• Awards in seven categories including special honour for exceptional student research work
• Strong response to EGBC Awards 2014 with entries from the Middle East

Dubai, UAE; May 11, 2014: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, will announce the winners of the EGBC Awards 2014 on June 11, 2014 at a gala event to be held at Grosvenor House, Dubai.

EGBC Awards 2014, which honours the best practices in sustainability, has received strong response from across the Middle East. The awards will be presented in six key categories: Green Building of the Year, for a building finalised between 2012 and 2014 in the MENA region that employed the highest sustainability standards and included innovation in design and processes in its construction and completion; Green Facility Management Organisation of the Year  for a UAE-based FM organisation for its commitments towards sustainability; Green Building Material/Product Award for the successful introduction to the MENA region of a construction material or product/component which addresses green building principles; Green Building System Award for a building system that provides a more sustainable solution to green building construction than traditional construction methods; Green Building Research Award for research that establishes dependable data, in an area not previously available, related to green building performance; andTraining Initiative of the Year for the best sustainability training initiative in the MENA region.

A special Dr Sadek Owainati Award for Students, sponsored by EmiratesGBC co-founder Dr Sadek Owainati, will also be awarded to a university student for exceptional research work on a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “The enthusiastic response for the EGBC Awards 2014 from industry stakeholders across the region is a strong endorsement of the increasing interest in promoting sustainable built environments. The entries also underline the significant focus on innovation to develop path-breaking green products and solutions in the region, which will further steer the green building industry in the future.”

The introduction of the Green Building of the Year Award this year has been well-received with several entries received, highlighting the increase in the number of projects developed to the highest sustainability standards. “The projects push the envelope in design and processes, as well as in the use of building materials to promote energy and water efficiency,” said Mr. Al Abbar. “The awards have also been well-received by the Facility Management companies, a reiteration of the active participation of various industry stakeholders in promoting sustainable built environments.”

The entries are currently being evaluated by an expert panel of judges representing private sector businesses, international Green Building Councils and academic institutions.

Jotun Paints, Al Abbar Group and Emrill Services LLC are the co-sponsors of the event, with EmiratesGBC still accepting sponsorship offers. Interested organisations can email: events@emiratesgbc.org. EmiratesGBC has also commenced registration for the awards gala. The fee for members is AED 350 and for non-members is AED 450. A special offer of a table for 10 is offered for members at AED 3,000 and for non-members at AED 3,500. For more details, email: events@emiratesgbc.org.

EmiratesGBC regularly hosts and participates in multinational events, conferences and forums. EmiratesGBC has also developed a suite of activities, inclusive of networking events, technical workshops, focus days and facilitated training based around specific issues related to the built-environment that meet the needs of its members, of the UAE community, and the wider Middle East.

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Note to Editors

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