Building green: How the UAE’s construction sector is promoting sustainability

Sustainable construction has remained a key trend within the GCC’s construction industry with emphasis on eco-friendly architecture to ensure a promising future for the planet. This transformation is being led by the UAE, which has seen a sharp increase in environment-friendly operations and the adoption of many legislations to support green projects and the nation’s sustainability goals.

In line with this transition, real estate developers have rapidly embraced the concept of net-zero buildings and accelerated their transition to eco-friendly construction.

Sustainable operations have become a priority across almost all sectors in the UAE.

The UAE’s 2050 Vision initiative aims to make the country the Middle East and North Africa region’s first nation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Similarly, the UAE has remained strategic with its construction projects, minimising expenditures on construction in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The country’s real estate sector has also strengthened its focus on sustainable structures to conform to the country’s current green building standards, such as Dubai’s Green Building Regulations and Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl Rating System.

Additionally, developers are focusing on the energy efficiency of their buildings through energy benchmarking, identifying best practices, and developing strategies for increasing efficiency.

As a whole, the construction sector is increasingly focusing on strategic development methods. Industry trends predict a rise in consumers that place great emphasis on sustainability and efficiency.

Furthermore, with technology embedded into many aspects of construction, technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, computer vision and modelling could have a tremendous impact on the industry in terms of driving towards sustainable building.

The use of 3D printing is also growing in the construction sector, which ensures that projects are finished more quickly, with lower labour costs, less material waste and much smaller budgets. As a result, the construction industry is currently witnessing an increase in tech-driven practices and updated machinery, that helps it reach realistic and reachable zero carbon emission goals, thereby paving the way for a sustainable future.

It is equally important to understand that sustainable construction must also consider minimising energy waste, making reasonable use of the natural environment without altering it, and allowing other life forms to exist and be preserved.

As the construction industry advances, it becomes increasingly evident that the strategic actions taken today will define the next generation of green buildings and strengthen the foundation for a cleaner and sustainable future.

PNC Menon is the founder and chairman of Sobha Group

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