Green: Jeddah's self sustaining farm and Jordan's Sahara Project

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a farm that uses no sunlight, has no greenhouse effect and uses only water from humidity, has been set up. And in Jordan: a project has began with an incredible sustainable solution to resource scarcity that would turn the Sahara Desert into a source for food, water, and energy. Very hopefully, such kind of sustainable ideas will be replicated in many other parts of this arid, water scarce region.

New Mukalla

Mukalla is being rapidly transformed; in fact, for the last twenty years - the city, which some call The Pearl of the Arabian Sea, of all places in Hadhramout, it has seen the most transformation; transformation, particularly, in its buildings. Wherever you go around Al Mukalla, you see new construction. The sea near the center of the city, is being filled and reclaimed. Many new areas have been built up; many new buildings have been put up; and many old buildings, some - very old, unfortunately - have been torn down. Torn down and being replaced by new structures. New 'modern' structures.

Shabwa: Hadhramout's Western Neighbor

There is the old Shabwa city, which was the old capital of Hadhramout; and there is present day Shabwa (Shabwah), which is the main neighboring province, west of Hadhramaut. Of the ancient Shabwa city, the ruins can still be found at the furthest end, southwards, of the Hadhramout/Do'an valley and at the foothill of the Hadhramout Plateau; it is where archaeologists made the largest and most extensive discovery ever of a temple, in the Arabian Peninsula. There, in ancient Shabwa - traders, from near and far, used to gather in or pass through. Of present day Shabwa, it is a land of rugged mountains and valleys in the south; and stretches north, in to the vast desert of Rub'al Khali.

Green: Masdar City

Paradoxically built in one of the most carbon emitting cities in the world - Masdar City in the UAE, once completed - will be the world's first zero-carbon city.It is designed to be not only free of cars and skyscrapers but also powered by the sun. It will be the world’s first CO2-neutral city. Masdar City is to consume so little energy that local resources will satisfy require­ments—without generating net emissions. If the project is successful, urban planners will have a blueprint that could help them prepare for an oil-free future.

Before Tunisia there was Sudan

Before Tunisia, it happened in Sudan. Very rarely mentioned is the popular uprising against Ja'afar Numeiry that took place in Sudan about 25 years ago. In March 1985, a few days after Numeiry had doubled the prices of bread, petrol and public transport, public protests began in Sudan. Daily protests continued and were soon to be joined by university students, union activists and tens of thousands of others. Many were arrested, a state of emergency was declared so as to better manage crackdowns. Then, too, like in Tunisia, the military at first watched impartially; but eventually sided with the popular uprising. On the 5th of April, 1985 - the Sudanese armed forces supported the people's demands for the ouster of Numeiry and seized power in Sudan, while Numeiry was out of the country; they suspended the constitution, sacked Numeiry's top officials and dissolved the People's Assembly. Lead by General Suwar Al'Dhahab, they formed a transitional government, they organized democratic elections and about one year after they had taken over, the military relinquished power to a democratically elected government. Only for that government to be ousted on the 30th of June,1989.

Lionel Messi: the role model and People's Champion

He is Argentinian and Spanish; he has won many awards, including the Ballon d'Or; he is the founder and patron of the Leo Messi Foundation which helps and supports children. He is undoubtedly the best football player today; and is one of the best players ever. He is 5' 6" Lionel Messi or, in full: Luis Lionel Andrés Messi. But - the awards, his being a wonderful player - aside. It is his unique character among today's sportsmen that makes him stand out above all.

Green: Egypt's forests

Egypt has an ingenious way of creating forests by using waste water. It is using waste water to create forests; several of them. If Egypt can do it, other Arab countries like Yemen - with its large population - can do the same; use waste water, not to grow food crops, but to create green forests in the vast deserts that cover this region. Forests that can stop the spread of deserts, which will sustain the environment and soil; and forests that can provide much needed wood and timber. Egypt came up with the very pioneering method due to its almost complete dependence on the Nile water and due to it being allowed to use only a share of that water.

The Facebook slickers

About three weeks ago, I was very surprised to discover my fifteen year-old son having a Facebook account; I was even more surprised - and very much upset, that his younger brother had an account too. Although both knew I was very much against 'social' internet sites, they seemed to be surprised by my reaction and feelings; they were surprised, as - the way they later explained to me - most of their cousins and friends, some much younger than them - as young as nine, were on Facebook. This, sort of shocked me: I just couldn't understand how boys as young as them and some being in very remote places in Hadhramout and Yemen - would ever want to have a Facebook account. After calming down, and after telling both of them to immediately stop using their accounts, I decided to find out more on why they would need Facebook accounts and what they did on the sites. It took me almost one week and much talking and persuasion to get the whole story - from my sons, their cousins and friends: all numbering fourteen. What I found out was disturbing; at the same time comical and sort of made Facebook, and social sites for that matter - look silly.

Green: Cambridge Eco-Friendly Mosque

Rising above England's historic city of Cambridge skyline - is a new 'eco' friendly, costing almost 20 million Dollars first-purpose built mosque, on a 0.4 hectare site  in the city. It is being built on environmentally sustainable principles; and it will be Europe's first of its kind.

Parental Control

No other responsibility is as difficult and demanding as that of being a parent; a good, successful parent; being a good, successful spouse comes after and close to that. What you do and how you do it to bring up your children, is what shapes, molds and builds them to what they will be later in life. Is what will mainly form their behavior and character. There are many ways we use to bring up our children; control, is one of them.