In Focus # When the Wells Run Dry - Visions for the Gulf: Part 1: Ecological Oasis # 15.07.2010

Some people are calling the project for a zero-emission, zero-waste city in Abu Dhabi’s desert “Eco-topia”. The Emirates want to invest 22 billion euros in the city of the future, called Masdar. “Normal” petrol and diesel cars won’t be allowed. To many people’s surprise a fair bit is happening environmentally in these states that can bank on fossil fuels for an estimated thirty years. They hope these enormous investments will allow them to catch up with the West’s technological lead in on the ecological front.