Masdar: Future of Gulf real estate sector rests on reducing energy, water, waste consumption

Unless steps are taken to address the sector's energy and water consumption, waste and carbon generation levels, the region's infrastructure will not be able to match growth projections, the Masdar CEO predicted.

"These planned developments will require an additional two million cubic metres of water per day, 75 million additional megawatt hours of energy per year, all while producing an additional 3.5 million tons of solid waste and 300 million tons of carbon emissions per year," Dr. Al Jaber said. "This level of growth is not sustainable."

The figures represent approximately a 100 per cent increase from current levels, Dr. Al Jaber said at the 'Spotlight on the Middle East' panel on the opening day of Cityscape Dubai, the world's largest business-to-business real estate investment and development event.

"Unless we change the current energy, water and waste consumption rates of developments, we will undoubtedly bottleneck the existing infrastructure, choke the planned capacities of utilities and create damage to the environment," Dr. Al Jaber said.

The Masdar CEO offered developers and governments key strategies to enhance the sustainability of their developments. "First, we need to reduce power and water demand by adopting energy efficiency in buildings," Dr. Al Jaber said. "The growing Green Building movement in the Gulf is precisely the right approach, given that buildings account for about 30% of global energy consumption, he added.

Integrating energy infrastructure into property development's is another step, such as photovoltaics, other site-integrated renewable energy technologies.

Dr. Al Jaber called on developers, planners and governments to champion integrated design planning, and to also consider carbon credits as a means to partially finance these technological enhancements.

To spearhead sustainable development in the region, Masdar is developing the world's first zero-carbon and zero-waste city, a 6-square km integrated green zone in the heart of Abu Dhabi that will implement cutting-edge technologies and design to ensure its sustainability.

Expected to open in late 2009, Masdar City will host the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology; world-class laboratories and research facilities; commercial space for clean-tech companies; light manufacturing facilities and a carefully selected pool of international tenants who will invest, develop, and commercialize advanced energy technologies. A model of the Masdar Zone was unveiled at Cityscape Dubai earlier today.

Delegates from more than 45,000 regional and international investors, property developers, governmental and development authorities, leading architects and design firms are attending the sixth Cityscape Dubai at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The industry forum ends on October 18, 2007.

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