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\"This volume commemorates the eclectic research of Douglas James Shearman into evaporites, which was initiated by his studies of the prograding UAE coastal sabkhas or salt flats that incorporate evaporite minerals which displace and replace earlier carbonate sediments. His subsequent proselytization of the study of ancient evaporites in sedimentary sections all over the world led to fundamental advances in our understanding of arid zone carbonate sedimentology. The papers presented here are based on presentations made in Abu Dhabi, UAE 12-14th October 2004 and 7th -8th November 2006. They provide a retrospective from the 1960's and 70's of Holocene evaporites and carbonates, recapturing Shearman's contribution by revisiting the Holocene coastal evaporite and carbonate sediments of the Arabian/Persian Gulf from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Oman. The first set of papers considers these sediments from the perspective of their coastal geomorphology, sedimentary character and their geochemistry. Later papers examine the significance of these settings in the ancient geological section world-wide, including examples from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic of the Moroccan Atlantic margin and the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation of the Arabian Gulf\"--

Construction Law in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf is an authoritative guide to construction law in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf. The principal theme is the contrast between construction law in an Islamic civil law jurisdiction and construction law in a common law jurisdiction. • the first authoritative text on the application of the laws of the UAE • extensive extracts from the region's applicable laws, all translated from Arabic, and hundreds of judgments of the most senior courts used to back up the analysis provided

This initial volume in an ongoing study of the potential health consequences of service during the Persian Gulf War responds to a request from Congress to determine whether actions taken to evaluate health effects have been appropriate. It reflects the committee's examination of health outcomes and related research efforts, women's health and reproductive health issues, infrastructure and procedures for data collection, health services influences, the role of psychiatric diagnosis, and a review of the activities of boards and coordinating groups, as well as how issues stemming from involvement in the Persian Gulf might be relevant for possible future conflicts. While the committee continues its full-length study of the problem, the recommendations in this volume are for actions it feels should be taken immediately.

The oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico was documented by shoreline assessment teams as stranding on 1,773 km of shoreline. Beaches comprised 50.8%, marshes 44.9%, and other shoreline types 4.3% of the oiled shoreline. Shoreline cleanup activities were authorized on 660 km, or 73.3% of oiled beaches and up to 71 km, or 8.9% of oiled marshes and associated habitats. One year after the spill began, oil remained on 847 km; two years later, oil remained on 687 km, though at much lesser degrees of oiling. For example, shorelines characterized as heavily oiled went from a maximum of 360 km, to 22.4 km one year later, and to 6.4 km two years later. Shoreline cleanup has been conducted to meet habitat-specific cleanup endpoints and will continue until all oiled shoreline segments meet endpoints. The entire shoreline cleanup program has been managed under the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) Program, which is a systematic, objective, and inclusive process to collect data on shoreline oiling conditions and support decision making on appropriate cleanup methods and endpoints. It was a particularly valuable and effective process during such a complex spill.

The Blue Economy has emerged as a vital framework for achieving sustainable economic diversification, environmental stewardship, and social resilience, particularly in regions facing ecological pressures such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Despite its increasing recognition in national strategies, including Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Blue Economy Strategy 2031, scholarly research in the GCC remains fragmented and uneven. This study provides the first comprehensive bibliometric and thematic review of Blue Economy research in the region, analyzing publications produced between 2000 and 2025. The analysis reveals four dominant thematic clusters: fisheries and food security, governance and coastal policy, climate resilience and ecosystem restoration, and blue finance and economic diversification. At the same time, it identifies persistent gaps in social equity, gender inclusivity, traditional ecological knowledge, and regional coordination. By situating GCC research within broader global debates, the study underscores both the strengths and limitations of the current knowledge base. The findings contribute to academic debate and policy development by offering a conceptual framework that highlights inclusive governance, innovative financing, and nature-based solutions as key pillars for future research and practice. In doing so, the study provides a roadmap for advancing the Blue Economy agenda in the GCC and beyond.

The Persian/Arabian Gulf is the most important region for seawater desalination. Surrounding countries produce about 50 % of global desalinated seawater. If Gulf salinity significantly rises because of desalination effluent (brine), marine ecosystems and the water supply for many population centers will be threatened. In order to quantify current and future impacts of seawater desalination on Gulf salinity and avoid costly environmental problems, it is vital to first examine the present Gulf salinity state and its response to salinity perturbation (i.e. determine its stability). Here, using a coupled Gulf-Atmosphere numerical climate model, we test the hypothesis that the Gulf has a single stable equilibrium state under the current climate. Simulations with different initializations under identical external forcing show that the natural coupled Gulf-Atmosphere system may exhibit a mixture of unstable and stable equilibrium salinity states. When continuous salinity perturbation is added to the simulations, results show that the present Gulf equilibrium state, characterized by annual mean basin-average salinity of about 40.6 g/kg, is stable. We conclude that Gulf basin salinity is resilient to present brine discharge activities under the current climate.

Sediment samples from the coastal area of Asaluyeh harbor were collected during autumn and spring 2015. The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEMs) were measured to assess the sediment quality and potential ecological risks. The average concentrations (and relative standard deviation (RSD)) of AVS in the industrial sediments were 12.32 μmol/g (36.91) and 6.34 μmol/g (80.05) in autumn and spring, respectively, while in the urban area, these values were 0.44 μmol/g (123.50) and 0.31 μmol/g (160.0) in autumn and spring, respectively. The average concentrations of SEM (and RSD) in the industrial sediments were 15.02 μmol/g (14.38) and 12.34 μmol/g (20.65) in autumn and spring, respectively, while in the urban area, these values were 1.10 μmol/g (43.03) and 1.06 μmol/g (55.59) in autumn and spring, respectively. Zn was the predominant component (34.25–86.24 %) of SEM, while the corresponding value for Cd, much more toxic ingredient, was less than 1 %. Some of the coastal sediments in the harbor of Asaluyeh (20 and 47 % in autumn and spring, respectively) had expected adverse biological effects based on the suggested criterion by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), while most stations (80 and 53 % in autumn and spring, respectively) had uncertain adverse effects.

South Pars Industrial Energy Zone, located in the southwest of Iran along the Persian Gulf coast, encompasses many industrial units in the vicinity of urban areas. This research study investigated the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on human health and the environment. Suspended particulate matters (SPM) in the air sampled, in summer and winter 2019, from ten stations next to industrial units and residential areas. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Spatial distribution maps of pollutants in the region were prepared using GIS software. The highest carcinogenic risk due to PAHs and PCBs measured as (6.07×10-6±1.85822×10-6) and (8.80×10-8±2.76786×10-8), respectively. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency limit (1×10-6), the cancer risks from PAH compounds were significant and need further investigation. The PCB cancer risks were within acceptable ranges. The highest adsorption ratios for PAHs were obtained through skin and PCBs by ingestion. The maximum measured non-carcinogenic hazard indexes (HI) turned out to be 0.037 and 0.023 for PAH and PCB, respectively, and were reported as acceptable risks. The predominant source of PAH in industrial areas was liquid fossil combustion, and in urban areas replaced by coal-wood-sugarcane combustion. Petrochemical complexes, flares, power plants (69%), electric waste disposal sites, and commercial pigments (31%) were reported as PCB sources. Industries activities were the most effective factors in producing the highest level of carcinogenic compounds in the region, and it is necessary to include essential measures in the reform programs.

The objectives of this study were to understand the mercury daily intake and hair-to-blood mercury ratio in fishermen and non-fishermen families in the coast of the Persian Gulf in Iran. The mean mercury concentration in the hair of fishermen and non-fishermen families was 5.76 and 2.27 μg/g, respectively. The mean mercury concentrations of RBCs were obtained for fishermen families and non-fishermen families: 35.96 and 17.18 μg/L, respectively. Hair mercury concentrations in 17% of people were higher than 10 μg/g, the No Observed Adverse Effects Level set by the World Health Organization. 78% of people had a blood mercury value > 5.8 μg/L, the standard level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A significant correlation (r = 0.94, p = 0.000) was seen between log hair and RBCs mercury concentrations. The mean mercury daily intake for fishermen and non-fishermen families was 0.42 and 0.20 µg/kg BW per day, respectively. The mean mercury daily intake of fishermen families was higher than the provisional tolerable daily intake (0.23 µg/kg BW per day) suggested by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives. Mercury daily intake significantly correlated with fish consumption (r = 0.50, p = 0.000) and log hair mercury (r = 0.88, p = 0.000). The total mean of hair-to-blood mercury concentration ratio was 306. We conclude that the use of mercury concentrations in the hair and RBCs could have been suitable biomarkers for predicting mercury exposure of people with a high rate of fish consumption.

The present study is an attempt to assess the heavy metal contamination in the marine environment of the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia. The concentrations of heavy metals in water and the soft tissues of the bivalve species Meretrix meretrix Linnaeus, 1758, from different stations along the Arabian Gulf coastline, were determined during the summer season of 2008. Bioaccumulation of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in fresh parts of the clam ( M. meretrix ) was measured by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The average concentrations of heavy metals in the clam tissues were 0.224–0.908, 0.294–2.496, 3.528–8.196, and 12.864–24.56 mg/kg wet weight for Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn, respectively. In water, the mean concentration values of these metals were arranged in the following descending order: Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd. The heavy metal concentrations in tissues of M . meretrix were within the acceptable standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Commission Européenne, and the Food and Drug Administration of the USA. From the human public health point of view, these results seem to show no possibility of acute toxicities of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn if the edible clam is consumed. It is recommended that relevant authorities should carry out a continual assessment on the levels of these pollutants in the studied area.