Is it possible to turn Arab deserts into greenery?

[Targon]

@al-Hasani I meant places like the first set of pictures you posted in first page, climate seems like it can sustain certain types of trees and plant(pine for example), so I think at least some parts of these hilly regions could be afforestated.

I also feel like I cannot live anywhere that has no natural greenery. Mah region is perfect for me, ruins of Termessos, no vehicle access and you sweat from your ***

 

[jaunty]

Why do you want to change a desert?

 

[al-Hasani]

@Targon

There is pine but somehow it has not been cultivated much outside of the mountain ranges and mountain regions/provinces. Palm trees are in abundance though. In general people are wasteful and not protective enough when it comes to the nature. So Israel could learn us a lot on that front. They as neighbors and having a somewhat similar climate are a better comparison.

What's the oldest city in Saudi Arabia and how old is it? Can anyone post pictures of it? Or maybe some articles?

I can't bother to search. I can't work with multiple tabs with this shitty laptop.

Well there are many millennium old cities, towns and villages but not all of them have their original appearance and some have grown into very big cities today such as Jeddah which is nearly 3000 years old. Modern architecture has changed a lot.

This video is great though.

Madinah, Makkah, Jeddah, Mada'in Saleh, Dumat al-Jandal, Tayma, Al-Ula, Thaj, Tarout Island (5000 years old), Al-Shuwayhatiyah, Jubbah, Al-Ukhdud, Najran city, Qaryat al-Faw (the Paris of the period where incense was the most valuable goods of the old wold), Al-Ahsa, Tabuk, Qatif (5500 years old and probably the oldest city of KSA), Abha, Yanbu etc. are all cities that are at least 2000-2500 years old.

In general archeology is a very new thing in KSA and there are many heritage sites that can be trace to prehistory and the Eastern Province is full of heritage from the nearly 5000 year old native Dilmun civilization which was a trading partner of nearby Mesopotamia (Sumeria) and the Indus Valley Civilization across the Arabian Sea.

Dilmun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well the problem is that there is no real tourism in KSA and KSA has been restrictive to invite archeologists and experts from abroad but that is slowly changing step by step.

I mean not many even knew that KSA has one of the oldest churches (Jubail Church) from the 4th century.

Jubail Church - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So KSA is very unknown land for archaeologists despite being located at the crossroads of the world and having the oldest existence of human populations outside of Africa. Nothing has barely been excavated.

Watch this video about archaeology from American archaeologists and what they have to say after working at one historical finding in Hijaz:

That should be a start at least.

 

[my2cents]

Thanks to the troll @IamBengali and @al-Hasani we got a tour of both Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh and to be fair both are beautiful.

 

[al-Hasani]

Thanks to the troll @IamBengali and @al-Hasani we got a tour of both Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh and to be fair both are beautiful.

He is to be completed ignored. A cretin of the highest rank. This is his trolling thread number 10 or so about KSA in the last few months. He started a exact similar discussion/topic a few weeks ago where he got handled by several users, most not even from KSA, and as here he ran away. Now he is quite.

But there is one thing that he is unaware of. All the anti-KSA, anti-Arab and anti-Sunni Muslim/ME threads that he has made will bit him in the *** in the end. He would not wish for me to go into a mode where I make anti-Bangladeshi threads because this will be an enormous embarrassment for him.

He is asking for it.

 

[Azizam]

@al-Hasani Thanks for taking your time, it was very useful. I have to research more concerning ancient history in Arabian Peninsula. Documentaries will be useful. Again, thanks for the ifnormation.

 

[My-Analogous]

I understand that Mecca is the hottest city but it doesn't mean you can't plant two three trees in Ka'aba and take care of it. Why is it hottest? Because there is no tree. Atleast an initiative should be taken for it.

Did you ever visit Makkah?

 

[kouroshkourosh]

Some people at prophet[pbuh] asked him:why makkah is the hottest and driest place on the earth?
Prophet muhammad answered:because doing hajj must be sincere for Allah not for having fun.

 

[al-Hasani]

Some people at prophet[pbuh] asked him:why makkah is the hottest and driest place on the earth?
Prophet muhammad answered:because doing hajj must be sincere for Allah not for having fun.

Makkah is nowhere near the hottest place on earth nor nowhere the driest. But it is damn hot during summer and the hottest city in KSA because it retains summer temperatures throughout the year.

To make an example that you might understand. Isfahan gets double the precipitation of Makkah but Cairo gets 4 times less precipitation than Makkah.

Flooding is by no means unheard of in Makkah nor in ancient times nor in modern times. And when I mean flooding I mean real flooding where Al-Masjid Al-Haram is flooded. This is due to Makkah being surrounded by mountain ranges and lying in a valley.

In any case I see no need for this troll thread although I posted very nice photos, videos and documentaries of KSA and educated people on the ancient history of the region.

 

[my2cents]

Makkah is nowhere near the hottest place on earth nor nowhere the driest. But it is damn hot during summer and the hottest city in KSA because it retains summer temperatures throughout the year.

To make an example that you might understand. Isfahan gets double the precipitation of Makkah but Cairo gets 4 times less precipitation than Makkah.

Flooding is by no means unheard of in Makkah nor in ancient times nor in modern times. And when I mean flooding I mean real flooding where Al-Masjid Al-Haram is flooded. This is due to Makkah being surrounded by mountain ranges and lying in a valley.

In any case I see no need for this troll thread although I posted very nice photos, videos and documentaries of KSA and educated people on the ancient history of the region.

As usual, you carried yourself admirably and don't have to be defensive.

 

[anonymus]

I hate deserts from core of my heart. I can't even breath where there is no greenery. I live in Bangladesh. Rural Bangladesh is full of green everywhere but Dhaka is concrete jungle but still there is green left in Dhaka in form of Parks but in Arab countries esp. in Saudi Arabia there is hardly any green. Esp. in Mecca there seems to be absolutely no greenery. All buildings seems to be built in desert land.

Is it possible to turn all deserts in Arabia full of greenery with flowers blossoming everywhere?

Why is there hardly any tree in Mecca? How do Meccans live without green? There should be a project taken immediately to plant trees around Ka'aba in the expansion project.

It is not possible.

See, It has everything to do with Geography.

Deserts are formed due to one of or combination of certain factors. Those factors are

1. Hadley cells and stable anti-cyclonic condition.

These are dynamic cells of air circulation that are formed due to heating of Equator by Direct rays of Sun.

​

The zone where North east trade winds and South east trade winds converge is called ITCZ and it roughly traces North-South path of Sun.The air in this zone gets heated up and rises up and move polewards as in upper troposphere, pressure gradient is in opposite direction as compared to that on ground.

​

The parcel of air as it moves poleward is deflected towards it's right in Northern hemisphere and towards it's left in Southern hemisphere due to Coriolis force which originate due to combination of sliding and rotational motion of parcel of air and it also gains speed in order to conserve it's angular momentum due to decreasing radius poleward. These effect combined give rise to jet streams which block further poleward motion of air causing it to subsidise. ( it depends upon index of jet stream).

The subsiding air is adiabatically heated which causes it to desiccate.

The zone where this air subsidise lies close to 22-26 degree and is the major reason that whole of this latitudinal extent is a desert ( Sahara, rub-al khali, sonoran, thar, dast-e-kavir, Namibian desert,great victoria desert).

Thus it is practically unsustainable to have massive greenery in SA.

Bangladesh, even after being at same latitude is green due to presence of Himalayas and Tibetan plateau. Tibetan plateau, due to it's height gets relatively heated in summer creating cyclonic conditions which replace Subtropical jet stream from west to east by tropical jet stream from east to west accompanied by northern shift in ITCZ. This brings monsoonal rains to Indian subcontinent.


2. Presence of cold current on western edge of continent.

Evaporation is inversely proportional to temperature.Air flowing over cold currents has low moisture content. ex: Kalahari desert.

3. leeward side of mountain.

As air rises up the mountain, it's temperature falls.As soon as ambient temperature reaches to dew point, it results in condensation causing precipitation on windward side of mountain. As this air then descend on other side of mountain, it is adiabatically heated further reducing it's relative humidity. this causes formation of desert on leeward side of mountains. ex: atacama desert, mohave desert, dast-e-lut and dast-e-kavir,patagonia.

4. Continental location.

Interior of continents receive low rainfall due to their distance from ocean leading to formation of desert. ex: Gobi desert,patagonia.

5. Location of western margins of continents.

Trades are offshore.


@al-Hasani

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

You're talking science to an illiterate

Give it a rest.

It is not possible.

See, It has everything to do with Geography.

Deserts are formed due to one of or combination of certain factors. Those factors are

1. Hadley cells and stable anti-cyclonic condition.

These are dynamic cells of air circulation that are formed due to heating of Equator by Direct rays of Sun.

​

The zone where North east trade winds and South east trade winds converge is called ITCZ and it roughly traces North-South path of Sun.The air in this zone gets heated up and rises up and move polewards as in upper troposphere, pressure gradient is in opposite direction as compared to that on ground.

​

The parcel of air as it moves poleward is deflected towards it's right in Northern hemisphere and towards it's left in Southern hemisphere due to Coriolis force which originate due to combination of sliding and rotational motion of parcel of air and it also gains speed in order to conserve it's angular momentum due to decreasing radius poleward. These effect combined give rise to jet streams which block further poleward motion of air causing it to subsidise. ( it depends upon index of jet stream).

The subsiding air is adiabatically heated which causes it to desiccate.

The zone where this air subsidise lies close to 22-26 degree and is the major reason that whole of this latitudinal extent is a desert ( Sahara, rub-al khali, sonoran, thar, dast-e-kavir, Namibian desert,great victoria desert).

Thus it is practically unsustainable to have massive greenery in SA.

Bangladesh, even after being at same latitude is green due to presence of Himalayas and Tibetan plateau. Tibetan plateau, due to it's height gets relatively heated in summer creating cyclonic conditions which replace Subtropical jet stream from west to east by tropical jet stream from east to west accompanied by northern shift in ITCZ. This brings monsoonal rains to Indian subcontinent.


2. Presence of cold current on western edge of continent.

Evaporation is inversely proportional to temperature.Air flowing over cold currents has low moisture content. ex: Kalahari desert.

3. leeward side of mountain.

As air rises up the mountain, it's temperature falls.As soon as ambient temperature reaches to dew point, it results in condensation causing precipitation on windward side of mountain. As this air then descend on other side of mountain, it is adiabatically heated further reducing it's relative humidity. this causes formation of desert on leeward side of mountains. ex: atacama desert, mohave desert, dast-e-lut and dast-e-kavir,patagonia.

4. Continental location.

Interior of continents receive low rainfall due to their distance from ocean leading to formation of desert. ex: Gobi desert,patagonia.

5. Location of western margins of continents.

Trades are offshore.


@al-Hasani

 

[Finer]

It is safer that way for Makkah. How often it rains in Makkah? However, as it is being hot climate, safer for Makkah to avoid any daily rains, snow; easier for Muslim people to worship and do Hajj in Holy Makkah. There is reasons why Allah has planned to put Holy Makkah in the hottest climate place, Allahu Alim.

I don't mind hottest climate; good for your health too.

 

[The SC]

Hey, I know you think I hate your country that's why whenever I ask any question you seems to be so rude and attack personally. I dislike Al-Saud corrupt monarchs but as a Muslim I really can't hate Mecca otherwise I would be a Kafir if I hate Mecca. I want to see Mecca a modern city but a planned city with buildings, greenery etc. That's why I asked my friend.

Mecca is Mecca, if you are a real Muslim and respect Mecca than you should be talking about greenery in the desert for agricultural purposes. Mecca is a modern city now, if SA could or wanted to do something else they would have or are planing to do it.
I do like greenery and water like you, and I live in Canada where there is snow much of the year, what should I suggest?

 

[Asian.Century]

Old article but:

How Sheikh Zayid Turned the Desert Green

By Habeeb Salloum MAY 27, 1997
Save for later
When visitors land at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, then drive to the heart of the city some 22 miles away, they are overwhelmed by flowers, shrubs, date palms, and other trees lining both sides of the multilane thoroughfare. Not many travelers who see all this greenery know that this is a recent phenomena. A little over a quarter century ago, not only Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but the whole country consisted of towns built of adobe atop a landscape covered with sand.

Today, camel tracks have become six-lane highways, greenery dots the once barren sands, and ancient dirt-trodden souks are now air-conditioned plazas. The towns, with their clusters of dirt huts, have been transformed into cities of luxurious villas and hotels, overshadowed by elegant apartments and skyscrapers. Where migrating birds used to fly over inhospitable, barren terrain, they now stop and breed in countrysides dotted with dams, man-made oases, and ever-expanding farms.

Farms and forests cover 4.5 percent of the land, and more than 200 of the UAE's islands have been partially "greenified." There are 6,313 greenhouses and 21,700 farms spread throughout the country. Around the Liwa Oasis alone, more than 100,000 acres of desert have been converted into cultivated land. Using a variety of ultramodern and traditional irrigation techniques, orchards, grain and vegetable fields, flowers, and forests now flourish in every corner of the country.

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With the proliferation of small farms, incentives given to farmers by the government, and the adoption of modern agricultural techniques, tremendous progress has been made in the production of fruits and vegetables. UAE-grown citrus fruits, avocados, grapes, guavas, strawberries, tomatoes, and cut flowers can be found as far away as the markets of Europe.

These small farms are becoming the basis for steadily increasing national food production, which has reached 1 million tons. Food processing facilities are being set up. Hundreds of artesian wells have been drilled, and 25 dams have been built, with more planned or under construction. The aim is for the UAE to become self-sufficient in food in the near future.

Tree planting and greenification are encouraged in every part of the country. Home owners are urged to beautify their surroundings with government gifts of plants and trees. State-supported parks saturate cities like Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Roads in many parts of the country are now edged by fields of trees and shrubs.

Much of this tree-planting sprouts from the support of Sheikh Zayid bin Sultan al Nuhayyan, president of the UAE and one of the world's leading environmentalists. Under his guidance, the barren face of the desert has been transformed into lush greenery in a little more than a quarter century. The renown horticulturist Bernard Lavery described Sheikh Zayid as ''the man who tamed the desert."

The massive agricultural development in the country has put 1,787,633 acres of once-barren land under the "plow" - and 741,000 of these acres are man-made forests. The afforestation effort throughout the country, fueled by giant desalination networks and the use of waste water from urban and industrial projects, is truly remarkable.

In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi alone, some 130 million trees have been planted. The UAE's 22 million, mostly newly planted palm trees now represent 20 percent of all the palms on the planet. The country is today one of the largest date producers and processors of this fruit in the world - a single factory processes 14,000 tons annually.

Another type of tree proliferating along the UAE coastline is the humble mangrove, which can grow in salt water. Its propagation is a pet project of Sheikh Zayid, who was raised in the dry desert and appreciates a tree that grows in salt water. For 20 years, new stretches of the UAE coast have been greenified by the salt tolerant mangrove. These patches of greenery are becoming important habitats for birds, fish, and invertebrates.

The most renowned of the afforestation projects in Abu Dhabi is on the island of Sir Bani Yas. Three and a half million trees and shrubs, 500,000 of them fruit trees, have been planted on the island. Many are forest species, some indigenous to the Emirates. Others have been introduced to test their adaptability to the UAE's arid climate. Today, trees and shrubs cover 70 percent of the island.

Al Jurf, 61 miles northeast of the city of Abu Dhabi, is another garden spot. In this area of transformed desert, massive planting has created a rich forest of more than 500,000 trees - mostly citrus and palm.

The millions of newly planted trees, along with countless gardens and parks, are a wonderful example of fighting the desert. The extensive shade and evaporative cooling effect created by the man-made leaf canopy has helped to moderate the climate, reducing local temperature by several degrees.

Omar Sharif dumbfounded

The movie star Omar Sharif first visited the UAE in the early 1970s. Returning in 1996 to take part in a project directed by a leading British documentary filmmaker, he remarked, "I am totally dumbfounded by the greenery in the UAE."

The UAE has been so successful in its greenification of the desert that neighboring states are seeking advice. "They used to say, agriculture has no future," Sheikh Zayid has said, "but with God's blessing and our determination, we have succeeded in transforming the desert into a green land."

Sheikh Zayid's life-long dedication to improving the environment in the UAE and the Gulf region earned him the 1997 "Gulf Business Award for Environmental Action" and the "Gold Panda Award," a top international conservation tribute. It was presented to him on March 6, 1997, by Britain's Prince Philip, president of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

As a dedicated conservationist - not only in words but in deeds, as the UAE itself testifies - Sheikh Zayid aptly became the first head of state to receive this award.

* Habeeb Salloum is a writer based in Don Mills, Ontario.