Emaar's Samarah Dead Sea Resort pursues Jordan's first LEED-certified project

If successful, the Samarah Rift will have the first LEED-certified buildings in Jordan, establishing the model for future sustainable development in Jordan.

Emaar is working with DOMANI and Energy Management Services (EMS), two technical consultancies, to facilitate the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) process, while providing technical design guidance to maximize the project's LEED rating potential. LEED is a green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Working towards achieving LEED certification, the Samarah Rift multifamily residential project highlights its conformance with a suite of standards for high performance buildings. Samarah Rift will bring about tangible improvements in site sustainability, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, and indoor environmental quality.

DOMANI, a US firm, is a leading business advisory and technical consulting firm that helps companies achieve new bottom-line value through market-driven sustainability strategies. EMS is the leading energy management and conservation company in the Middle East and supports the environmental-compliance initiatives of Jordan's high-stake developments by leveraging on its LEED certification service.

Mr. Steve McCartt, General Manager, Emaar International Jordan, said:

"Sustainable development strategies are increasingly becoming the focus of mega-project planning in the Middle East. Governments across the region place emphasis on 'Green Building' developments to ensure social, environmental and economic sustainability in the long run. Samarah Dead Sea Resort, as the pioneering master-planned project in Jordan, is taking the lead in this direction through concerted efforts to achieve LEED certification for Samarah Rift."

He added: "Achieving universally understood and accepted performance criteria are integral to the LEED certification requirements, which will be a further impetus for global and regional investor partnerships in Samarah Dead Sea Resort. DOMANI and EMS have proven competencies and market-leading expertise in helping developers achieve LEED certification."

The sustainable design best practices being considered for LEED certification include developing a water- and energy-efficiency strategy starting with demand reduction through passive building design including natural daylighting and climate & microclimate analysis as well as environmentally preferable material selection, including consideration of life cycle impact.

Mr. Matthew Segur of DOMANI, said: "Through our collaboration with Emaar International Jordan, we emphasise the triple bottom line: Real estate assets, human capital and the environment. This will be achieved through Emaar's team of architects, landscape designers, and mechanical, environmental and water quality engineers, who are specialized in developing project-specific solutions for effective building design, construction and operational practices."

Mr. Amjad Alkam, Country Manager, EMS added: "Environmental compliance is fast gaining ground in Jordan. The introduction of sustainable development practices will help the country meet the growing resource constraints and develop strategies for water and energy management. Samarah Dead Sea Resort is a large-scale development and using LEED as a design guideline will have long-run benefits for the entire neighbourhood."

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. Since its inception in 1998, the LEED portfolio covers 14,000 projects in 30 countries covering 1.062 billion sq ft of development area.

Samarah Dead Sea Resort has been envisaged in line with the growth plan for Jordan as outlined by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development. The project has various key components including Samarah Hillside with residences and a community centre; Samarah Beach with residences and a Spa and Wellness Village; and Samarah Rift with a Retail Village and a business hotel. Samarah Dead Sea Resort is owned by The Dead Sea Touristic and Real Estate Company, a venture of Emaar Properties PJSC and a group of regional and Jordanian investors.