• Majid Al Futtaim announced as Platinum Partner
• Newly introduced category sponsorship opportunities for organisations
• Awards to honour excellence in green building initiatives in 20 categories
• A final call for submissions to the industry’s prestigious awards

Dubai, UAE; July 22, 2019: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, will honour excellence in green building initiatives in 20 categories – the largest to date – at this year’s MENA Green Building Awards.

The prestigious annual awards recognise the sustainability champions in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the winners will be announced during a ceremony to be held on October 16, 2019, at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina.

This year, EmiratesGBC has introduced a new category – the Zero Building or Zero Building Design of the Year – which honours entities for advancing net zero in the built environments. The deadline for submission has been extended to 10 August at midnight UAE time to allow more time for regional companies to enter the awards.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “The response to call for submissions to this year’s MENA Green Building Awards has been exceptionally strong, underlining the significance of the Awards as a recognition for sustainability best practices in the building industry. We have now extended the deadline for submission to encourage more participation. Through this initiative, we are guiding industry stakeholders in the region to be driven by sustainability considerations and support their journey to set new industry benchmarks through innovation. The Awards also create more awareness about the impact of buildings on climate change and will inspire others to make a transition to practices that will help us secure a cleaner and greener future for our coming generations.”

Apart from the Zero Building or Zero Building Design of Year category, other professional award categories for the MENA Green Building Awards 2019 include Green Building of the Year in six sub-categories to recognise sustainability leaders across various sectors. There is also an emphasis on distinguishing innovative efforts in sustainable design, products, materials, facilities management, and all the elements that pertain to achieving and maintaining a green building.

Two of the larger award categories relate to Contractor of the Year and Developer of the Year which were awarded last year to Multiplex Constructions and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, for Binghatti Developers, respectively. However, one of the most significant categories is Retrofit Project of the Year given retrofitting existing buildings is a crucial step for the transition toward increasing the number of green buildings and achieving a nearly zero, net zero, or net positive energy status in the MENA region.

In 2018, the Retrofit Project of the Year was awarded to Innoventures Education, which retrofitted one of its schools, Dubai International Academy, by using Smart4Power’s services to ensure the building’s energy efficiency through various heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) related energy conservation measures. The project managed to guarantee 28% in savings and provided a more efficient, healthier and greener school building.

The awards also annually highlight sustainability initiatives driven by universities. More specifically, the Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Award will offer the potential of a cash prize specifically awarded to a student from a recognised university in the UAE who has conducted exceptional research work in a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East.

The Awards are open to all organisations including public and private sector enterprises, associations, consultants and practitioners who can clearly demonstrate innovation and a high level of excellence in sustainable principles and practices in the MENA Region. For more details on submissions and deadlines visit https://emiratesgbc.org/event/2019-mena-green-building-awards/.

The MENA Green Building Awards is officially endorsed by the World Green Building Council and is in partnership with Jordan Green Building Council, Lebanon Green Building Council, Palestine Green Building Council, Egypt Green Building Council, Kuwait Green Building Council and Morocco Green Building Council.

Majid Al Futtaim is the Platinum Partner for the awards for the second consecutive year; further demonstrating their commitment to sustainable built environments in the MENA region. The 2019 MENA Green Building Awards also offers several sponsorship opportunities for entities that are focused on promoting the message of sustainable development in built environments across the region.

This year EmiratesGBC has also introduced a Category Sponsor option for entities interested in championing a particular award category that fits in with their sustainability endeavours. For partnership opportunities, there is a 10% early bird discount available until 1 August 2019. For more information, contact: engagement@emiratesgbc.org; or call: +971(0) 4 346 8244.

EmiratesGBC regularly hosts and participates in multinational events, conferences and forums. It 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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