Photographer Richard Allenby-Pratt has produced an interesting photography project examining what would happen to the Middle East’s oil boom if unlimited renewable energy became a reality. The result, in Pratt’s eyes is the wholesale abandonment of these cities in the desert.
“By the end of 2017 Dubai was effectively deserted. Many of the wealthy locals left for their summer houses in the UK and elsewhere. The evacuation of expatriates started slowly but soon become a mad scramble as the possibility of Iran’s intervention started to look a certainty. Most western expatriates got out before the summer, but tens of thousands of Asians struggled to find transportation and many perished as the power stations and de-salination plants ground to a halt. Humanitarian ships attempting to ferry refugees back to India and Pakistan slowly cleared the backlog of desperate people all along the Gulf coast; a job that was eventually completed by the end of the year.
Before leaving, the caretakers of the UAE’s zoos, wildlife parks and private animal collections opened the gates and cages of their facilities. Some animals refused to leave their accustomed accommodations and died there, but many escaped out into the empty streets.”
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