Cities from Space - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The voyage continues. Today's stop is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The photo was taken a December 9, 2010 by the Expedition 26 crew of the International Space Station.

Image from NASA's The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth

Riyadh is a city of over 5 million people.  Earlier this year a conference on Architectural Lighting was held there.  One of the sessions was a panel discussion called "The dark skies debate – How much light is too much?" Points addressed were:

Investigating the theory of light pollution and its relevance
How much of an effect does light pollution have on the environment and nature?
Weighing up the costs and benefits of the dark skies initiative

I am glad to hear the issue was discussed, but looking at the photo above, they have a long way to go.

Next up? Dubai.