World’s first lab-grown-meat factory opens in Israel
The factory will have the capacity to produce 1,100 lb of cultured chicken, pork and lamb each day, which is equivalent to around 5,000 burgers, and the company says beef products are on the way.
Middle East
Saudi Arabia to create the world’s largest coral garden in the Red Sea
The Shusha Island Coral Park will cover 100 hectares and become a global center to showcase innovations to protect and restore coral reefs and accelerate conservation solutions.
Saudi Arabia imposes moratorium on drug-related executions
The state-backed Human Rights Commission said 27 executions were recorded in 2020. That is down from 184 the year before, according to rights watchdog Amnesty International.
Israel makes history as first country in the world to ban the sale of fur
The new legislation will come into effect in six months — a historic decision for animal rights and protection.
More than 150 women doctors worldwide offer virtual care to Palestinians
The initiative is a joint collaboration between the Palestinian startup Young Explorer, an online platform that offers consultations and information to parents of children with difficulties, and the Pakistani-Saudi technology group Educast.
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 50 billion trees
The Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives aim to take the crown of the world’s largest tree-planting effort—50 billion across the Arab states, as well as efforts at home to more than double the size of the Kingdom’s protected areas.
New renewable energy added in 2020 smashes records
IRENA’s annual Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 shows that global renewable energy capacity grew by more than 260 GW last year, beating the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 50%.
Lebanese hospital is world’s first to go vegan
“When adopting a plant based exclusive diet has been scientifically proven not only to stop the evolution of certain diseases but it can also reverse them. We then, have the moral responsibility to act upon and align our beliefs with our actions.”
New inkjet-printed ultrathin solar cells ditch rare minerals
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed thin, organic solar cells with a few advantages over others of their type. The new solar cells are more efficient, made using more common elements, and can be inkjet-printed onto surfaces, making them light and flexible enough to power wearable electronics.
Kuwait relaxes book censorship laws
Kuwaiti state media reported that the country’s parliament had voted 40 to nine in favor of lifting the Ministry of Information’s control over books imported into the country. Previously, the ministry had blacklisted more than 4,000 books since 2014.