Air pollution in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman): causes, effects, and aerosol categorization

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Farahat
Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1157 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
FABIO PENATI ◽  
PIERPAOLO VIENNA

The histerid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is evaluated. As a result of the study of specimens recently collected in Oman by the scientific expeditions of the Museum of Natural History and Territory of Calci (University of Pisa, Italy), and compiling new data from 15 public and private collections, and literature records, the total number of Histeridae known from the Arabian Peninsula now stands at 67 species, without taking into account dubious species and undetermined taxa (9).Of these 67 species, in total 18 are reported for the first time: 4 for the Arabian Peninsula [Teretrius (Neotepetrius) parasita Marseul, Saprinus (Saprinus) flexuosofasciatus Motschulsky, Chalcionellus hauseri (Schmidt), Hypocacculus (Nessus) hosseinius (Théry)], 9 for Oman [Pachylister luctuosus (Marseul), Hister castus Lewis, Atholus bimaculatus Linnaeus, Atholus scutellaris (Erichson), Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens (Paykull), Hypocacculus (Colpellus) praecox (Erichson), Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) harmonicus (Marseul), Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) metallescens (Erichson), Hypocaccus (Hypocaccus) fochi (Auzat)], 2 for Yemen [Saprinus (Saprinus) tenuistrius tenuistrius Marseul, Chalcionellus tunisius (Marseul)] and 3 for Kuwait [Saprinus (Saprinus) moyses Marseul, Pholioxenus mesopotamicus Olexa, Paravolvulus syphax (Reitter)].Histeridae are now known for four national states (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Kuwait), while there are no records for Qatar or United Arab Emirates. An updated comprehensive catalogue of the histerid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is provided.Analysis of faunal affinities shows that it mostly consists of Palearctic species (24 species, equal to 35.9%), followed by Afrotropical and Afrotropico-Mediterranean species (22 species, 32.8%), and cosmopolitan/subcosmopolitan species (7 species, 10.4%); endemics stand at 5 species (7.5%), while species of undefined chorology at 9 (13.4%). On the whole these numbers fit well the largely accepted biogeographical assumption that indicates the Arabian Peninsula as a transitional zone between the Regions Palearctic, Afrotropic and, to a lesser degree, Indo-Malay (e.g., Büttiker 1979). Moreover, a distinctive distributional pattern has been recognised: “Afrotropical” Histeridae are almost exclusively present in the southern and south-western parts of the peninsula, while “Palearctic” Histeridae are mostly present in the inner central and south-eastern parts of the peninsula.Finally, the synonymy Saprinus (Saprinus) osiris Marseul, 1862 = Saprinus (Saprinus) ornatus Erichson, 1834 stated by Müller (1933), but neglected by Mazur (1976, 1984, 1994, 1997), is considered valid.


Author(s):  
Shaimaa F. Mouftah ◽  
Tibor Pál ◽  
Paul G. Higgins ◽  
Akela Ghazawi ◽  
Youssef Idaghdour ◽  
...  

AbstractTo understand the reasons of successful spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST14 (CRKP-ST14) in countries of the Arabian Peninsula, the resistome, capsular locus, carbapenemase carrying plasmid types, and core genome of isolates from the region were compared to global isolates. Thirty-nine CRKP-ST14 strains isolated from 13 hospitals in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia were selected for whole genome sequencing on Illumina MiSeq platform based on the variety of carbapenemase genes carried and plasmids bearing these genes. Their resistome, capsular locus, and core genome MLST were compared to 173 CRKP-ST14 genomes available in public databases. The selected 39 CRKP-ST14 produced either NDM-1, OXA-48, OXA-162, OXA-232, KPC-2, or co-produced NDM-1 and an OXA-48-like carbapenemase. cgMLST revealed three clusters: 16 isolates from five UAE cities (C1), 11 isolates from three UAE cities and Bahrain (C2), and 5 isolates from Saudi Arabia (C3), respectively, and seven singletons. Resistance gene profile, carbapenemase genes, and their plasmid types were variable in both C1 and C2 clusters. The majority of CRKP-ST14 had KL2, but members of the C2 cluster and two further singletons possessed KL64 capsular locus. Based on cgMLST comparison of regional and global isolates, CRKP-ST14 with KL64 from four continents formed a distinct cluster, suggesting a recent emergence and spread of this variant. Our findings confirmed clonal transmission coupled with likely horizontal gene transfer in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST14. Dissemination of this genetically flexible, highly resistant clone warrants further monitoring.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Steven C. Caton

Abstract This essay argues that the horrific war in Yemen (2015–present) waged by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against the Houthis who control the northern part of the country is not really a Sunni-Schi’a conflict or a proxy war against Iran or a replay of the Cold War—all of which have been put forward to explain it—but rather is better understood as the actions of belligerent imperialist powers located in the Arabian Peninsula, acting in their own right (rather than as puppets of Western powers). Such an explanation, however, flies in the face of what we have understood imperialism to be historically. This essay looks at two understandings of imperialism, one coming out of Marxist theory and another out of a Foucauldian understanding of power as developed by Hardt and Negri in their book Empire (2000), and then goes on to show that both are helpful, though in different ways, in explaining the Yemen war as an imperialist intervention.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1625 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCO A. BOLOGNA ◽  
FEDERICA TURCO

This is the first contribution on the blister beetles (Meloidae) of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), but new records from all countries of the Arabian Peninsula are also included, with the addition of some species never recorded before from this region, thus updating the previous checklist. Two species from U.A.E. are described: Hycleus pirata n. sp. (distributed also in Oman) and Hycleus dunalis n.sp., both belonging to different groups of species characterized by an unmodified mesosternum. Mylabris (Mylabris) desertica n.sp., Hycleus pintoi n.sp., and Hycleus fraudulentus n. sp. from Saudi Arabia, are also described. The following species previously referred to different mylabrine genera are here included in the genus Hycleus as new combinations: H. arabicus (Pallas, 1781), H. borchmannianus (Kaszab, 1983), H. gratiosus (Marseul, 1870), H. ligatus (Marseul, 1870), H. pseudobrunnipes (Kaszab, 1983), H. scabratus (Klug, 1845), H. scapularis (Klug, 1845). Coryna pitcheri Kaszab, 1983 is doubtfully referred to Hycleus. The new synonymies Deridea notata minor Kaszab, 1960 = Deridea notata Thomas, 1897, Mylabris bimaculata Klug, 1845 = Hycleus sexmaculatus (Olivier, 1811), and Zonabris rugosissima Pic, 1909 = Hycleus aestuans (Klug, 1845), are proposed. New information on the relationships of several species, particularly of the genera Lydomorphus and Hycleus, are also provided.


GeoArabia ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356
Author(s):  
Penelope A. Milner

ABSTRACT Recent work by Phillips Petroleum in the Southern Arabian Peninsula has elucidated the source potential of the Palaeozoic strata. A group of newly drilled and older wells, together with exclusive and non-exclusive reports, have been used in order to develop improved maturation and migration models for emerging plays, and to gain a better understanding of the subsidence and maturation history of this large and diverse area. It has been possible to conduct comprehensive burial history modelling for a number of wells from Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This, together with the modelling of hypothetical wells derived from depth structure maps, has improved our understanding of oil- and gas-prone source rocks in the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Palaeozoic strata. The resultant maturity distribution has been developed with the aid of a more detailed structural model for the Southern Arabian Peninsula. In tandem with this study, available cores and cuttings were analysed to measure source rock total organic carbon, maturity and richness parameters and summarised using proprietary techniques. It is concluded that the Jurassic Hanifa Formation is less mature and not source facies to the south and west of the Rub’ Al-Khali. The oil and gas mature source facies is present in the north and east of the Rub’ Al-Khali and in the Western Emirates. In addition, it is concluded that the oil mature Silurian source facies is confined to the narrow southern and western margins of the Rub’ Al-Khali. Outside this area the overmature area is in the core of the Rub’ Al-Khali extending northeast to the United Arab Emirates. The remaining area is modelled as gas mature in western Saudi Arabia and Qatar.


ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1014 ◽  
pp. 1-118
Author(s):  
Cornelis van Achterberg

For the first time the tribe Phanerotomini (Braconidae, Cheloninae) of the Arabian Peninsula is revised, illustrated by colour photographs and keyed. It resulted in twenty-one new species (of which 20 species belong to the genus Phanerotoma and representing 75% of the reported species): Phanerotomella yemeniticasp. nov., Phanerotoma angusticrussp. nov., P. artocornutasp. nov., P. aspidiotasp. nov., P. brunneivenasp. nov., P. caudatoidessp. nov., P. glabritemporalissp. nov., P. granulatasp. nov., P. ejuncidasp. nov., P. hellyerisp. nov., P. latifemoratasp. nov., P. leptasp. nov., P. longivenasp. nov., P. mesocellatasp. nov., P. microdontasp. nov., P. micrommatasp. nov., P. sculptilissp. nov., P. signiferasp. nov., P. spuriserratasp. nov., P. stenochorasp. nov., and P. vanhartenisp. nov. Reported as new for United Arab Emirates and Yemen are Phanerotoma graciloides van Achterberg, 1990, P. masiana Fahringer, 1934, and P. leucobasis Kriechbaumer, 1894 (the latter also for Saudi Arabia), for United Arab Emirates P. ocularis Kohl, 1906, and P. robusta Zettel, 1988, and for Yemen P. bilinea Lyle, 1924, P. flavivena Edmardash & Gadallah, 2019, and P. permixtellae Fischer, 1968. Phanerotoma caboverdensis Hedqvist, 1965, syn. nov. is synonymised with P. leucobasis Kriechbaumer, 1894.


1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (285) ◽  
pp. 608-609

A headquarters agreement was signed on 30 October 1991 between H.E. Sheikh Sabah Salem al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, and Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the ICRC, to pave the way for the opening of an ICRC regional delegation for the Arabian peninsula. In addition to Kuwait itself, the delegation, which will have its headquarters in Kuwait City, will cover Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The agreement will enter into force once it has been ratified by the Council of Ministers in Kuwait.


1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (S1) ◽  
pp. 85-87

Arabian Peninsula: (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Republic of Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates).The ICRC regional delegate for the Arabian Peninsula was based in Geneva. Nevertheless, since 2 August 1990 the delegate in charge was present in the region. (For further details see Iraq/Kuwait above).


Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Shehzad Salman ◽  
Hathal M. Al Dhafer ◽  
Shahid A. Akbar ◽  
Mahmoud S. Abdel-Dayem ◽  
...  

The ant genus Trichomyrmex Mayr, 1865 is revised for the Arabian Peninsula based on the worker caste. Nine species are recognized and descriptions of two new species, T. almosayari sp. nov. and T. shakeri sp. nov. from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia, are given. For nomenclatural stability, lectotypes for T. abyssinicus (Forel, 1894a), T. lameerei (Forel, 1902) and T. mayri (Forel, 1902) are designated. A key to species and diagnostic characters of the treated species are presented. New country records are presented for T. abyssinicus (Saudi Arabia), T. destructor (Jerdon, 1851) (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) and T. mayri (Qatar). New distributional records for T. destructor and T. mayri for Saudi Arabia are also provided. World and regional species distributions are indicated and distributional maps for nine Arabian species are included. Ecological and biological information is given when known.


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