Sustainability probably isn't the first word that comes to mind when you think about the oil-rich Gulf nations. However, a new partnership between Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar and the Scottish government is just one of several green energy projects popping up in the region lately. "There is a strong political will in the Gulf to diversify the oil-dependent economy and actually utilize money available from oil revenues in new technologies," explained Erich Kaeser, chief executive of Siemens Middle East, during a recent interview with The New York Times. "Masdar is a prominent example, but it is becoming more and more of a trend in the Mideast."

Time will tell whether they produce the kinds of technology that will help reduce our dependence on petroleum. In the meantime, it would appear that the oil billionaires are doing their best to use as much of their own product as they can with their fleets of matching Mercedes. Can you guess why they call this guy the "Rainbow Sheikh?"

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Adam Clark Estes