A LETTER FROM EGBC FAMILY

EmiratesGBC NEWS AND UPDATES

This year has received an exceptional number of submissions, each reflecting an inspiring commitment to advancing sustainability across our built environment. We sincerely thank all applicants for their dedication and innovative efforts, which continue to drive meaningful change in our industry. We look forward to Acknowledging all of you and your achievements at the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony taking place in early November.

UPCOMING EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

MENA Zero Carbon and Climate Resilience Readiness: One Region, Many Pathways (in Arabic)

As part of World Green Building Week 2025, the Emirates Green Building Council will host a virtual roundtable in collaboration with MoroccoGBC, TunisiaGBC, and IraqGBC, bringing together sustainability experts from across the region. The event will provide an update on the Network’s Zero Carbon and Climate Resilience Readiness Framework, highlight success stories and ongoing projects from MENA countries, and discuss the critical role of green building councils in supporting bold actions on buildings. Representatives from MoroccoGBC, TunisiaGBC, IraqGBC, and EmiratesGBC will deliver short presentations, followed by a roundtable discussion and Q&A session with regional experts.

Date: 8th Sep 2025
Time: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Online (Teams) Register Here

Registration is now open to all! We invite members and stakeholders to secure their spot and take part in this insightful discussion on how the MENA region is driving climate-resilient and sustainable built environments.

Digitalization in Green Buildings

As part of World Green Building Week 2025, Emirates Green Building Council is hosting an engaging session on Digitalization in Green Buildings inpartnership with the American University in Dubai (AUD). The session will take place on Wednesday , 10 September from (12:00 PM – 02:30 PM) at American University in Dubai, EMBA-115 and will bring together members and stakeholders to explore how AI and digital technologies can be leveraged to enhance sustainable building practices. Participants will gain insights into the latest technological advancements available in the market and understand the value of digital solutions across all stages of building design and operation.

discover how digital innovations are shaping the future of green buildings.

Register now to secure your spot

Federal Decree-Law No. (11) of 2024 on the reduction of Climate Change Effects – Impacts on the building sector and reflections

As part of World Green Building Week 2025, the Emirates Green Building Council will host a members-only roundtable discussion on the newly implemented Federal Decree-Law No. (11) of 2024 on the Reduction of Climate Change Effects. The session will explore the potential impacts of the law on the building and construction sector and provide a platform for members to share insights and reflections.

The roundtable aims to facilitate dialogue among EmiratesGBC members and experts, helping participants understand the implications of the law, discuss its practical applications, and contribute to a feedback report that will be shared with relevant authorities.

Date: Thursday , 11 September
Time: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Venue: Emirates Green Building Council Sustainability Lounge

Registration: This event is exclusive to EmiratesGBC members. The registration link has been shared via email.

How Compatible Gender Equity is Shaping the Sustainable Built Environment: Reflections, Data & Dialogue on Complementary Strengths

As part of World Green Building Week 2025, the Emirates Green Building Council is hosting the event:
“How Compatible Gender Equity is Shaping the Sustainable Built Environment: Reflections, Data & Dialogue on Complementary Strengths”

How can gender equity contribute to a more sustainable, resilient, and innovative built environment?

All are invited to join us for an exclusive presentation of the Women Network 2025 White Paper, revealing how the complementary strengths of women and men are shaping the future of the sector — and highlighting the systemic changes needed to unlock greater potential for everyone.

Date: Friday, 12 September 2025
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Venue: PwC Office, Difference Space, Dubai

🔗 Register here

PREVIOUS EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

EmiratesGBC Explores the NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings

Emirates Green Building Council recently organized a workshop on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings at Novotel Al Barsha, Dubai.

Led by our CEO, Abdullatif Albitawi, the session introduced the World Green Building Council’s NDC Scorecard—a practical tool that helps governments evaluate how building-related measures in their climate commitments align with international best practices.

The workshop brought together participants from both the public and private sectors for engaging discussions across key themes:
✅ Carbon & Energy and Water
✅ Enabling Environment and Adaptation & Resilience
✅ Circularity and Biodiversity
✅ Health & Wellbeing and Equity & Access

This interactive platform provided valuable insights into the assessment of the UAE’s NDC 3.0, enabling participants to share feedback on the findings and propose actionable recommendations to further integrate the built environment into national climate strategies.

Industry Partner Events

Ras Al Khaimah Investment & Business Summit (RAKIS)

The Ras Al Khaimah Investment and Business Summit returns for its 2nd edition on 19–20 November 2025 at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Center. Join global leaders and investors to explore opportunities across Real Estate & Infrastructure, Tourism & Hospitality, Manufacturing & Business, and Investment & Finance.

GREEN KEY

The Green Key programme is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. It is operated internationally under the management of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) with Head Offices in Copenhagen, Denmark. FEE has national member organizations in more than 70 countries worldwide where Emirates Green Building Council is the national operator in the United Arab Emirates.

Two hotels were green key certified recently:

• Two Seasons Hotel and Apartments

• Grand Cosmopolitan Hotel LLC

MEMBERS & PARTNERS

Refrigeration Unit Optimization: Driving Efficiency and Sustainability

Eng. Aser Matter

Cluster Director of Engineering

Refrigeration systems account for a major portion of energy consumption in hospitality sectors in UAE , and ensuring that they operate efficiently is important for sustainability. The efficiency of a refrigeration system is often measured by its Coefficient of Performance (COP):

Sophisticated control systems can monitor temperature, pressure, and energy use in real time, thus allowing compressors, fans and valves to work very accurately on demand. Variable speed drives (VSDs) are also included, which help to optimize efficiency by modifying equipment output according to load, saving electricity consumption and wear and tear on components.

Compressor waste heat can be used for water or space heating in buildings, thus enhancing the building energy efficiency. Routine system maintenance, condenser and evaporator cleanings , ASHRAE standards (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) and upgrading to high-efficiency compressors and low-GWP refrigerants also contribute to sustainable operations.

Data-based insights Data-powered analytics supports sustained performance benchmarking which in turn contributes to long-term energy savings and CO2 emissions reduction.

Deep Soakaway Installation with PSM5 Geocell System

Bilal ElKhatib

Technical Sales Manger         

Polypipe Middle East

Polypipe recently completed a technically challenging soakaway system installation over a 4,345 m² area, with a total volume of 12,321 m³. The project involved installing geocell material at nearly 9 meters depth—an uncommon and complex undertaking due to significant lateral pressure and utility conflicts.

Conventional solutions were insufficient, so we proposed PSM5, an advanced geocell system designed to handle deep applications and high lateral loads. This required detailed structural calculations, multiple design iterations, and close coordination with utility stakeholders.

Emirates Green Building Council in Media

The latest media highlights featuring Emirates Green Building Council, showcasing how our initiatives, events, and thought leadership are influencing sustainability and green building practices across the UAE and the region.

Explore our recent media coverage here

MEMBERS OPPORTUNITES

We want to feature your success stories. Please share with us your accomplishments in relation to the green building industry and allow us to feature you in our newsletter.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

EmiratesGBC WOMEN NETWORK SPOTLIGHT!

Maya Mehdi

Assistant Project Manager Sustainability – Sustainability

Expo City Dubai

1. Who You Are:

• Beyond your professional role, tell us a bit about yourself. What drives and inspires you personally? Whether it’s hobbies, interests, or values, we’d love to learn more about the person behind the professional achievements

1. • I’m driven by a passion for continuous growth—both personally and professionally. My primary mission is raising my 2 daughters to become kind, knowledgeable women!  I value determination, kindness, and resilience, believing that these qualities foster deeper connections and a positive impact. When I want to recharge and get my mind off responsibilities, you’ll often find me hanging out with my kids, at the gym or exploring new restaurants!

  2. Career Journey and Achievements:

• • • Can you share a brief overview of your career journey in the field of sustainability? What achievements or projects are you most proud of in advancing sustainable practices?

1. • My journey in sustainability started off by chance. Coming from events operations and business management background; I was new to this world; but it soon captivated me.  I wanted to better root my knowledge in Sustainability so aimed for a certification from Oxford Said Business School in Corporate Sustainability, followed by several certifications from Climate change & Carbon Literacy to ISO 20121 internal auditing.  One of my proudest achievements was leading a cross-functional project to develop and implement standards for sustainable events management and operations. This resulted in obtaining ISO 20121:2024 certification for 6 venues across Expo city Dubai, a milestone for the company! Additionally, creating an internal Sustainability transformation group of champions who lead change; a program that grew and extended to a bigger network of likeminded, environmental stewardship.

1.  3. Challenges and Triumphs: 

• • • As a woman in the sustainability sector, have you faced any specific challenges, and how did you overcome them? On the flip side, what triumphs or successes have been particularly meaningful in your career? 

1. • I see the positives overpass the negatives in this field. Some of my most meaningful triumphs have come from creating impact that goes beyond environmental metrics. Leading internal sustainability initiatives that not only cut emissions or reduce waste but also enhance knowledge and broaden commitment. Volunteering for Worker welfare initiatives and taking on Climate Fresk training to spread climate awareness to colleagues and students have been the most impactful on a personal level above all.

However, as in anything in life, the main challenge remains lack of awareness. For Sustainability in specific it might be even more. Making the wider internal and external audience understand the importance of the social and economic value of achieving sustainable environments remains a challenge; and finding the right methodologies and tools to tackle this will also remain an ongoing journey.

  4. Impact and Advice:

• • • How do you see your role contributing to the broader goals of sustainability? Additionally, what advice would you offer to other women aspiring to make a difference in the field of sustainability? 

I see my role as a loud call to action! Whether it’s through implementing responsible sourcing practices, driving carbon reduction, or engaging stakeholders around climate resilience, I strive to ensure that sustainability is not just a goal, but a mindset and a decision that leads to a change in actions!

To other women aspiring to make a difference in sustainability, my advice is: believe in the value of your voice and perspective. Sustainability requires diverse insights, passionate ideas, and leadership. Don’t be afraid to challenge, stay curious, and build supportive networks—because collaboration and courage are key to driving meaningful change. Most importantly, remember that progress and change, even when it feels small and slow at firstl, can ripple outward in powerful ways.

REACH US

Members of the Emirates Green Building Council can join in any of our technical programs, to advance their knowledge on the program’s relevant topics, contribute to its growth, and sponsor its events. We are working on several ideas related to our programs: Coalition for Green Schools, Health and Wellbeing, Net Zero Center of Excellence, Energy Efficiency, Green Key and Benchmarking Program.

Kindly send us an email to [email protected] to inquire about any of the mentioned technical programs.

EmiratesGBC Sustainability Lounge is now available for meetings and workshops!

If you are interested in using the EmiratesGBC Sustainability Lounge for a workshop or a meeting, kindly get in touch with us at 04-3468244 or send us an email to [email protected]. The office room is fully equipped with AV and provides a pleasant environment for focused meetings or training workshops.