The mechanism will use sensors to measure concentration of particulate matter and harmful gases in the air.

Bustling metros across the Middle East are now attracting expats from across the globe, at a time when gulf countries are emerging as safe spaces amidst successive waves of the pandemic, and some are even offering visas specifically for remote work along with high-speed connectivity. The pursuit of a futuristic lifestyle in the region so far known for supplying fossil fuels to most parts of the world, has now created a need for developing emission-free transport as well as renewable energy resources, in order to tackle the twin menace of climate change and air pollution.

As countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar race towards a sustainable future, they also need to address the presence of toxic gases in the environment, while rapidly deteriorating climatic conditions threaten to render the dry terrain uninhabitable in the coming decades. Following the deployment of a satellite by Dubai's municipality to monitor air quality in the Middle East's tech oasis, engineers at Qatar University have developed a machine that uses a set of several sensors, to measure the concentration of particulate material as well as harmful compounds in urban spaces.

Qatar's first ever air quality tracking device with capabilities for mapping and profiling the environment, the mechanism has separate sensors to measure AQI through the amount of particulate material, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. These are paired with another set of sensors that focus on carbon emissions as well as organic compounds described as volatile, which are entering the ecosystem.

As a sensing system designed for outdoor use, the machine can withstand harsh climatic conditions, while tracking humidity and temperature in different locations using GPS. This innovation is also in line with Qatar's goal to clean up the air by measuring pollution, before the country can host the FIFA World Cup later this year.

Other such measures being used in the Middle East include deployment of air quality monitoring at malls in Oman, which sends updates to officials through a smartphone app.