EmiratesGBC Chairman Adnan Sharafi appointed to the board of World Green Building Council

JULY 2, 2013| press release

  • First Emirati to serve on the board of the prestigious global organisation
  • Highlights success of EmiratesGBC in promoting sustainable built environments in the region

Dubai, UAE; July 2, 2013: Adnan Sharafi, the Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has been chosen to the Board of World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), a network of national green building councils in more than 90 countries. The appointment underlines the success of EmiratesGBC in promoting sustainable built environments in the region.

Sharafi is the first Emirati to serve on the Board, and will assume his two-year tenure on July 1, 2013. He will attend the next scheduled Board Meeting of WorldGBC in October in Cape Town, South Africa.

He said: “This is a true honour for the UAE, EmiratesGBC and me personally, and I thank the WorldGBC for this recognition. I am particularly thankful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, whose ‘green vision for sustainable development’ has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance for EmiratesGBC in undertaking its activities.

“Over the past years, EmiratesGBC has served at the forefront in advancing the principles of green buildings and sustainable built environments across the Middle East region. We have been active in rallying the different Green Building Councils in the region to share best practices and encourage more stakeholders in the building industry supply chain to adopt green practices. The board membership will enable me to present the green building scenario in the UAE and the region to the global community and foster stronger international partnerships.”

Sharafi added: “As the apex body of Green Building Councils, WorldGBC plays a key role in identifying and promoting industry best practices. With the new responsibility, we can highlight challenges and opportunities in the region to a wider audience, especially with Middle East governments focusing now on sustainable development.”

WorldGBC’s Chairman Rick Fedrizzi said: “We are delighted to have Adnan Sharafi as one of our new board members. Under his leadership, the Emirates Green Building Council has been very effective in promoting a culture of sustainability in the UAE’s built environments. Sharafi has also played a key role in promoting green building practice in the wider Middle East region, and the tremendous investments in infrastructure development will help continue this trend. His appointment to the WorldGBC board will further enable us to understand and evaluate the green building movement in the region, and to work together for a greener future that benefits all stakeholders.”

A civil engineer by profession, Sharafi has over 30 years of experience in technical and management positions – both in the public and private sectors. As EmiratesGBC Chairman, he plays an instrumental role in setting the strategies and action plans for the Council, complementing the sustainable development vision of the UAE.

Today, EmiratesGBC has more than 260 members representing all stakeholders in the building construction supply chain. The Council hosts a dedicated forum, ‘Focus Day’ that discusses various concerns and topics associated with driving sustainability. It also hosts a series of initiatives that facilitates industry dialogue and provides educational resources and information on sustainable practices.

As Chairman of the EmiratesGBC, Sharafi works with key agencies in the government and private sector to further enhance awareness on sustainable buildings. He also liaises with members and non-members in leading the Council, and in establishing its thought-leadership in the field.

Sharafi has been involved in condition surveys for government organisations as well as extended support on engineering investigations for Dubai Police. He has also played a key role in developing the multidisciplinary Dubai Central Laboratories, the Dubai Municipality engineering laboratories and the Dubai Accreditation Centre.

A certified lead auditor for the ISO 9000 Quality Management System, he is also a certified real estate management professional and certified OAM. His research works have been published in peer-reviewed journals, and he has presented conference papers at international events.

Currently managing ALARSH, a company specialising in facilities management, energy management and management of owners associations, he started his career as an engineer working in the fields of standards, testing, compliance and assessment of buildings in the construction and pre-construction stages.

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About Emirates Green Building Council:

The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in June 2006, and became the 8th full member of the World Green Building Council in September 2006. EmiratesGBC is an organization that promotes and educates on green issues in the built environment and is the official body for the UAE endorsed by the World Green Building Council. EmiratesGBC currently has around 260 members in the UAE which represents 1000s of individuals interested and involved in Green Building in the UAE and the region. In addition, EmiratesGBC members receive discounts on a number of programmes such as those related to conferences, seminars, training and green building events.

For further information, please contact:

Kelly Home / Mohammed Al Tawil

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller; +9714 4507600

kelly.home@bm.com / mohammed.altawil@bm.com