Green: the Bahrain World Trade Center

Built in 2008, the fifty story Bahrain World Trade Center is one of a kind. Two-hundred-fifty meters high, they boast a most unique feature: they have three giant wind turbines tying the two sail shaped buildings together - which supply about fifteen percent of the electricity for the two buildings. The center has an intelligent and environmentally responsive design; buffer spaces have been incorporated between the external environment and air-conditioned spaces to reduce solar gain on the building . The building too, is a pioneering stride for environmental architecture - it is the first building in the world to incorporate large scale integrated wind turbines.

Hadhramaut and its Districts

Hadhramout is a province of valleys, highlands, mountains, vast deserts, beautiful beaches and islands. Few valleys on Earth are as fertile as the Wady Hadhramaut, which extends from Wadi Al'Ain down to Seiyoun and Tarim, and down to the vast Empty Quarters; few deserts on Earth, are as spectacular and stunningly wonderful as the deserts of the Empty Quarters (Rub' El Khali) and those of Zamakh wa Mankwakh; few beaches are as golden and pure as those of Al'Dees and Al'Raedah wa Qusai; and which island on Earth is comparable to Soqotra?

Socotra has never been and is not a part of Somalia

There are those who say and try to claim that Soqotra was or is part of Somalia. With all due respect to Somalia and Somalis, a country and a people that I deeply care for and have the highest regards for, Socotra is not a part of Somalia. It has never been.

Is chewing qat Haram?

Is the chewing of 'qat' or 'khat' - haram? Many, if not - most, Muslim ulamas and scholars agree that the chewing of qat is bad for society; but, there has not been a consensus that says the chewing of the narcotic plant is 'haram'. With the Yemeni government now strongly coming out against the plant and trying to replace its cultivation with other meaningful and beneficial plants, many ulamas and leaders have been speaking out more strongly against the chewing of qat.

All Eyes on Egypt

The Egyptian flag, is very similar in color to many Arab flags, with red, white and black; remove the emblem in the middle, it is a Yemeni flag. According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism was associated with colors. The colors on the Egyptian flag is said to mean the following: