SOMA Newsletter

Author

Soma Mater
August 25, 2025

Welcome to the SOMA MATER weekly newsletter.

At SOMA MATER, we specialize in delivering comprehensive research and advisory services with a focus on Food & Water Security and Net Zero Transition in the MENA Region. In order to support our subscribing clients in navigating these topics and understanding the regional narrative, we produce monthly Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition Intelligence Reports, along with our in-depth analysis and insights.

This weekly newsletter highlights the top 3 stories from the past week in Food and Water Security and Net Zero transition, along with SOMA MATER's analysis and perspective.

How does Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi think we can transform extreme rainfall patterns in the MENA region into sustainable water management opportunities rather than viewing them as disasters?⁠

How are MENA countries addressing the challenges of extreme heat and electricity demand in 2025?⁠

How are traditional farming practices and scientific research contributing to sustainable land use and food security in Saudi Arabia?

Sustainably yours,

The SOMA team

What do you, your coffee and the clouds have in common?

The majority of their make up is water.

#FoodandWaterSecurity

Water is the underpinning of all our natural systems. You cannot have agriculture and farming without it. You cannot have thriving biodiversity without it. Without water there is no life.

In the last decade weather patterns have been changing around the world and with that, regional rainfall. With this in mind, we have been observing water in the Middle East with new eyes. We have a significant part of the MENA region in Arid and water stressed geography. Most Arab regions, especially in MENA, receive minimal annual rainfall, typically below 250 mm. As of the last few years, we are seeing rainfall in the GCC spike with extreme monsoon style rainfall. This presents us with a decision on how we approach this new rainfall.

Culturally we celebrate the rain. It has always been a boon for our land. Farmers know through many years of understanding the weather patterns and the signs that the rains come. They even know of macros cycles (7 years) of highs and lows. Yet, the last 10 years have brought a different understanding of rain to the UAE. Extreme downpours have caused massive infrastructure damage, brought our economy to a standstill, and even the loss of life. Similar experiences throughout the GCC echo these changes resulting in governments committing billions of dollars to develop infrastructure to handle these conditions.

I want us to explore this weather change as an opportunity. The boon of water should not be seen as a problem. It can be leveraged to create some very positive change. With dams scattered over the eastern mountain range of the UAE, there is a lot of water being captured. The power of this water demands our respect. The rainfall of 16th of April 2024 delivered more rainfall than a single year and the highest recorded level since data collection began in 1949. The failure to manage the dams in Fujairah resulted in a flooding that wiped out a residential neighbourhood and many roads in Sharjah. This “short term” storage mechanism is an approach of the industrial might over nature. What i want to explore, is the working with nature, for longer term storage and benefit. At SOMA MATER we are exploring natural low-tech systems and their ability to direct water into our aquifers, our natural ecology and possibly even our agriculture systems. This study will be of global practice and case studies of how low-tech and nature based solutions might serve our economies and societies better than pure capital and industrial might. I want to be clear that this is not an A or B scenario, our growth as a region is never so black and white. With more options being studied and brought to the fore, we want shine a light on an opportunity that presents itself very few times, with a high reward. Extending this boon of rain long into the dry times.

If this interests you, or might be interesting for someone, I encourage you to share this newsletter with them or point them to us on social platforms @wearesomamater. We look forward to sharing more of what we learn.

Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi

Founding Partner

The Hot List: How MENA is Keeping its Cool in the Summer Heat

#NetZeroTransition

Heat extremes across MENA in August 2025 are straining electricity grids. Iraq experienced blackouts in its central and southern regions due to technical failures, revealing underinvestment and poor maintenance. Iraq faces a significant supply gap with summer demand projected to reach 55 gigawatts—double the current 27-gigawatt capacity. In response, Iraqi farmers are adopting solar for irrigation with government support, contributing to Iraq's goal of generating 12 gigawatts of solar power by 2030. Figure 1 shows the total MENA population that is projected to be exposed to heatwave events of various magnitudes (according to the ‘SSP5: Fossil-fueled Development’ narrative).

Figure 1

Egypt's electricity network reached a record 39,500 MW load in 2025, surpassing 2024's 38,000 MW peak. This reflects Egypt's implementation of operational plans to handle extreme summer heat through efficiency standards, maintenance completion, and improved readiness across generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Additionally, Egypt is addressing its seasonal "black cloud" air pollution by improving agricultural waste collection and recycling, particularly rice straw, turning an environmental challenge into an economic opportunity.

Similarly, in the UAE, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) reported a 7.1% increase in district cooling service consumption during the first half of 2025 compared to last year. This stems from high occupancy rates and the addition of new projects to the company's portfolio. The consistent rise in cooling demand—approximately 70% over the past five years—continues to drive Empower's expansion and sustained revenue growth in Dubai.

SOMA’s Perspective:

We are increasingly seeing the link between extreme weather and electricity demand across MENA. As temperatures soar to record heights, power grids from Iraq to Cairo buckle under the strain. In places like Egypt, July and August are typically the hottest months of the year, yet some countries are worsening the situation through inefficient fuel burning practices. These figures represent not merely statistical anomalies but a new normal for the region.

Sources:

Grain of Truth: The Global Push to Restore Our Land

#FoodandWaterSecurity

A recently-published King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) study provides a blueprint to reverse land degradation by 2050 in 3 key strategies: increasing sea-based food production, reducing food waste by 75%, and restoring 50% of degraded land. Currently, food production uses 34% of ice-free land, projected to increase to 42% by 2050. The study was conducted with the AEON Collective and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Scientists propose measures like modified economic incentives, food donation programs, and smaller restaurant portions that could save an estimated 13.4 million square kilometers of land. Promoting sustainable aquaculture and seafood farming would save another 17.1 million square kilometers—combined savings equivalent to the size of Africa. With over 90% of farms worldwide being small or family-owned, the study emphasizes that policies should focus on helping these small farms scale up.

One example is the success story of farmer Mohammed Al-Asmari. Mohammed successfully revived traditional millet cultivation in Saudi Arabia without chemical fertilizers by using knowledge passed down from his father. Through the "Saudi Rural" program, he received technical support, consultations, and agricultural tools that improved his production efficiency and crop quality. Millet is particularly valuable as a rainfed crop that thrives in arid regions, contributing to food and water security while enhancing soil fertility.

SOMA’s Perspective:

Saudi Arabia is experiencing an agricultural revival, exemplified in its local millet cultivation and land degradation initiatives. The Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) has already planted over 115 million trees and rehabilitated 118,000 hectares of degraded land. Looking forward, their plan targets planting 10 billion trees and restoring 74 million hectares in the coming decades. In regard to the study, SOMA highlights how although seafood farming provides a promising alternative, the marine-based food production systems also require careful consideration of their environmental impacts.

Sources:

SOMA MATER is writing Intelligence Reports on the topics of Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition. If you’d like to know more, contact us through the link below:

https://wkf.ms/3BmPiPo