Six Senses wins first ever Estidama Sustainability Award

The word 'Estidama' which means 'Sustainability' in Arabic incorporates environmental, economic, social and cultural elements.

The award was created to acknowledge one specific project in the GCC region for its sustainable construction programme and the environmental impact it had on the local area in which it is based.

The Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay resort and spa was chosen for its numerous initiatives implemented in the design and use of materials in the building of the resort which resulted in the significant reduction of its carbon footprint.

Rather than use conventional material, Six Senses opted for traditional materials such as wattle and sandstone.

Other examples of inventiveness to ensure minimal environmental impact were their use of natural ventilation, passive shading and recycled timber.

Additionally Six Senses used local materials and suppliers were used as possible in order to support the local communities.

The environmentalism of the resort stretches beyond its mere construction with Six Senses proving its ongoing commitment to such matters.

One of these is its adoption of water saving technology which includes the treatment of waste water for use in watering plants and flushing toilets.

Six Senses also contributes financially to a number of environmental and social causes from its annual revenue.

"Here at Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay the environment and sustainability play a central role in all the decisions we make and all that we do. As such we are over the moon to have received the first ever Estidama award for Sustainability. The award which recognises our work in this field really shows that we are on the right path to reducing our environmental impact and helping the local community in the best possible ways. We hope that in the future other companies will follow suit,"

commented General Manager, Rochelle Kilgariff.