News

Meet The Desert Shrub That Absorbs Water From The Air

The Tamarix aphylla plant has the potential to revolutionize our approach to water collection and management.

Published

3 years ago

November 2, 2023

Nour Nasir

meet the desert shrub that absorbs water from the air

NYU Abu Dhabi

In the unrelenting heat of the UAE desert, scientists from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Smart Materials Lab have discovered the secret of one of the plant world’s most interesting and possibly useful species — Tamarix aphylla. This unassuming desert shrub can extract water from thin air, and tears up the rulebook on survival in one of the world’s harshest environments.

Marieh Al-Handawi, a Postdoctoral Associate, and her partner, Professor Panče Naumov, have made a groundbreaking discovery about Tamarix aphylla that could revolutionize our approach to water collection in arid regions. The desert shrub’s roots absorb hyper-saline water from the sandy soil, carefully filtering away the salt and expelling it as a concentrated solution onto the outer surface of its leaves as a mixture of over ten different minerals.

tamarix aphylla desert shrub

The crystalized minerals on the plant’s leaves possess a remarkable ability to attract further moisture from the air, even at humidity levels of just 55%. This collected moisture condenses on the leaves’ surface and is rapidly absorbed, creating a cyclical process that can continue indefinitely.

Lead author of the research, Marieh Al-Handawi, has high hopes for the team’s findings, explaining: “They also open prospects for designing environmentally benign formulations based on a biogenic salt mixture that could be used for efficient harvesting of aerial water or cloud seeding at low humidity. This holds the promise of revolutionizing cloud seeding practices by rendering them more effective and environmentally friendly while also aligning with our responsibility to use the planet’s scarce water resources wisely”.

Also Read: Canadian University Dubai Students Create Smart Garbage Bin

In a world where fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce, Al-Handawi and her team’s research could prove to be game-changing, with alternative water-harvesting technologies becoming a hot topic in the MENA region in particular.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.