For the first time in human history, more people live in cities than in rural areas. This trend is likely to continue, with the urban population expected to double by 2050.
Over the past 60 years, cities in the Gulf have seen rapid growth. This has made them some of the most urbanised areas in the Middle East, characterised by the advent of a new typology, namely high-rise architecture.
In the Gulf, this movement started with the erection of the Dubai World Trade Centre tower in 1979. This marked the beginning of a new trend in vertical urbanism, succeeding a long tradition of horizontal development in Gulf towns.
The UAE now has the greatest number of high-rise buildings in the Middle East. As symbols of globalisation, skyscrapers all over the world are prominent features, be it in the cities of the US or the Emirates. The deepening effects of climate change, however, along with the high demand of energy in tall buildings, given their high occupancy rates, call for a revision of architectural design. There is a need for more reflection and study on the integration of high rises in urban areas.
Due to their popularity, the design of high-rise architecture is an intrinsic part of the climate solution. Through careful design, we can create buildings that are more inclusive, that respect fire and accessibility standards, that are sustainable and can secure a safety and wellness environment for urban citizens.
These issues have been examined in a new book recently published by an architecture team at Abu Dhabi University. In Vertical/Horizontal: A critical account of high-rise architecture in Abu Dhabi, students and researchers analyse the formal, urban and social implications of vertical urbanism.
For architecture students and others in academia and practice, there is an urgent need to consider how our cities are changing, the future of tall urbanism and its impact on the environment.
The vertical urbanism trend in architecture has its challenges in terms of social urban integration, population density and its effect on street life. The 1990s saw an overuse of glass facades due to the global popularity of a type of architectural design called the International Style. Nevertheless, the vocabulary that goes along with this aesthetic is neither socially relevant nor appropriate for the environment. Building performance is decreased by glass facades, especially when orientation is not taken into consideration and when they become disconnected from any regional references to architectural language.
And so, since 2010, we have started to see a new approach to high-rise architecture, one that is more focused on testing structural, technological and environmental innovations. A good example of this are Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi, with their honeycomb design – also known as kinetic skin. Its unique dynamic modular shading system efficiently provides self-shading as the Sun moves around the building.
The vertical urbanism trend in architecture has its challenges in terms of social urban integration, population density and its effect on street life
Other notable examples include Dubai’s Index Tower, which was designed by Foster + Partners, Al Ain Tower and the HOK-designed Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation headquarters. All towers are conceived with a small ground-level footprint and incorporate plenty of landscape elements. The towers’ design also takes climate specificity into consideration and is oriented with the north being fully glazed to benefit from views and indirect daylight while the south is covered with sun shades to minimise glare and sunlight.
By activating the dynamic boundaries of the towers with their environment, rethinking podiums (the base of each tower) as spaces other than car parking, and carving out spaces for community interaction, we can create a sense of place, resolve issues regarding high occupancy and environmental footprint, and help develop practical ways to make structures more liveable.
Global population growth will strain resources and cause several challenges. Many cities are already suffering from inequality, high density, limited access to water, food insecurity, issues related to waste management and space segregation. All this requires research and a design mindset that will help make our cities more resilient.
Architecture and public space urban design must use the knowledge of the past but apply technological advancements that provide environmental efficiency.
Long-term urban planning and strategic plans such as the 2030 Framework Plan for Abu Dhabi (the official plan published by the former Urban Planning Council of Abu Dhabi that describes all major urban planning growth parameters of the city until 2030) are hugely important in this regard. They will benefit from being updated regularly and by proposing regeneration projects that ensure that the city remains open and socially inclusive.
Global cities can be competitive. But they also need to survive and provide opportunities and rights to all. Therefore, while technologies can guarantee the achievement of technical elements of sustainability (emissions and energy), cities must also embrace the social part of sustainability as well.
This means respecting local conditions and context by using passive design strategies, and applying human-scale design. Cities must also re-embrace the temporal, the informal, the spontaneous and the surprising. This can be the “new beautiful” – based on simplicity, practicality and sustainability.
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Company%20Profile
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
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
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.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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