Slow burn: inside the 5 November Guardian Weekly

Can the Middle East wean itself off oil? Plus: the return of AbbaGet the Guardian Weekly magazine delivered to your doorFew regions on Earth are more central to hopes of reining in global temperature increases than the Middle East. Financed by the west's insatiable demand for fossil fuels, cities filled with air-conditioned skyscrapers and shopping malls have risen from the desert, and it's not surprising that Gulf monarchies made rich and powerful by oil have paid little heed to thoughts of an economic transition to renewables, even though the region is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. But, asks our diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour, could the long-term view be about to change? The Cop26 climate conference got under way in Glasgow this week, amid a flurry of announcements and expectation. Follow the Guardian's extensive coverage here. Continue reading...