A landfill in Kuwait was called the ‘Rubber Mountain’ because it held 42 million old tires. For years the local residents had suffered from the acrid smoke of these tires being burned, but those days are
finally over. The government is not only cleaning up the area, but they aim to turn it into a green city of 25,000 ecological homes. It will be known as South Saad Al-Abdullah City, and it is meant to be emblematic of a new era in this Middle-Eastern country. The first step took place in early 2021 with the openingof a recycling facility for the tires where they are collected, shredded, and pressed into other materials like tiling and playground flooring. The entire green city project is expected to cost €3.3 billion and require 30 years to complete. The government says, “We have moved away from a situation of great environmental risk, and are moving toward a greener future.” The sparkling new city will feature the latest in green technology, and will be part of an ecological resurgence in the Persian Gulf region. Kuwait’s neighbour Saudi Arabia is planning to build a zero-emissions future city in the desert.