Agenda
27th and 28th October 2026 (Dusit Thani - Dubai)
Day 1 - EMCEE (Radhika Arapally and Mohammad Darwish)
Breakfast Networking and Registration
8:00 AM – 9:00 AMOpening Remarks · Emcee Opening and Introduction
9:00 AM – 9:05 AMChairman Welcome Remarks, 20 years of the EmiratesGBC
9:05 AM – 9:10 AMMr Khalid Bushnaq Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council
Opening Plenary · Beyond the Sandbox: From Benchmark to Breakthrough.
9:10 AM – 9:20 AMTo frame the Congress around the shift from pilots, benchmarks, and voluntary action toward implementation, accountability, and measurable market progress....
Read moreEndorsing Governmental Entity Opening Remarks
9:20 AM – 9:30 AMH.E. Eng. Mohamed Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
Read moreFireside Chat · The UAE Built Environment in 2026: Progress, Gaps and Priorities
9:30 AM – 9:45 AMTo reflect on the current state of the UAE built environment sector and surface the signals, pressures, and realities shaping...
Read morePanel 1· Energy and Water Performance in UAE Buildings: Key Findings and Implications
9:45 AM – 10:25 AMTo translate energy and water benchmark findings into practical implications for policy, asset management, retrofit investment, and performance-based delivery. Abdullatif...
Read moreSponsor Slot
10:25 AM – 10:35 AMNetworking and Coffee Break
10:35 AM – 11:00 AMParallel Panel 2A · From Transparency to Trust: What the Market Is Starting to Expect
11:00 AM – 11:45 AMTo define what credible product transparency, certification, and assurance must deliver to build market trust, support procurement decisions, and accelerate...
Read moreParallel Panel 2B · From Data to Decisions: Using Technology to Improve Building Performance
11:00 AM – 11:45 AMTo explore how technology, digital tools, and data-driven insights are helping organizations measure performance, support decision-making, and improve outcomes across...
Read moreParallel Case Study Track A · Success Stories · Climate Resilience in Action (3 x 10 -minute presentations)
11:45 AM – 12:15 PMTo showcase proven approaches that have successfully improved resilience, thermal comfort, and climate adaptation in the UAE context. Presentation 1:...
Read moreParallel Case Study Track B · Success Stories · Health and Wellbeing in Action (3 x 10 -minute presentations)
11:45 AM – 12:15 PMTo showcase proven approaches that have successfully enhanced health, wellbeing, and environmental quality in the built environment. Dr Nada Chami,...
Read moreQ and A
12:15 PM – 12:25 PMNetworking and Prayer Break
12:25 PM – 12:50 PMPanel 3· Risk, Resilience and Insurability: Protecting Long-Term Asset Value
12:50 PM – 1:35 PMTo connect climate risk, resilience, and sustainability performance to insurability, investment decisions, and long-term asset value. Farah Ghanem, Head of...
Read morePanel 4· Lower-Carbon Construction at Scale: What Needs to Align? Including a short scene-setting
1:35 PM – 2:15 PMTo identify the market signals, procurement shifts, and stakeholder alignment needed to move lower-carbon construction from emerging practice to standard...
Read moreSignature Congress Working Session · Market Shapers Exchange: From Industry Voice to Market Direction
2:15 PM – 2:55 PMTo capture cross-sector views on market progress, implementation barriers and emerging priorities, informing the Congress Communiqué, future EmiratesGBC programmes and...
Read moreDay 1 Closing and Adjournment
2:55 PM – 3:00 PMFormally close Day 1, summarize key messages, and bridge the discussion into Day 2
Networking Lunch
3:00 PM – 4:00 PMDay 2 - EMCEE (Jennie Stallings)
Breakfast Networking and Registration
8:00 AM – 9:00 AMWelcome Remarks · Emcee Opening and Introduction
9:00 AM – 9:10 AMOpening Keynote
9:10 AM – 9:20 AMPresentation Cluster · Existing Buildings, Real Results (3 x 10-minute presentations)
9:20 AM – 9:50 AMShowcase proven retrofit and operational strategies that have delivered measurable improvements in building performance, resource efficiency, and asset value. Presentation...
Read moreQ and A
9:50 AM – 10:00 AMPanel 5· From Policy to Delivery: Government Priorities for the Built Environment
10:00 AM – 10:45 AMCllarify how government roadmaps, disclosure requirements, and whole-life carbon priorities are shaping the next phase of built environment delivery in...
Read moreSponsor Slot
10:45 AM – 10:55 AMNetworking and Coffee Break
10:55 AM – 11:15 AMRegional Panel 6· Delivering Net Zero in MENA: What Is Working, What Isn’t, and What’s Next?
11:15 AM – 12:00 PMPosition UAE delivery within the wider regional context and identify transferable lessons, shared barriers, and opportunities for collaboration. Mohammad Jebreel,...
Read morePanel 7 and Commitment Moment · The Developer’s Equation: What It Takes to Build Differently
12:00 PM – 12:45 PMLeverage developers’ market influence to strengthen demand for sustainable building delivery through project, portfolio, procurement, and investment decisions. Amil Alhasan,...
Read moreClosing Session · Congress 2026: What the Built Environment Sector Is Taking Forward
12:45 PM – 12:55 PMSynthesize what the sector is taking forward from Congress 2026, identifying the priorities, barriers, and commitments needed to move from...
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