Appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners at the homes are controlled via smartphones.

The need to create a climate friendly lifestyle even in the harsh, dry climate of the Middle East has led to innovation, which is primarily aimed at exploring alternative sources of energy like the sun and wind among others, before devising ways to make the most of them. Smart tech and digital solutions have enabled Dubai to set up an infrastructure where households, businesses and public spaces will soon be powered by the world's largest solar park assembled in the Emirati desert.

Among other initiatives to achieve sustainability in a region known for supplying fossil fuels and at risk of becoming unlivable due to climate change, the authorities are also generating green hydrogen as well as energy from waste. With a view to inculcate a similar zeal for innovation among future generations to make the world a better place for them, the UAE is hosting a competition, which encourages students from different parts of the world to build smart houses that can generate their own power from renewable sources.

Among these, a team of young innovators from China has used traditional wind towers of the UAE as an inspiration for their structure, installing panels as well as shutters on the roof to protect the abode from desert storms. The wind towers are known to be designed in such a way that air flow can be diverted to reach every corner of the interiors, in order to provide cooling without air conditioners.

The boundary walls of the residence are lined with solar panels, which are not only meant to generate ample electricity for the house, but can also be used for drip irrigation for people to grow their own food. Since the contest for a huge cash prize is about smart living, the houses have appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines, all of which are connected and can be controlled using smartphones.

Once they arrived in the Emirates, students deployed knowhow of water conservation, energy efficient tech and smart home solutions, to build innovative housing.