, beef contains mostly green water with some blue and little grey. Rice uses about 2497l of water per kg, with most of the water still being green, but a considerable amount of blue and small amount of grey.
When we take stock of a product's entire water footprint – all of the water used to make it or embedded within the product itself, without distinguishing between the categories of water involved – we are talking about the "virtual water" contained in that product. And that is a useful concept not only to consider our own water usage and waste, but also how we trade water with one another to meet our needs.
Countries in the Middle East tend to be water-scarce; the people who live in them need far more water than their countries produce – not only for drinking and sanitation, but to grow and manufacturer things they need. So, when they import things, they are importing by proxy the water they would have needed to make those things – the "virtual water". However, when one buys a bag of imported rice, does the bag have its virtual water content on it? No.
A 125 ml cup of coffee’s water footprint is about 132 l
The amount of water traded virtually through the imports and exports so far this year alone could be well over 1.4 trillion tons. Clearly, this is an important trade to understand better.
The focus is not just on the virtual water coming in, but that going out, too. There are increasing concerns in India, for example, about the country's virtual water exports, which were estimated to be 26 trillion litres a year recently. There are increasing concerns in the US state of Arizona about the water from that increasingly water-stressed state that is being used to export livestock feed to Saudi Arabia. These are just two of many places that are worried about the virtual export of their water. Because of population growth, climate change, droughts and their own overuse of their water, many more places are concerned about virtual water trade, even if they do not use that term.
On the other side of the virtual water trade are places like some Gulf countries, which currently must import over 85 per cent of their food. According to PWC, a global accounting firm, nearly all rice is imported, as is 93 per cent of cereals, 62 per cent of meat and 56 per cent of vegetables. That level of virtual water demand must factor into the regional conversation on sustainability, including food self-sufficiency and food security.
In fact, that is already happening. Companies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are investigating ways to grow saline crops or use seawater for greenhouses. The International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai is also looking into such issues. And there is a greater focus on using wastewater more efficiently, and reducing water use and food waste. The latter is one of the best ways to reduce reliance on virtual water trade. Stockpiling food and new and creative agricultural methods are also important.
For some time to come, however, countries in the region will have to continue to rely on virtual water trade in food and other products to make up for what they cannot do with their natural water or land resources. The GCC states know about these issues surrounding water and food security and are working on them. Focusing on the circular economy “Rs” (reduce, reuse and recycle) really does go a long way to improving water and food security in the region. Understanding water footprints and virtual water trade could help boost the awareness needed to ingrain these practices into the wider public. But it can also help policymakers plan to secure the water their societies need – be it the kind that flows through the tap, or the kind that just exists virtually.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 95-108) US$125,000 2000m (Dirt).
Winner: Don’t Give Up, Gerald Mosse (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (95 ) $160,000 2810m (Turf).
Winner: Los Barbados, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.40pm: Handicap (80-89) $60,000 1600m (D).
Winner: Claim The Roses, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (Div-1) Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D)
Winner: Gold Town, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Cape Verdi Group 2 $200,000 1600m (T).
Winner: Promising Run, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D).
Winner: El Chapo, Luke Morris, Fawzi Nass.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
