Recently, Arab newspapers have published a series of cartoon tackling environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation, and littering. Saudi newspapers, especially the daily 'Okaz, have shown particular sensitivity to environmental matters.
Pollution
Gas masks spell out: "Jeddah [Saudi Arabia]"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 5, 2007
On sign: "Jeddah; Highway East"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 6, 2007
On top: "To school"
First cartoon: "Our transportation… Beep, beep!" Second cartoon: "Their transportation"
Al Watan (Saudi Arabia), November 10, 2007
"Al-Abraj [Skyscraper] Area"
Al Raya (Qatar), October 30, 2007
On sign: "Waste incinerator."
One man says to the other: "This is how life looks on the planet Highway East from Al-Hariya to Jeddah"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 22, 2007
Littering
"A cleaning worker needed for each car"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 26, 2007
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 11, 2007
On sign: "Jeddah Municipality: A Neighborhood Without Containers"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 7, 2007
"Dumpster"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), October 30, 2007
"… Oh municipality, where shall we take our garbage?"
Al Ayam (Bahrain), October 22, 2007
Deforestation
Top: "Green Lebanon"
Bottom: "The return of fires"
Al-Nahar (Lebanon), October 24, 2007
"Preserve..."
On bottom: "The National Campaign Against Fires and For Reforestation"
Al Mustaqbal (Lebanon), October 27, 2007
Water Resources
Flowers spell out "Oman"
Oman (Oman), November 13, 2007
"Water" (droplets diminish from right to left)
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), October 28, 2007
Oil Resources
"Study: Depletion of oil resources in 42 years"
Al Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), November 9, 2007
Health
"The smoke of waste" spells out "Jeddah"
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), November 4, 2007
Credit to the copywriter
'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), October 28, 2007
*A. Mahjar Barducci is a research fellow at MEMRI
