UAE: Historic Picture (Dec 2010) Taken Inside The Masdar Institute Of Science And Technology. Editorial Photo

MIST was a graduate level, research-oriented university, focused on alternative energies. The first six buildings were completed and occupied in October 2010. The city relies on solar energy and other renewable energy sources. It has terracotta walls decorated with arabesque patterns. The temperature in the streets is generally 15 to 20 °C (27 to 36 °F) cooler than the surrounding desert. A 45-metre-high (148 ft) wind tower modelled on traditional Arab designs sucks air from above and pushes a cooling breeze through Masdar's streets.