Dubai is challenged by all of the following environmental factors except
a.
a warm and dry climate
b.
a lack of annual rainfall
c.
scarce freshwater resources
d.
a lack of valuable natural resources

I would have to choose option D on this matter. That region of the world has been known for it's oil and oil is definitely a natural resource. That's why you might sometimes hear about concerns about the price of oil coming from people the UAE and other nations in the region because that lowers their ability to profit.

Since wxyz is 4, halfof that would be 2.