Dubai, UAE: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), on May 19 announced the winners of the fourth Annual EmiratesGBC Awards at a gala event held at Al Murooj Rotana, Dubai. Recognising excellence in sustainable building practices, the announcement informed that the Awards were chosen by an expert panel with entries from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The announcement highlighted that the event was attended by representatives of key industry leaders from Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and the Green Building Councils from Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan, among others.

The announcement listed the winners of the five main categories and the sub-categories:

1. Green Facility Management Organisation: Enova
2. Green Building Material/Product: VRV IV by Daikin Middle East & Africa
3. Green Building Research: Solar Calorimeter Test Facility by RAK Research & Innovation Centre
4. Training Initiative: The Carbon Ambassadors Program 2015/16 by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
5. Green Building:

• Green Hotel: Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort in Oman (Oman Tourism Development Co)
• Green School: Qatar Academy Msheireb (Brookfield Multiplex)
• Green Residential Building: The Sustainable City, Dubai (Diamond Developers)
• Green Commercial Building: City Center Me’aisem, Dubai (Majid Al Futtaim)

Furthermore, the announcement informed that the 2016 Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Award, presented to one student from a recognised university in the UAE for exceptional research in a subject related to Green Buildings in the Middle East, was presented to Maria Gabriela SotoConde at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai for ‘Evaluation of Available Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Systems and Their Impact when Used in Commercial Buildings in the UAE.’

Congratulating the winners of the awards, Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “The high quality of the entries and the remarkable achievements by the winners in securing energy efficiency and savings are an inspiration for the industry. The concerted efforts of all players in the building industry will enable us to support the vision of the regional governments to promote sustainable development. The winning ideas can be applied industry-wide to achieve tangible gains in reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring the well-being of the residents and users of the green buildings.”

EmiratesGBC also announced that the awards will be rebranded as MENA Green Building Awards from 2017 to celebrate the accomplishments of MENA-wide country projects. The MENA Green Building Awards is supported by the World Green Building Council, with other regional GBCs coming on board as partners. The Awards programme will be launched in December, with entries to be received in both English and Arabic.