bgreen march 2014

Issue 43 | March 2014

InsidePReview: bgReen awaRds 2014desalination industRy’s sustainability agenda

siemens sets new gReen office standaRd

SuStainability in the Middle eaSt

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www.bgreen.aeMarch 2014 1

EDITOR’S PAGE

Water is a topic close to the heart of people in the Middle East, and we all know why – this region enjoys only a miniscule share of the world’s fresh water resources relative to population.

Among the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) members, dependence on seawa-ter desalination for potable water is near total. The primary source of seawater for their desalination plants is the Arabian Gulf, which looks like an enclosed lagoon on the world map. As huge volumes of post-desalination remnants (like brine, chemicals) are dispersed in this ‘lagoon,’ and more desalination plants come up on its periphery, the adverse impact on marine environment is becoming a serious cause for worry. But it’s more than just marine pollution because the majority of the desalination plants are integrated with power plants, which means they are indirect contributors to air pollution as well.

The newly elected President of International Desalination Association (IDA), who is from the region, has set sustainability as the priority for his two-year ten-ure. He is also a senior executive with the organisation which manages 40% of the desalination capacity installed at the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. Turn to Page 23 to learn more about his agenda.

Our cover story looks at the water-energy nexus, and how soaring energy de-mand compels government to invest in energy production without taking into account existing and future water constraints. The World Bank has launched Thirsty Energy initiative to educate governments to think across both sectors when planning for the future. Diego Rodriguez, Senior Economist and Team Lead-er of Thirsty Energy, whom we interviewed for this story, says that this initiative, while targeted mainly at developing nations, will help GCC countries understand fiscal and natural resource trade-offs and climate implications in managing wa-ter security issues.

The trade-offs are already clear on the oil and gas front, where the spectre of domestic consumption eating into export revenues is crystal clear. A similar clar-ity is needed with regard to water as well.

stresson water

Gary WrightSenior Editor

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contents

www.bgreen.ae March 20142

ContentsMarch2014

Cover story

14Thirst for PowerThe World Bank’s new Thirsty Energy initiative aims to educate governments around the world about the vital link between water and energy generation – without one, you cannot have the other

Leisure

20bgreen Awards return in 2014The third edition of Middle East’s only sustainability awards launched; winners to be announced in November

energy & Water

22Desalination’s directionDr Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, President of the International Desalination Association (IDA) and Deputy Governor for Planning and Development, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Arabia on sustainability trends in the industry

23SmarTech 2014 PreviewWith SmarTech Shopper, SmarTech extends its sustainability umbrella to include end-consumers, in addition to business and industry

news

8UAE: Dubai developer promises sustainable city

Philips says the future of light in the UAE is digital

10MENA: Rare Houbara finds new home in Qatar

NGS Architects to sell sustainable materials

12 ReallySugar cane can help make cement more environmentally friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

14

20

23

30

34

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contents


society

38 Green PersonalitySpider-man joins the green crusade

39 Diary DatesEvents, conferences and roundtables

40Green concreteThe Romans manufactured cement that performed better in saltwater conditions…and it was more environment-friendly

Business

28Siemens sets new green office standard for the regionMasdar City in Abu Dhabi is home to the greenest office building in the region, which heralds the start of a new chapter at the world’s most sustainable city

Construction

30Big 5 Saudi gets biggerOrganisers are predicting Big 5 Saudi, which runs from March 9–12 in Jeddah, is going to be the largest ever in the Kingdom

39

52

28

12

10

40Co

nt

en

ts

Mar

ch20

14

expert panel


expert panel

Dr Michael KrämerSenior AssociateTaylor Wessing (Middle East) LLPLegal CounselMiddle East Solar Industry Association

William WhistlerManaging DirectorGreen Building Solutions International

thomas Bohlen NCARB,LEED AP, BD +C, ESTIDAMA PQPChief Technical OfficerMiddle East Centre for Sustainable Development

Dr Mutasim nourDirector of MSc EnergyHeriot Watt UniversitySchool of Engineering and Physical Sciences

tanzeed AlamPolicy DirectorEWS-WWF

Paolo CerviniVice president & General managerPhilips Lighting Middle East & TurkeyPhilips

saeed AlabbarLEED AP, Estidama PQPVice Chairman Emirates Green Building CouncilDirectorAlabaar Energy and Sustainability Group

Alan MillinLEED AP, Chartered Engineerconsultant/trainerMiddle East Facility Management Association

Roderick WilesDirector - Africa, Middle East, India and OceaniaAmerican Hardwood Export Council

Jose AlberichPartnerAT Kearney

Ivano IannelliChief Executive OfficerDubai Carbon Centre of Excellence

Abdulrahman JawaheryPresidentGulf Petrochemical In-dustries CompanyChairmanGPCA Responsible Care Initiative

His Highness sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al nuaimiEnvironmental AdvisorAjman GovernmentChief Executive OfficerAl Ihsan Charity CentreChairmanInternational Steering Committee for the Global Initia-tive Towards a Sustainable Iraq (GITSI), based in the UAE

The BGreen experT panel provides a plaTform for Those who are acTive in encouraGinG susTainaBle pracTices across a wide secTor of indusTries. real experTs who can share Their views, analyses, and research wiTh our informed readers.

Our panellists meet every few months to discuss news, strategies and solutions on focussed topics related to sustainability.

Our panellists write for the magazine - opinions and analyses - as well as on our website in a portfolio format documenting their contributions.

The panel is growing as we seek to form the ultimate taskforce of decision makers, academics, consultants and engineers that contribute and encourage a sustainable watershed across industries.

If you would like to nominate an expert to join our panel, please email [email protected]

SUPPORTED BY:

PARTNERS

Pillars of Sustainability

OperationsCreating a cleaner, healthier future for all the world begins at our own doorstep. At Diversey, we have made a public commitment to challenging, measurable reductions in our environmental impact. We know that the kind of innovative thinking that drives success is what will also drive continuous improvement in our operational pro�le, for pro�ts, for people and for the environment.

CustomersWe help our customers examine and reduce the environmental and operational impact of their businesses. With our expertise in cleaning and hygiene and our superior products, we help customers save water and energy and reduce labor costs while making their facilities safer, cleaner and more hygienic.Our innovations in product packaging, dispensing and dosing reduce waste, protect workers and improve the efficiency of product transport.We’ve reformulated products to remove chemicals that harm aquatic lifeor damage the environment and to provide solutions that contribute to betterindoor air quality than conventional products.

PartnersWe collaborate with other industry and thought leaders around the globe to promote a sustainability mindset within our industry and to advocate for a cleaner, healthier future. Around the globe, we’ve established vital partnerships with government agencies, non governmental organizations and industry groups. We share our expertise and draw on the value that results when creative, passionate people unite their talents toward common goals.

WorkforceIt is through our employees’ talent, creativity and passion that Diversey is creating a cleaner, healthier future. We invest in our employees’ safety, well-being, training and career development. And we engage them actively in continuously improving our operational e�ectiveness and reducing our environmental impact. They are our company’s greatest asset.

CommunitiesWe believe every place in the world that we do business should be better because we are there. Our emphasis on volunteerism and our employees’ generosity with their time and talent are helping Diversey create a cleaner, healthier future for the people whom we are privileged to serve as our customers’ customers. We encourage volunteerism through our Global Children’s Initiative to help children who live in poverty and through a host of regional and local e�orts organized and implemented by employees who want to improve lives in their communities.

GovernanceAt Diversey, we hold ourselves to the highest standard of ethical and legal behavior in everything we do - because we believe the right way is the only way to do business. We follow our detailed Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. The governing principle and theme of all our ethics training and compliance programs, "Ethics is Good Business," expresses our view of the fundamental role those high standards play in everything we do. We audit all our business practices regularly and rigorously, and engage a practice of continuous improvement.

For more information please contact:Diversey Gulf FZE • P. O. Box: 61485, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates • Tel: +971 4 8819470 • Fax: +971 4 [email protected] • www.sealedair.com

Sustainability is also about social responsibility and the global community

GOVERNANCE

COMMUNITIES

CUSTOMERS

WORKFORCE

OPERATIONS

news UAe


developers behind Dubai’s Sus-

tainable City have revealed am-

bitious plans to build more en-

vironmentally friendly communities

across the UAE and to export the idea

across the MENA region.

Wassim Adlouni, a board mem-

ber at Diamond Developers - the

company behind Dubai’s Sustain-

able City – said that the success of

the development will play a key role

in Dubai’s aims to establish itself as

one of the most sustainable cities in

the world by 2020.

Speaking at the Centre of Excel-

lence for Green Development at the

Canadian University of Dubai last

month, he said: “The Sustainable

City project will allow people to see

an example of how sustainable liv-

ing benefits residents, communities

and businesses, and that it can be

repeated all over the region.

“Our ultimate target is to use the

successful Sustainable City here in

Dubai as a platform to build other

cities here and in other parts of the

world, like the rest of the Middle

East and North Africa.

“We can share our knowledge

and experiences about the cutting

edge technology used to build this

Dubai community, with other com-

munities in other countries.”

The project has the support of

Dubai Municipality’s special com-

mittee for sustainability to study

green initiatives, Dubai Electricity

& Water Authority (DEWA), the Gov-

ernment of Dubai Land Department

and the Road & Transport Authority

(RTA), which plans to start an electric

shuttle service between the commu-

nity and Mall of the Emirates.

Construction of the first 100 of 500

townhouses at the site at Dubailand

is expected to be completed this

year, with all residential buildings

and the community centre built by

2015. The $300m (AED1.1bn) com-

munity will also include a school, a

university, a planetarium, a country

club and a community centre with

retail and coffee shops.

The community also features a

green belt with 20,000 trees and a

464sq.m water canal, a 55,742sq.m

solar park and a water management

system that will recycle 100% of

waste water.

Noting that the project is much

more than a beacon of sustainabil-

ity, but a catalyst to change how

people live their lives in Dubai and

around the region, Adlouni said:

“The biggest challenge here and

in other countries is that the end

users are always looking to re-sell

their units and get the benefits for

the short term. Our target is to keep

the residents for a long time. This

will only happen when the commu-

nity really benefits them and the

environment.

“Of course, incorporating green

features is very expensive,” he con-

tinued. “But we have managed to re-

duce costs to around those of tradi-

tional construction by properly re-

searching different elements in the

design, everything from insulation

and energy-saving air conditioning

units, to the direction of the sun

and predominant wind direction.”

Dubai Developer promises sustainable city moDel for the region

Philips says the future of light in the UAE is digital

philips, the world’s leader in light-

ing, has pledged its support to

Emirates Authority for Stand-

ardisation and Meteorology (ESMA) for

its indoor lighting standard.

Philips believes that adopting

more energy-efficient lighting solu-

tions such as LED technology will

not only help save the environment,

it will also allow people to create in-

spiring environments that can im-

prove lives.

Rami Hajjar, General Manager

Philips Lighting Middle East said:

“We are at the forefront of a digital

revolution in lighting. At Philips, our

commitment is not only to create a

healthier and more sustainable world,

but also to create breakthrough inno-

vations that will change how people

think about light. The Government

has taken a great step to help provide

greater energy efficiency for all in the

UAE and we would like to help make

that change even more exciting.”

Philips has pioneered many of the

key breakthroughs in lighting over

the past 121 years, beginning with the

traditional light bulb. The company

claims to offer a full range of replace-

ments for end consumers including

halogen, compact fluorescent (CFL)

and LED that are all retrofit solutions

for existing lighting fixtures.

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NEWS uAE

Rare Houbara finds new home in Qatar

NGS Architects to sell sustainable materials

a new flock of Asian Houbara birds

have been taken to their new home in

Qatar thanks to an Abu Dhabi-based

breeding programme.

The Qatar home now houses an addi-

tional 1,065 Asian Houbara from the Inter-

national Fund for Houbara Conservation’s

breeding programme.

The Rawdat Al Faras Houbara Breeding

Centre in Qatar received the birds in order to

establish a full breeding flock. The provision of

the birds to another country for captive breed-

ing represents a considerable expansion of the

strategy of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al

Nahyan, President of the UAE, to ensure that

there are sustainable, wild populations of the

iconic bird across its entire range.

HE Mohamed Al Bowardi, Deputy Chair-

man of the IFHC Board, said: “We have a duty

to ensure future generations can continue to

experience the Houbara in the wild, while

also preserving our cultural values, and the

Abu Dhabi holistic model for conservation

is proving to be the most effective approach

to achieving these objectives. International

cooperation is a vital component of Abu

Dhabi’s strategy for the Houbara and we are

very happy to share our knowledge of the

bird with partners across the range. I want

to express my thanks to the government and

the people of Qatar for helping us spread the

effort to conserve the Houbara.”

The 1,065 Asian Houbara provided to Qa-

tar are in addition to an initial 334 provided

to the Gulf state in March 2013. As a result,

the 1,399 birds will form a significant initial

breeding flock, from which to produce Hou-

bara chicks for future breeding and release.

As well as providing live Houbara, Abu Dhabi

has also offered its expertise, in areas such as

breeding protocols and building specifications,

to all countries in the Houbara range states to

support the expansion of the programme initi-

ated by the Emirate in the 1970s.

Mohamed Saleh Al Baidani, Director

General of IFHC said: “IFHC’s Houbara pro-

gramme is at the cutting-edge of conserva-

tion. As a result of the great success we have

achieved in breeding the Houbara in captiv-

ity, we are able to share our unparalleled

knowledge and understanding of the Hou-

bara with other conservation projects in the

bird’s range, which, subsequently, increase

the chances of ensuring we reach our ulti-

mate objective for wild populations of the

Houbara to thrive in the future.”

The move to supply Houbara for breeding

in Qatar follows last year’s move by IFHC to

give 1,000 Asian Houbara to the same coun-

try for release into protected zones. In 2013,

captive-bred birds were provided to Kuwait

and Yemen in a coordinated attempt at re-

storing resident, wild populations of Hou-

bara across the Arabian Peninsula, which

were in historical decline as a result of

poaching, unregulated hunting and habi-

tat degradation.

NGS Architects, a Dubai-based multidisciplinary prac-

tice specialising in the residential, commercial, retail,

landscape and multi-use sectors, has launched a new

sustainable materials subsidiary called NGS Materials.

The new subsidiary aims to assist clients and designers

in creating beautiful and organic design elements for

residential, retail and commercial projects.

Sustainable materials offered include reclaimed

wood for flooring, beams and walls; reclaimed bricks

that can be used for exterior architectural design as

welll as an urban yet organic interior décor; reclaimed

metal, reclaimed stone as well as a wide variety of

landscape pavers.

“Sustainability from a construction standpoint can

be defined as an approach in which atmospheric de-

struction from construction is minimised in order

to provide an eco-friendly environment for today’s

world while preventing harming to future genera-

tions,” says Founder and Head Architect of NGS Ar-

chitects Nabil Sherif.

Approximately 50% of global resources are con-

sumed by the construction industry; buildings are

also the greatest producers of environmentally harm-

ful gases such as CO2. Therefore, it is important that a

sustainable approach is employed in the selection of

materials. The process of recycling materials incurs a

smaller carbon footprint than the use of new materials

with their associated production and firing processes.

The Building Research Establishment’s ‘Green Guide to

Specification’ suggests that a greater capacity exists

for recycling materials such as reclaimed bricks/wood

and metal.

Sherif believes that ultimately, sourcing re-claimed

material achieves a balance between the benefits of

using renewable resources and the associated cost.

He has consulted several companies on the use of

reclaimed materials including Touchline (Abu Dhabi

– Twofour54), Fred Perry (Dubai Mall – Shoes district),

Cotton On (Worldwide + Deira City Centre) and St

Tropez Bistro (Mall of the Emirates).

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news really


Mexico’s sweet spotHow sugar cane can help make cement more environmentally friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

turned to ash,” says Garcia. “This waste

ash is the key to greener cement.”

In the chemical composition of the

waste’s ash, silicon oxide predomi-

nates with contents of alumina and

iron oxide, which can react with cal-

cium hydroxide in the hydration of the

cement and produce materials that

improve the mechanical and durabil-

ity properties of the concrete.

In layman’s terms: it works by re-

ducing the amount of Portland cement

used in any construction project and

now researchers are investigating how

the concrete structure lasts over time.

García said field tests to evaluate

the durability properties of concrete

continue and his team is investigating

the use of cane waste ash, which he

says can be much more durable than

alternative materials.

“Additional tests in reinforced con-

crete are required. This includes sam-

ples submerged in a marine environ-

ment using electrochemical resistance

tests,” he said.

Garcia admits that putting it on sale

is still some way off; consistent burn-

ing temperature of the waste is one ar-

ea that is being investigated further. He

points out that cane waste has several

applications, one of which is as a base

for the manufacture of compound

materials; it has even been called the

compound material of the future. An-

other application is the stabilisation of

compacted soil blocks.

700,000SuGAR CANE fARMS

IN MExICO

30%Of ThE SuGAR CANE

WASTE CAN BE TuRNED INTO ASh AND uSED IN ThE CEMENT MIx

few places in the world can equal

the huge amount of cement be-

ing used for concrete in the Mid-

dle East and every new villa, office or

tower is responsible for tonnes of C02

being emitted into our atmosphere.

Portland cement, the glue that

holds most modern concrete to-

gether, is made by sintering lime-

stone and clay at 1,450 degrees

centigrade. Later in this issue, you

can find out how scientists are look-

ing at how the Romans solved the

problem 2,000 years ago with less

environmental damage.

But in the 21st century, another

source of a more environmentally

friendly concrete is being investigated,

this time in Mexico: sugar cane waste.

The Mexican National Polytechnic

Institute (IPN) is pushing for a reduc-

tion in the amount of cement used in

concrete and is looking at replacing

it with industrial byproducts, such as

ash from sugar cane. Mexico is the

fifth largest producer of sugar cane

in the world.

Research is being performed at the

Interdisciplinary Research Centre for

Integral Regional Development (CIIDIR),

at Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico under

chief researcher Pedro Montes García.

“When juice is squeezed from the

cane, around 30% is waste, which can be

cover story thirsty energy


energy requires reliable water sup-

plies, whether it is from hydropower or

the cooling of power plants to its use

in the extraction and process of fuels.

Equally, a reliable energy supply

is vital for the water sector so that

it is able to extract, treat and trans-

port that water, which is vital for the

production of crops, including those

used to make biofuels.

The World Bank says that energy

planning and production is often

made by governments without tak-

ing into account existing and future

water constraints.

“Planners and decision-makers in

both sectors often remain ill-informed

about the drivers of these challenges,

how to address them, and the merits of

different technical, political, manage-

ment, and governance options,” it says.

“The absence of integrated planning

between these two sectors is socio-

economically unsustainable.”

The new Thirsty Energy Initiative

backed by the World Bank specifically

aims to educate governments to think

across both sectors when planning for

the future.

The initiative was launched at the

World Future Energy Summit in Abu

Dhabi in January with four aims:

� Increasing awareness regard-

ing the water requirements of

energy projects among political

decision makers.

� Enhancing stakeholder capac-

ity to plan and manage energy

and water resources to help

assess the economic, environ-

mental and social implications

of water constraints in energy

expansion plans.

� Fostering interdisciplinary col-

laboration between the energy

and water sectors and promot-

ing knowledge exchange.

� Developing innovative tech-

nical tools and approaches

and policy-oriented material

to help countries develop and

manage their energy and water

resources sustainably.

The World Bank’s new Thirsty Energy initiative aims to educate governments around the world about the vital link between water and energy generation – without one, you cannot have the otherBy Gary Wright

thirstfor power

water shortages have affected

power supplies across the

developed and developing

world. For example, in the USA, power

plants have been affected by low-wa-

ter flows or high water temperatures.

In India, a thermal power plant was

shut down due to severe water short-

age and in France, energy production

in nuclear power plants has been re-

duced by high-water temperatures

threatening cooling processes during

heatwaves. In Sri Lanka, China and

Brazil, droughts are seriously threat-

ening hydropower capacity.

The worldwide demand for energy

will increase by more than a third over

the next 20 years, and it is a central

requirement for continued growth in

developing countries.

The balance between energy and

water is straightforward: generating



Why did you choose to launch the thirsty energy initiative at the World Fu-ture energy summit?The process to develop Thirsty Energy

as a global initiative took some time

as we needed to ensure that we had a

good understanding of the main chal-

lenges. One key aspect we found is that

we lack a thorough understanding of

energy in the water sector and vice ver-

sa. It is clear that we required an un-

conventional way of thinking in which

we do not tackle the interlinkages from

a water perspective but rather from an

energy perspective.

As such, the Thirsty Energy initiative

needs to work initially with the energy

community and then bring the water

community to ensure that we develop

integrated planning and integrated in-

vestment solutions. Hence, we decid-

ed to launch Thirsty Energy at a large

global energy event. The Abu Dhabi

Sustainability Week, which included

the World Future Energy Summit and

the International Water Summit, pre-

sented the ideal venue for this and the

organisers of the WFES embraced the

idea when we presented Thirsty En-

ergy to them in summer 2013.

satisfying the thirst for powerDiego Rodriguez, Senior Economist and Team Leader of Thirsty Energy, Water Unit, The World Bank speaks to BGreen about its new Thirsty Energy initiative

“before addressing additional supply side options, it is important to improve efficiencies”diego rodriguez, senior economist and team leader of thirsty energy, Water unit, the World bank



1.2BIllION PEOPlE lIvE IN AREAS SuffERING

PhySICAl WATER SCARCITy

780MIllION PEOPlE lACK ACCESS TO POTABlE WATER

Furthermore, Water & Energy is

the theme of World Water Day, which

is celebrated on 22nd March as well

as the Stockholm World Water Week

this year. WFES presented the perfect

opportunity for promoting the water-

energy topic and the Thirsty Energy

initiative early in the year.

the aim of thirsty energy is clear for developing na-tions but how does the World Bank use its exper-tise to help GCC nations?The World Bank has been working for

several years with GCC countries on

their strategies for managing water,

energy and food security nexus issues

in the context of both our advisory

services, as well as through regional

studies such as our work on Renew-

able Energy for Desalination. We have

been encouraged by the increasing in-

terest of GCC partners to develop more

sustainable approaches to managing

water, energy and food security issues

in ways that explicitly recognise fis-

cal and natural resource trade-offs, as

well as the climate implications. Our

experience to-date has emphasised

the value to GCC partners of the three

elements of our support:

• Analysis of current and alter-

native approaches to manag-

ing water, energy and food se-

curity which highlights the re-

al costs and trade-offs in a way

in which it can be discussed

across sectoral interests.

• Dialogues amongst different

sectors - such as water, agricul-

ture and energy - to facilitate

common understanding and

work towards consensus on

necessary changes in strate-

gies, regulations and institu-

tional approaches.

• Providing access to relevant,

global experience in address-

ing similar issues so that GCC

countries can benefit from

that experience in designing

approaches that are appropri-

ate to their own country.

We look forward to expanding this

work amongst GCC partners, given

their increasingly important role in

convening discussions on sustainabil-

ity issues globally as well as regionally,

and to support the next step which

is to demonstrate leadership in

moving towards more sustainable

natural resource and climate man-

agement in the context of rapid

economic development.

Which nations are al-ready being assisted by the World Bank’s thirsty energy Initiative?Thirsty Energy is a brand new initia-

tive and we want to ensure that it is

demand-driven, not a top-down ap-

proach. By this, we mean that we must

ensure that our client countries and

governments are the ones demanding

support in order to address interde-

pendent energy and water challenges

in a more integrated approach. We

have started collaboration in South

Africa, and we are having ongoing

discussions with Morocco and Brazil.

The Bank aims to provide continu-

ous support to other countries and we

expect that the demand will grow. Our

objective is to assist and collaborate

with all growing economies in various

world regions in which energy produc-

tion and water risk will increase in the

next decades.

Do wealthy nations face potential problems in dec-ades to come if they believe hard cash is the simple an-swer to water supply?Available financial resources are a

necessary but not sufficient condition

to manage water resources properly.

The problems in water are complex

and require complex responses. Many

current water supply systems have

high inefficiencies in terms of water

losses, low collection rates, insuffi-

cient operational and financial man-

agement, etc.

So before addressing additional supply side options, it is impor-tant to improve efficiencies. Water infrastructure requires lumpy in-vestments and high operations and maintenance costs. Once decisions on expansion of the supply side have been made, governments must have proper allocation mechanisms, and institutional, legal and regulatory



frameworks in place. The economic, environmental and social aspects of future expansion in supply must be properly analysed in order to under-stand the potential impacts of new infrastructure. Desalination, for ex-ample, is providing water supply in many regions of the world. But these technologies can still be rather ex-pensive, in terms of initial capital investments and recurrent opera-tions and maintenance costs. The costs of mitigating environmental impacts must be properly incorpo-

rated in the costs of the investment. High costs can impact the poor, as tariffs structures may need to be ad-justed upward to reflect the increas-ing costs of service provision. If so-cial policy is not adequate, increasing tariffs can have a regressive impact on the poor by increasing expenditures as the poor will not be able to spend more on water services. It is crucial that nations think about the long term sustainability and have a clear under-standing of the importance of water to equitable economic growth.

Established in 1944, the World Bank Group is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and employs over10,000 people in more than 120 offices.

The World Bank Group has set two goals for the world to achieve by 2030:End extreme poverty by decreasing the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day to no more than 3%. Promote shared prosperity by fostering the income growth of the bottom 40% for every countryThe World Bank is a source of financial and technical assistance for developing countries. Its mission statement says: “We are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development.”

The World Bank Group is:• the world’s largest

funder of education• the world’s largest

external funder of the fight against HIV/AIDS

• a leader in the fight against corruption worldwide

• a strong supporter of debt relief

• the largest international financier of biodiversity projects

• the largest international financier of water supply and sanitation projects

583BIllION M3 Of WATER WIThDRAWAlS TOOK PlACE IN 2010 fOR

ENERGy PRODuCTION

93%Of ThE MIDDlE EAST’S

ONShORE OIl RESERvES ARE vulNERABlE TO

WATER QuANTITy RISKS

“it is clear that We required an unconventional Way of thinking in Which We do not tackle the interlinkages from a Water perspective but rather from an energy perspective.”diego rodriguez, senior economist and team leader of thirsty energy, Water unit, the World bank

leisure awards preview 2014


ple from the private and government

sectors. For the first time, there were

government delegations from Dubai’s

Department of Tourism and Commerce

Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Municipality

and Emirates Transport.

The third edition of Middle East’s only sustainability awards launched; winners to be announced in November

bgreen awards return in

2014

come November 2014, compa-

nies who have demonstrated

leadership and best practices

in their approach towards sustaina-

bility will be recognised at the bgreen

Awards, the Middle East’s only sus-

tainability awards.

The second edition of the Awards,

held last year, attracted an impressive

number of nominations from a cross

section of the region’s sustainability

industry. The awards ceremony and

gala dinner, held at the Jumeirah Beach

Hotel in Dubai, welcomed over 300 peo-

leisure awards preview 2014


For the DTCM delegation, the

awards night was special as Dubai had

been declared as the winner of Expo

2020 the previous evening. In her key-

note, DTCM’s Shaikha Al Mutawa not-

ed that “the people are united, not just

the emirates but all the nationalities.”

At 12, the number of categories is

the same as last year but far more di-

verse with green buildings, manufac-

turing, waste management and green

consultancy. A few existing categories

from 2012 have been replaced with

brand new ones. (For a complete list,

refer to Bgreen Awards 2014 Categories).

Winners at the 2013 event were

unanimous in their observation that

such awards go a long way in spread-

ing the sustainability message while

spurring them to do better. After win-

ning the Most Sustainable Large Cor-

poration award last year, Steven Pratt,

Regional Director for Interface Mid-

dle East, said: “Interface has been on

a path towards sustainability since

1994 and our Mission Zero pledge – to

eliminate our impact on the environ-

ment by 2020 – influences every aspect

of the business, inspiring each of us to

continually push the boundaries.”

Chetna Pandita, Head of Marketing

and Communications at The Change

Initiative, which won the Green Build-

ing Project of the Year 2013 said her

company’s objective was to engrave

sustainable solutions in everyday life

for everybody.

This year too, the awards will

promote knowledge sharing and

innovations through pre-event

panel discussions and seminars.

The 2014 awards will be

judged by a panel of top sustain-

ability experts from the region; a

full list follows in the April 2014

issue of bgreen.

Supporting the 2014 edition

of bgreen Awards are BASF (Gold

Sponsor); Kone (Silver Sponsor);

Bee’ah (Silver Sponsor) and Brook-

field Multiplex (Awards Partner).

Bgreen Awards 2014 Categories

• Green Business of the Year

• Green SME of the Year

• GCC Business of the Year

• Green Building Pro-

ject of the Year

• Energy Efficiency Pro-

ject of the Year

• Sustainable NGO

of the Year

• Sustainable Manufac-

turer of the Year

• Waste Management

Project of the Year

• Sustainable Initia-

tive of the Year

• Sustainable Consult-

ant of the Year

• Most Sustainable

Government Depart-

ment of the Year

• Editor’s Choice

Nominations are open through October 15, 2014.

There is no fee to enter.

For more information on enter-

ing the Awards and Awards

Sponsorship, contact:

Jude Slann

Commercial Director

+971 4 433 2857

[email protected]

Junaid Rafique

Senior Sales Manager

+ 971 4 375 5716

[email protected]


water consumers and enhance their

awareness about the importance of

rationalising consumption.”

Under the theme of ‘Better Life,’

SmarTech Shopper will support

Dubai’s Smart City initiative, which

seeks to manage the emirate’s facili-

ties and services through intelligent

and interconnected systems.

“We have signed during previous

editions of WETEX and up to this event,

a series of agreements and MoUs to

provide these products to consumers

with the goal of reducing electricity

consumption and conserving resourc-

es,” said Al Tayer.

“We recognise the importance of pro-

viding environmentally friendly prod-

ucts and solutions as part of our vision

to raise awareness among consumers

about the importance of sustainable

environment for future generations.”

The three-day event will include an

exhibition with lectures, educational

seminars and specialised workshops

highlighting new developments, tech-

nology solutions, innovation and re-

search in the field of energy efficiency

and the rational use of energy and wa-

ter consumption.

The World Green Economy Summit,

support of Dubai Green Economy Part-

nership, will be held alongside WETEX

2014. Prominent experts from the ener-

gy, finance and business sectors along

with government officials and leaders

from around the world will take part

in the event under the theme ‘Global

Partnerships, Sustainable Future.’

WETEX is organised under the di-

rective of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and

Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler

of Dubai and under the patronage of

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Mak-

toum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister

of Finance and DEWA President.

With SmarTech Shopper, SmarTech extends its sustainability umbrella to include end-consumers, in addition to business and industry

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer

green solutions for sustainable future

w ith Smartech Shopper 2014,

SmarTech, which focuses

on products, solutions and

green building-related technologies

for commercial and industrial sec-

tors now extends its scope of cover-

age to the end-consumer too. The in-

augural SmarTech Shopper and the

fourth annual edition of SmarTech,

will be co-located with the 16th Wa-

ter, Energy, Technology and Environ-

ment Exhibition (WETEX) 2014, to be

held from April 14–16, 2014 at Dubai

International Convention and Exhi-

bition Centre.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer,

Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme

Council of Energy and Managing Di-

rector and CEO of DEWA, said: “SmarT-

ech is in line with our vision to become

an international sustainable entity.

The event offers an ideal platform to

enhance awareness and highlight eco-

friendly solutions. Moreover, it opens

dialogue channels with all society seg-

ments which are major electricity and

TEChNOlOGy SMARTECh


ADvERTORIAl Gulf ETERNIT

As a member of Future Pipe Industries Group, what have been the key milestones in GeI’s journey towards the top position in the market for fibre glass pipes in the region’s water sector?GEI has played a pioneering role in con-

verting pipe demand in the GCC region

into fibreglass; today, the GCC has one

of the largest penetration rates for fiber-

glass pipes at 22%. Over the last10 years,

the use of fiberglass pipes has increased

dramatically due to their advantages

over pipes made out of traditional ma-

terials, whether it is their superior anti-

corrosion properties, safety, longer life

cycle or cost-effectiveness.

One of our biggest achievements

was the introduction of GRE H20 pipes

in water lines, a first for the region. We

introduced them in UAE through Dubai

six years ago. This is a unique offering as

no other company offers it.

GRE H20 pipe systems minimise

water losses in the network to the

maximum. They are flexible, corrosion-

resistant and styrene-free, and were

developed mainly to serve potable wa-

ter transmission and distribution net-

works. The H20 pipes range from 80mm

to 4,000mm in diameter and are able to

withstand pressures up to 25bar, making

them suitable for use in a wide range of

applications for both underground and

above-ground installations.

In a highly competitive market, what does your company do better than any of your competitors? Our strategy is based on offering inte-

pioneers in fibreglass pipesWith its huge product portfolio of large diameter fibreglass pipe systems, Dubai-headquartered Gulf Eternit Industries (GEI) is the only company in the world which provides bespoke solutions across the three sectors; oil & gas, water and industrial. Vice President GCC Sales Mounib Hatab discusses his company’s competitive differentiators in the GCC’s water sector

grated engineering solutions and be-

spoke products to support our custom-

ers, by providing manufacturing, supply,

engineering, site installation, field sup-

port and fabrication support.

As we always work in close partner-

ship with our customers, we are able to

anticipate and respond to their changing

needs and schedules to develop prod-

ucts and solutions that answer their

requirements, on time and on budget.

Today, the technology has matured

and the industry appreciates the prod-

uct’s advantages, from reliability to low

cost of maintenance, greater life span

and anti-corrosive attributes.

The group has manufacturing facili-

ties across the region, and can increase

its production capacities as per project

requirement in relatively short periods.

The group’s integrated business

model gives it the opportunity to con-

trol the complete process, from quality

of the materials to end product testing.

Our testing facility in Abu Dhabi is the

largest in the region and utilises the

latest state- of-the-art equipment. The

facility is assessed and certified by the

independent agency, TÜV Rhineland. We

offer both short term and long term test-

ing for optimised quality and long term

performance. Our pipe systems have a

50-year lifespan.

Our engineered products have also

been recognised for their quality and ex-

cellence, receiving the first ever Kitemark

award in the region for Glass Reinforced

Polyester (GRP) pipe systems. The group

also spends considerable time and mon-

ey acquiring and maintaining interna-

tional certifications and accreditations

that support our quality offering.

Where are you seeing the strongest demand for your products and solutions?The strongest demand is coming from the

water distribution and transmission sec-

tor. Thanks to fast growing population and

increasing urbanisation, there has been a

surge in the demand for power and water

across the region, which is already ranked

the largest in terms of consumption.

Last year, during the meeting of the GCC

Electricity and Water Co-operation Com-

mittee, a $10.5bn water network project

including two desalination plants to serve

the entire GCC was discussed. Therefore,

the increase in demand for pipelines is also

likely to be fuelled by the massive growth

of the desalination sector.

What are your plans for investment and growth for the next 2-3 years?We want to invest in R&D. We are con-

stantly striving to expand the envelope

on pressure and diameter, the two critical

components of a pipe, where we already

enjoy the highest product capabilities in

the world.

We will also focus on strategies to

explore customer-driven innovations.

Through a strong focus on customer ser-

vice, we strive to offer sustainable and

reliable integrated solutions and further

develop and improve our technologies

and leverage our existing capabilities.

Customers can help us identify the prob-

lems we need to focus on solving and pro-

vide new insights on how to better deliver

our products and services.

Contact [email protected]

Visit us at WETEX 14-16 April at Stand MS-01Mounib Hatab

energy & water


But many among us have been consist-

ent, seeing in sustainability an oppor-

tunity to overcome the challenges of

high costs and shortage of energy sup-

ply. A great example of a technology be-

ing driven by cost reduction is Reverse

Osmosis (RO). Some companies have

embraced sustainability to get, what

they hope, would be a jump start on

the raft of regulations and mandates

coming out of the corridors of govern-

ment. A few, who were already put on

notice, are racing to meet compliance

by embracing sustainability. But what

is missing in this conversation is an

understanding of the great opportu-

nity before us.

What have been the opportunities thrown up by this drive towards sustainability? I subscribe to the viewpoint that sus-

tainability equals innovation, first put

forward by the late business thinker C

K Prahalad. Innovation is the outcome

of sustainability, which is the way for-

ward for everybody, including the de-

salination industry. I see the industry

moving towards more energy efficient

methods of desalination like RO, while

also perfecting them, as exempli-

fied by the gains in nanotechnology

and nanofiltration over the past two

years. Sustainability-led innovation

could even re-invigorate our tradition-

al mainstay of thermal desalination

through the use of renewable energy.

We will also need to rethink and

redesign training, manpower plan-

ning and management systems in our

industry. In fact, sustainability will

reshape our business models, rede-

fine our practices and transform our

industry.

How is the industry addressing the challenges of energy efficiency and cost reduction?I think renewable energy is poised to

induce a paradigm shift in the way we

approach desalination in the Gulf. How

to be sustainable while providing the

power to desalinate water is a big chal-

Nearly 50% of the world’s desalination capacity is located in the Middle East, or more accurately, in the Gulf region where dependence on desalination as the primary water resource is the highest. Dr Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, President of the International Desalination Association (IDA) and Deputy Governor for Planning and Development, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Arabia spoke to Anoop K Menon on the industry’s new direction markers

The industry is moving towards more energy efficient methods of desalination like RO

desalination’s direction

In your keynote during Abu Dhabi sustainability Week, you repeatedly emphasised that sustainability is one of the most important paradigm shifts of the modern era. to what extent is this universal trend impacting the desalination industry, which is a key part of the region’s critical infrastructure?I have little doubt that sustainability

will determine our future. The change

it is driving is as major as the industri-

al revolution of the late 18th century,

the manufacturing and electrification

revolutions of the late 19th and early

20th centuries. In our region, espe-

cially among the Gulf States, it is a

strategic choice; it is not a question

of supplementing any existing wa-

ter resource because technically, we

don’t have any other source besides

desalination and water demand in

the region is growing steadily.

In recent years, our industry pur-

sued sustainability by appealing to

the higher senses, whether it is social

responsibility, humanity or common

good. Unfortunately, once the confer-

ences and workshops ended, we re-

turned home to our work and worries.

energy & water


energy & water


lenge, and renewable energy could be a

solution. Power constitutes 40% of the

cost of desalinating water. Masdar in

the UAE and K.A.CARE in Saudi Ara-

bia are already working on harnessing

solar energy for desalination. In fact,

renewable energy can also address

concerns about air pollution from

power plants that help run desalina-

tion plants.

There is a debate on whether RO is

suitable for the Gulf but I feel that RO

has a lot of scope in terms of hybrid

systems. We have a lot of investment

locked up in thermal desalination

technologies; therefore, to increase ca-

pacity, a clever option would be to add

RO so that you can blend water with

less cost and the same power.

I think Japan’s Mega-ton Water Sys-

tem project, which aims to develop the

world’s first megaton per day (or one

million m3/day) desalination plant

(equivalent to the daily needs of about

four million people), could herald a

new desalination era. A key feature of

the project is its use of low-pressure

membranes with bigger element sizes.

The project’s overall objective is to

reduce the energy requirements and

environmental impact of desalination

through RO.

Coming to the business of desalination, do you feel the region has missed the bus in terms of developing an industry around the largest desalination market in the world?As a region, we woke up late to under-

standing the benefits of developing an

industry around this strategic source

of water. But coming in late is better

than never. In fact, water technology

leaders like Toray and Dow are build-

ing membrane manufacturing plants

in Saudi Arabia. Also, in the new con-

tracts being awarded, there is a con-

dition that selected bidders have to

manufacture most of the equipment

and spare parts in the region. In the

past five years, there has been a para-

30%IMPROvEMENT IN

ENERGy EffICIENCy Of BEST PERfORMING

PlANTS OvER ThE PAST 10 yEARS

45%Of NEW DESAlINATION

PlANTS ORDERED SINCE 2010 WERE By INDuSTRIAl uSERS

digm shift with local manufacturers

entering into joint ventures with inter-

national companies to manufacture

valves, pumps and other equipment

for the industry. We will be seeing more

and more value addition taking place

in the region which will also help re-

duce the costs.

R&D activities focusing on desalina-

tion are on an upswing in the region,

especially in the UAE and also in Saudi

Arabia, where my organisation SWCC

has been particularly active, getting

a few patents to its name. I think the

government and industry would like to

arrive at a point where we can carry

out advanced research here. The chal-

lenge is to move the technology from

the lab to the industry for which you

need a solid industry base. That is now

coming up, and who knows, the Gulf

region could end up exporting desali-

nation knowledge.

Any concluding thoughts?I think the future of desalination and

renewables are intertwined, at least in

the Gulf. This is the only way forward

because with renewables, you kill two

birds with one stone – first, you leave

the environment better; second, you

will have more benefit from the oil you

are blessed with, and your economy

will be much better.

DESAlINATION PlANTS WITh A TOTAl CAPACITy Of SIx MIllION CuBIC METRES PER DAy (M3/DAy) ARE ExPECTED TO COME ON lINE

DuRING 2013, COMPARED WITh fOuR MIllION M3/DAy IN 2012. ThIS TAKES ThE TOTAl CAPACITy Of All 17,277 COMMISSIONED

DESAlINATION PlANTS IN ThE WORlD TO 80.9 MIllION M3/DAy, WhICh IS NEARly 32 yEARS Of RAIN fOR lONDON

TOP 5 COUNTRIES IN SEa waTER DESaLINaTION

Country

Saudi arabia 9,170,391uaE 8,381,299Spain 3,781,314Kuwait 2,586,761algEria 2,364,055auStralia 1,823,154

COMMISSIONED CAPACITY M3/D

May 5–9, 2014World’s Leading Trade Fair for Water, Sewage,

Waste and Raw Materials Management

Welcome to the future of environmental technology

Be a part of this get-together of the worldwide environmental technology sector—at IFAT 2014 in Munich. Come and experience innovative new products and learn

about successful strategies for the future. And benefi t from the exclusive supporting program at IFAT and the opportunity for international networking.

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Information: German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK) | Dubai

Tel. 04 447 0100 | [email protected]

IFAT14_Anz_Jetzt_240x300_bGreen_E-UAE.indd 1 24.01.14 09:25

business siemens


sation and water droplets, a constant

problem in desert.

Inside the new structure, Harald

Waiti, Siemens’ ME head of SRE, ex-

plained how there are ‘practically no

internal light switches’ and that eve-

rything is controlled through move-

ment sensors to ensure energy is used

only when people are inside.

“Desk lamps are light sensitive and

dim according to the amount of ex-

ternal light coming through the win-

dows,” he explained.

Waiti even joked how at night

someone could run through an emp-

ty office and be followed by a trail of

light. “I have tried it,” he joked with the

assembled journalists.

The actual cost of the project is

under wraps but Siemens said it was

comparable with a similarly sized

conventional office building.

The opening ceremony was attend-

ed by board members from Siemens

AG — including Michael Suess and

Roland Busch, shareholders of Sie-

mens in the UAE, Dr Sultan Al Jaber

and other dignitaries from Abu Dhabi.

In a statement, Siemens said: “The

company’s strategic partnership with

Masdar extends far beyond the open-

ing of a new office and is in line with

Abu Dhabi’s National Vision 2030.”

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is home to the greenest office building in the region, which heralds the start of a new chapter at the world’s most sustainable city. Words and pictures by Gary Wright

sieMens sets new green office standard for the region

40NuMBER Of yEARS SIEMENS hAS BEEN

IN ThE uAE

50%ENERGy SAvING

COMPARED WITh SAME SIzE CONvENTIONAl

BuIlDING

Top:Harald Waiti, Siemens ME head of SRE.

Below: Architect David Ardill, of Sheppard Robson

The first LEED Platinum certified

office building in Abu Dhabi

was officially inaugurated last

month at a lavish opening ceremony.

Electrical engineering giant Sie-

mens’ new Middle East headquarters,

which will accommodate 800 employ-

ees, has been constructed in Masdar

City alongside Masdar Institute.

Architect David Ardill, of Sheppard

Robson, won a competition in 2011 to

design the building, which uses 50%

less energy than a similar-sized con-

ventional building. The distinctive

façade is dominated by aluminium

shades over the windows, each in-

dividually designed to provide 100%

shading to 95% of glazed surfaces.

Ardill explained how the original

design brief has been met to reduce

energy demand by 65% and water by

50%. The building is a ‘box-within-a-

box’, with a highly-insulated, airtight

facade internally, which is then cov-

ered by a lightweight external shad-

ing system. “The design was led by

the computer model that met the sus-

tainability requirements,” he stated

The airtight internal structure

has allowed it to use passive cooling

methods channelling air throughout

the building but avoiding the conden-

business siemens


Masdar City has more than 120,000 sq.m

of buildings already developed in what is the

world’s first planned sustainable city to run

entirely on renewable energy.

The Siemens HQ is the first major build-

ing to be delivered from conception since the

onset of the financial crisis, which caused

many to revisit their loftier ambitions.

Michael Suess, board member of Siemens

AG and CEO of Siemens Energy Sector de-

scribed the Middle East as a “key region” for

the company and around 800 Siemens’ em-

ployees will be relocated to the new office

over the next few months.


ConstruCtion Big 5 saudi review

big 5 saudi gets biggerOrganisers are predicting Big 5 Saudi, which runs from March 9–12 in Jeddah, is going to be the largest ever in the Kingdom

He continues: “This is not a recent

development. Even during the financial

downturn a few years ago, Saudi Arabia

maintained steady growth, as the con-

struction sectors in many other coun-

tries were struggling. The government

has actually increased its investments

inrecent years to the various ministries

involved in construction and infrastruc-

ture development.”

Joining Spitz on the panel will be

Andrew Johnson of Mace Group, who is

serving as project manager of Jeddah’s

Kingdom Tower, which is set to unseat

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the world’s tall-

est tower at one-km high.

Also on the panel will be Jesdev Sag-

gar, Managing Director for Capital Pro-

jects & Infrastructure, Deloitte; and

Oliver Plunkett, Buro Happold’s Saudi

Arabia Country Manager.

The free-to-attend seminar series

will also include a number of Market

Insight sessions, one of which will fo-

cus on the market fundamentals driv-

ing the push for affordable housing in

Saudi Arabia, which already boasts of

an allocation of over one billion dollars,

dedicated to developing eight new hous-

ing developments across the country.

Also new for this year is a series of

sessions devoted to sustainable building

design, including methods for minimis-

ing post-project waste while improving

energy efficiency targets. The sessions

will cover steps for integrating recycled

content in building materials and how

best to present green building designs

to clients from a business and savings

perspective.

“The seminar series is a result of

Saudi’s growing influence in the region’s

construction industry and the demand

for access to insight and information

from experts working within the mar-

ket,” says Nathan Waugh, Event Direc-

tor, The Big 5 Saudi.

“Our visitors expressed a desire for

more education content, and as a re-

sponse to this we aim to bring expertise

from local, regional and international

sources to highlight the Kingdom’s ex-

citing development in the coming years.”

More details www.thebig5saudi.com

$1BnDEDICATED

TO EIGhT NEW AffORDABlE hOuSING

DEvElOPMENTS IN SAuDI ARABIA

$40BnvAluE TO COMPANy Of KEy SPEAKER JOhN G

SPITz’S SAuDI PROJECTS

with the construction market on

track to become the Kingdom’s

fastest growing economic sec-

tor by next year, The Big 5 Saudi will fea-

ture a new series of educational events

for visitors to gain greater access and an

understanding of the many opportuni-

ties that the country offers.

Developed in coordination with the

country’s leading construction and

building experts, the Sustainable Design

and Construction Seminar Series during

the show will look at rapidly changing

technologies, materials and techniques

of the global construction industry

whilst focusing on the local market’s

key drivers and identifying solutions to

potential challenges.

Under the Patronage of HRH Prince

Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al

Saud, Minister of Municipal and Rural

Affairs the show opens daily at 4pm and

runs until 10pm from March 9-12 at Jed-

dah Centre for Forums and Events.

Big 5 Saudi will also launch a series of

free-to-attend seminars. Running across

two days of the show, the seminars will

discuss industry topics including Fore-

casting growth and new opportunities

in the Kingdom’s residential sector, a

highly relevant area, given that housing

is expected to be a driving force behind

construction in 2014 and sustainability:

the vision, materials and the technolo-

gies, addressing how to bring aesthetic

and technical innovation together in

one sustainable design.

“Growth across the Kingdom has

been phenomenal,” says John G Spitz,

Senior Vice President, Saudi Arabia, Hill

International, a global construction con-

sultancy that handles over $40bn in pro-

jects across the country. Spitz, who will

join the opening leaders in the construc-

tion panel session, believes that the

growth outlook for the next five years

in the Kingdom remains extremely posi-

tive for all sectors of construction.

CONSTRuCTION BiG 5 saudi review

5930_ WETEX_BGreen_FP_ENG_240x300mm copy.pdf 1 3/4/14 3:17 PM


KNAUF

Knauf Middle East hosted its first-ever annual customer awards at a gala dinner event, held at the Armani Hotel on February 7, 2014. Senior executives from Knauf’s key customers, distributors and partners across the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent came together to celebrate the winners

Knauf ORGanISES fIRST Of ITS KInD CuSTOMER aWaRDS nIGHT In DuBaI

Knauf Premium Partner 2013 � Qatar Gypsum Products

Industry (QGIPS), Qatar

� Gemini Building

Materials, UAE & Gemini

International, Oman

Special Recognition 2013 � New BK Super Impex, Nepal

� Adora Carpet Splendour, India

� Glory Products,

Kolkata, India

� ASHGAL, Qatar

� HBK Contracting

Company, Qatar

� SEG Qatar, Qatar

� FINO International, UAE

� Al Turki Enterprises, Oman

� Building Department,

Dubai Municipality

� Dubai Central Laboratory

Department, Dubai

Municipality

Special Appreciation � Late Mrs Kezban

Onay, Promer Qatar

Amer bin Ahmed, Managing

Director, Knauf Middle East

& India pointed out that the

customer event is a very important

milestone in Knauf’s leadership in the

drywall market, acknowledging the

critical importance of the company’s

customers to its ongoing success.

He said: “Working closely with our

suppliers, we have made significant

progress in key programmes such as

supplier performance management,

risk management, supplier quality

and sustainability over the past year.

I would like to take this opportunity to

thank them sincerely for their efforts.”

As part of its efforts to recognise and

celebrate superior performance, Knauf

presented awards across different cat-

egories recognising various stakehold-

ers such as dealers, contractors and

partners. The awards also acknowl-

edged key employees of Knauf Middle

East with ‘special awards’ in recogni-

tion of their dedication and commit-

ment to drive collaboration between

Knauf and its customers.

Emerging Dealer of the Year � Al– Yusuf Building

Materials, Bahrain

� Sadeer Trading &

Contracting, Kuwait

� Global Gypsum Industries,

Bangalore, India

� Drywall Qatar, Qatar

� Modec Building

Materials Trading, UAE

� Mount Décor, Oman

Best System Seller � Promer Qatar Contracting

Company, Qatar

� Mainline Building

Materials, UAE

Sub-contractor Heradesign 2013

� R R India Plasters,

Bangalore, India

� Croatian Technology

& Business

Association, Qatar

� AW Rostamani Building

Industries, UAE & Oman


KNAUF

Employee Awards � Al Hussain Habeeb Mohammed

� Fazil Zafar

� Ghassan Ibrahim

� Jasper Balajadia

� Lee Evans

� Michael Ray

� Nicolas Neusuess

� Pravin Guthale

� Mrs Richelle Tuliao

� Ms Rodalyn Camayang

� Mrs Rosaline Lingat

“I am very proud to win this award as it was unexpect-

ed,” said Hassan Abu Gheida, Managing Director, Qatar

Gypsum Products Industry (QGIPS), whose company

was awarded the Knauf Premium Partner 2013 award.

He continued: “Thanks to the excellent support ex-

tended by Knauf for the past 12 years, we have been

able to ensure that Knauf is a well-known brand in

Qatar and is specified in all the major projects. For

2014, we are planning to further increase our activi-

ties and grow the sales. With the technical and com-

mercial support of the Knauf team, we are confident

of improving our turnover in Qatar.”

Vineesh Babu of Gemini Building Materials said the

Premium Partner Award was a great recognition of the

loyalty and hard work demonstrated by

his company in growing Knauf’s busi-

ness in the UAE and Oman.

He said: “They are the largest gypsum-

based building material manufacturer in

the world and to be associated with them

is a privilege for us. However, Knauf’s

emphasis on providing support with a

human touch ensures that everybody

they work with progresses in terms of

meeting the market’s as well as Knauf’s

expectations.”

N Srinath of Bangalore-based Glob-

al Gypsum Industries, which was be-

stowed with Emerging Dealer of the

Year award said: “This award is very

important to us because it recognises

our hardwork and efforts to establish

the Knauf brand in South India.”

Praising the “excellent support

“extended by Knauf in this regard, he

pointed out that growth can be accel-

erated still further with on-the ground

technical and field staff support from

Knauf.

“As Knauf is a global company with

a strong products and a reputation for

quality and delivery, customers in In-

dia always look forward to interacting

with the principal,” he explained.

Commenting on future plans, he

said: “We will continue to focus on

growing Knauf’s market in South In-

dia. I believe that future growth will

come from complete solutions rather

than just boards, and we are keen to

work towards this direction.”

advertorial


• Delta Faucet Company Sustainability Challenge 2014 highlights need for conservation of water in the hospitality sector• Campaign endorsed once again by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

delta faucet coMpany launches 2014 sustainability challenge

Interior Design and Architecture

students at the American University

in Dubai are invited to submit origi-

nal designs satisfying specific design

criteria including water conservation,

energy efficiency, water quality, align-

ment with government regulations and

durability of design. ‘The Delta Faucet

Sustainability Challenge’ will run un-

til mid-April, when the top 10 entrants

will be selected to present their designs

before a expert panel of judges.

“The UAE continues to have one of

the highest rates of water consumption

globally, and with this year’s campaign,

we hope to highlight the opportunity to

incorporate sustainable design within

the hospitality sector. We are delighted

to work with our partners from last

year’s competition, AUD and AESG and

we are honoured to welcome a new

strategic partner, APID,” Jackson added.

delta Faucet Company, a world-

wide leader in residential and

commercial faucets, launched

the second edition of ‘The Delta Faucet

Sustainability Challenge’, which aims

to promote future sustainability of wa-

ter resources in the region. The 2014

challenge was launched at the Ameri-

can University in Dubai (AUD) with

representatives from the University’s

Interior Design and Architecture facul-

ty and students, as well as its strategic

partners, Alabbar Energy and Sustain-

ability Group (AESG) and the Associa-

tion of Professional Interior Designers

(APID). The competition is endorsed

by the United Nations Decade of Edu-

cation for Sustainable Development,

(UNDESD) for a second year running.

The UAE is among the largest con-

sumers of water in the world and is list-

ed by the United Nations as a high-rank

country when it comes to water stress, a

situation which occurs when the avail-

ability of water is not in balance with

the demand for water. This creates a

unique challenge where the country is

dependent on various sources to meet

its daily water needs. In addressing

this challenge, this year’s campaign

will ask students to submit original

designs to conserve water specifically

within the hospitality sector.

“Building on the success of last

year’s campaign, ‘The Delta Faucet

Sustainability Challenge’ will expand

to include more students and will also

focus specifically on water conserva-

tion in the hospitality sector. The cam-

paign aims to drive awareness and be-

haviour change with regards to water

consumption. Delta Faucet Company

is a long-standing pioneer in the ad-

vancement of performance standards

for water-saving products, and we

have developed several groundbreak-

ing technologies that help to promote

water conservation,” said Ross Jack-

son, General Manager, Delta Faucet

Company, Middle East.

advertorial


in the second year of ‘The Delta Fau-

cet Sustainability Challenge’. Manag-

ing our water resources is a vital step

towards preserving our planet for future

generations. By thinking globally and act-

ing locally, the competition aims to give

young designers the opportunity to show-

case their innovative strategies to conserve

water within the built environment.”

In December 2002, the United Na-

tions General Assembly (UNGA) adopt-

ed resolution 57/254 to put in place a

United Nations Decade of Education for

Sustainable Development (UNDESD),

from 2005 to 2014, and designated UN-

ESCO to lead the Decade. The United

Nations Decade of Education for Sus-

tainable Development seeks to inte-

grate the principles, values, and prac-

tices of sustainable development into

all aspects of education and learning,

in order to address the social, economic,

“Together with our partners AUD,

AESG and APID, we want to engage the

decision makers of the future at an

early stage to ensure they are active-

ly thinking about sustainable design.

We are also extremely appreciative of

the support we have received from all

of our partners including UNESCO.”

Dr Albert Fakhoury, Chairman of

the Department of Interior Design

at the American University in Dubai,

commented: “Our duty as individu-

als and within our community is to

preserve and safeguard the qual-

ity of life for future generations. Our

continued support of the ‘The Delta

Faucet Sustainability Challenge’ is

a testament to our efforts to make

AUD an example of both innovation

and sustainability. We strongly en-

courage sustainable initiatives within

the university community to reflect

AUD’s aspiration in driving real action

as we strive to empower our students

to take responsibility when it comes

to the environment.”

Mrs. Farida Kamber Al Awadhi,

President, Association of Profes-

sional Interior Designers (APID), said:

“A professional interior designer is

knowledgeable about ways to en-

sure that home, hotel or office fitouts

meet water conservation targets.

With thoughtful and careful selec-

tion of the products specified in our

designs, efficiencies in water use can

be gained. This message, emphasised

by ‘The Delta Faucet Sustainability

Challenge’, serves as a good reminder

for the professional community.”

Scott Coombes, Principal Consult-

ant and founder of AESG, said: “Fol-

lowing last year’s success, we are very

pleased to be a contributing partner

advertorial


Delta® proDucts

there is a philosophy at the heart

of every Delta® product: there is

a better way to live with water. It

goes beyond excellent design to

incorporate smart thinking that

anticipates people’s needs.

From proprietary Touch2O® Technology

that turns faucets on and off with just a

touch to H2Okinetic® shower technology

that sculpts water into a unique wave

pattern, giving you the feeling of more water

without using more water, Delta products

incorporate thoughtful features that delight.

Paired with beautiful and inspirational

design, the Delta® brand is more than just

a faucet. A 2013 WaterSense® partner

of the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Delta Faucet Company is a global

organisation that offers bath faucets,

kitchen faucets, shower heads, shower

systems, and related accessories, selling

products in more than 53 countries.

For more information, visit

worldwide.deltafaucet.com

cultural and environmental problems faced in

the 21st century.

During this decade, education for sustainable

development will contribute to better preparing

citizens to face the challenges of the present and

the future, and decision-makers who will act re-

sponsibly to create a viable world.

UNESD supports five fundamental types

of learning to provide quality education and

foster sustainable human development –

learning to know, learning to be, learning to

live together, learning to do, and learning to

transform oneself and society.

The Decade on Education for Sustainable

Development will draw to a close later this

year at the 2014 UNESCO World Conference

on Education for Sustainable Development,

organised by UNESCO and the Government

of Japan, which will take place from the 10-

12 November 2014 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The conference will review the UN DESD and

launch future actions. More than 1,000 par-

ticipants are expected to attend from both

the public and private sectors.

THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION EVENT IN SAUDI ARABIA

Register for FREE entry at: www.thebig5saudi.com/bgm1

9 – 12 March 20148 - 11 جمادى ا�ول 1435ه

Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events

Host Venue:Supporting Organisations:Under the Patronage of: Diamond Sponsor: Organised by: Co-organised by:

Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

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K

Big5_KSA_2014_BGreen_Ad_240x300mm_Eng.ai 1 1/22/14 3:38 PM


personality Spider-Man

spider-Man joins green crusadeThis month’s green personality is a fictional character, but his effect on the worldwide sustainability movement will be felt this month as the superhero entangles himself in Earth Hour

of the crowd to inspire change for the

good of the planet, imagine the possi-

bilities when we come together and do

more,” said Webb.

Jamie Foxx who plays the villain

Electro in the film says: “Earth Hour

isn’t just about lights off; it’s about

people across the world coming to-

gether throughout the year to join

forces to improve the planet. Never

underestimate your power, never un-

derestimate what you can do.”

Earth Hour’s crowdsourcing platform

will also enable people to add their voice

to some of the biggest environmental

campaigns across the world; includ-

ing an Instagram campaign for people

to share their love of Australia’s Great

Barrier Reef, as part of WWF-Austral-

ia’s ‘Lights Out for the Reef’ theme for

Earth Hour 2014.

Global participants in the movement

will also be able to sign the Shark Saver’s

“I’m FINished With FINS” pledge, which

engages celebrities and public figures

throughout Asia to help end shark

finning in marine waters for the con-

sumption of shark-fin soup.

Ridley says: “The idea of Earth Hour

has grown beyond anything we could

have dreamed. This year with the help

of Spider-Man, we are taking the move-

ment to the next stage. It’s about har-

nessing the power of the crowd. That’s

what Earth Hour Blue is all about.”

Movie maker Sony Pictures Enter-

tainment will join by contributing to a

WWF-China and Earth Hour Blue pro-

ject that provides efficient cookstoves

to prevent deforestation in the habitat

of the Giant Panda. Through its efforts,

the studio will receive Gold Standard

carbon offsets that render the entire

physical production of The Amazing

Spider-Man 2 as well as its publicity tour,

carbon-neutral.

7,000CITIES, TOWNS AND

MuNICIPAlITIES TOOK PART IN MORE ThAN 150 COuNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN 2013

60minuTes

DuRATION fOR WhICh lIGhTS WIll GO Off

AROuND ThE PlANET ON MARCh 29

comic book hero Spider-Man is the

new ambassador for Earth Hour,

which will see lights go off around

the planet on March 29 for 60 minutes.

Earth Hour is organised by the WWF

(World Wide Fund for Nature) and 2014

is its eighth year. In 2013, more than

7,000 cities, towns and municipalities

took part in more than 150 countries

and territories. Many of the world’s best

known human and natural landmarks

were plunged into darkness – including

the Burj Khalifa and the Pyramids.

“What is most important is the ever

increasing extent to which Earth Hour’s

supporters are participating in or taking

actions themselves,” says Earth Hour

CEO and co-founder, Andy Ridley.

Ridley announced Spiderman’s in-

volvement this year when he also re-

vealed Earth Hour Blue – a new digital

crowdfunding and crowdsourcing plat-

form for the planet.

“I’m proud Spider-Man is the first

superhero ambassador for Earth Hour

because he shows we can all be super-

heroes when we realise the power we all

have,” says Andrew Garfield, who plays

Spider-Man in the upcoming film. He

continues: “Earth Hour is a movement

that has created massive impact around

the world, so imagine what we can do

this year with Spider-Man by our side.”

The crowdfunding section of the new

platform will allow participants to help

deliver energy efficient stoves to fami-

lies in Madagascar, help communities in

the Philippines build fibreglass boats to

withstand climate impacts, like Typhoon

Haiyan, and raise funds to expand and

conserve the iconic Table Mountain Na-

tional Park in South Africa, with many

more projects to come.

Marc Webb, Director of The Amazing

Spider-Man 2 is the first celebrity am-

bassador to announce an Earth Hour

Blue project. His project aims to pro-

vide better equipment for WWF Rang-

ers protecting Indonesia’s endangered

wildlife such as the Sumatran tiger, el-

ephant, rhino and orangutan and their

forest habitat.

“Earth Hour is a movement full of su-

perheros – people harnessing the power


society diary dates

diary dates

Qatar Projects 2014March 17—19,

Grand Hyatt, Doha, Qatar

MEED’s Qatar Projects Conference

has grown to be the largest and most

significant annual meeting for key

Qatari stakeholders and international

service providers looking to do busi-

ness in Qatar. Building on the success

of the 2013 conference and following

extensive research, the Qatar Projects

2014 Conference features two dedi-

cated tracks; one which covers Qatar’s

Infrastructure & Transport sector and

another which covers Qatar’s Energy

& Utilities sector.

3rd ajmaN INterNatIoNal eNvIroNmeNt coNfereNce April 7—8, Sheikh Zayed Centre for

Conference & Exhibitions, Ajman

The third Ajman International Envi-

ronment Conference will primarily

focus on four major issues: renew-

able energy, sustainable buildings,

water technology and transportation.

Conference attendees can expect to

hear practitioners and specialists pre-

sent their findings on renewable en-

ergy technology, innovative solutions

for future buildings and sustainable

transport, with dedicated sessions

and workshops based on their indi-

vidual preferences. “The conference

is a big achievement for Ajman and

the UAE and This is based on the

directives of His Highness Sheikh

Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the

President of the Department and the

follow-up by the Director General

of the Department, Yehia Ibrahim

Al Reyaysa,” says Engineer Khalid

Moeen Al Hosni, Executive Director

of Public Health and Environment.

the bIg show 2014March 17—20, 2014, Muscat

The Big Show will be held at the Oman

International Exhibition Centre, con-

tinuing the four-day tradition started

in the 10th edition. The extra day was

added in response to previous exhibi-

tors’ need to leverage the opportuni-

ties presented by this landmark show.

The exhibition includes a conference

themed “Oman Future Buildings”

with high-calibre speakers and first-

time live product demonstrations.

A UFI-certified event, The Big Show

opened up avenues in the building

and construction, interiors and in-

frastructure sectors in Oman when

it was launched in 2002, setting the

stage for other shows of a similar na-

ture to follow suit.

weteX 2014April 14—16, Dubai International

Convention & Exhibition Centre

Held under the directives of His High-

ness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Al Maktoum, Vice President and

Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler

of Dubai, and under the patronage

of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid

Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai,

Minister of Finance of the UAE and

President of DEWA, the 16th Water,

Energy, Technology, and Environ-

ment Exhibition (WETEX) 2014 will

take place at the Dubai International

Convention and Exhibition Centre

(DICEC). Last year’s edition saw more

than 1,360 exhibitors from 32 coun-

tries participating and showcasing

their latest technologies and equip-

ment and raising their corporate pro-

files and building awareness about

products and services while sharing

ideas and best practices with the

world’s leading players in the water,

energy, and environment technology

industries. Co-located with WETEX

and now in its fourth year, SmarTech

exhibition will showcase the latest

products, technologies, and solutions

related to energy and water efficiency,

as well as residential and commercial

green‐building solutions.

Project Qatar 201412—15 May Qatar National

Convention Centre, Doha

Sustinability is a key theme of this

year’s 11th International Construc-

tion Technology & Building Materials

Exhibition, which moves to the Qatar

National Convention Centre (QNCC)

for the first time. Project Qatar’s 2013

hosted 2,100 local and international

exhibitors from 50 countries spread

across 62,000m2 of indoor and out-

door exhibition space with more than

3,000 brands and marked a record in-

crease of 16% in surface area, and 45%

in international participation.

Vice President of International Mar-

keting and Sales at IFP Group, Fadi

Kaddoura says: “Since its first edition,

the show recorded a 50% growth in

exhibition space from one year to the

next; a 73% increase in the number

of exhibitors; a 45% rise in participat-

ing countries; and a 20% growth in the

number of visitors. The first show had

267 exhibitors across 10,000 sq.m of

exhibition space; and in its 10th edi-

tion, the event proudly welcomed 2,100

exhibitors from 50 countries, covering

67,000 sq.m of exhibition area.”

More than 60% of the total number

of participants is international, with

23 pavilions, including Austria, Bel-

gium, China, Egypt, France, Germany,

Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Korea, Ku-

wait, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, Tur-

key, the UAE and the UK.

coNgress of hamdaN bIN mohammed e-UNIversItyMarch 3—5,

The Atlantis, Dubai, UAE

The fifth Health and Environment

Conference features a compre-

hensive programme that reflects

the current health reforms taking

place in order to improve the un-

derstanding of the health and en-

vironment transformation. Speak-

ers from international organisa-

tions, governmental and private

health and environmental insti-

tutions, scholars and researchers

and related industry leaders will

address best practices and key

elements required for initiating

and implementing transforma-

tion in health and environment,

throughout plenary and concur-

rent sessions, and post conference

workshops.

society sustainable past


green concrete... froM 2,000 years agocement production is vital to 21st century building but causes up to seven per cent of greenhouse gas production. scientists now say that the romans manufactured cement that performed better in saltwater conditions…and it was more environment-friendly

of the Gulf of Naples (Pliny died in the

eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that buried

Pompeii), especially from sites near the

present-day seaside town of Pozzuoli.

Ash with similar mineral characteris-

tics, called pozzolan, is found in many

parts of the world.

Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light

Source (ALS) worked alongside experts

at the King Abdullah University of Sci-

ence and Technology in Saudi Arabia

and found that Roman concrete differs

from the modern kind in several es-

sential ways, essentially the ratios and

mix of calcium, silicates, hydrates and

the addition of aluminium and silicon.

Rather than fight the marine ele-

ments, Romans utilised saltwater and

made it part of the concrete. The result

was lower greenhouse gas emissions

and stronger structures.

While Roman concrete is durable,

the researchers claim it is unlikely to

replace modern concrete because it is

not ideal where fast hardening is need-

ed. But the discoveries are being exam-

ined by researchers around the world.

Stronger, longer-lasting modern

concrete, made with less fuel and less

release of carbon into the atmosphere

may be the legacy of a deeper under-

standing of how the Romans made

their concrete.

30BcThE RECIPE fOR ROMAN CONCRETE

WAS DESCRIBED By MARCuS vITRuvIuS POllIO, AN ENGINEER fOR

ThE fuTuRE EMPEROR AuGuSTuS

1,450°c ThE TEMPERATuRE NEEDED TO BuRN lIMESTONE AND ClAy TO

MAKE MODERN PORTlAND CEMENT

The chemical secrets of a concrete

Roman breakwater that spent

2,000 years submerged in the

Mediterranean Sea may help modern

builders help cut pollution.

Paulo Monteiro of the US Depart-

ment of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley

National Laboratory says, “It’s not that

modern concrete isn’t good – it’s so good

we use 19 billion tonnes of it a year. The

problem is that manufacturing Portland

cement accounts for seven per cent of

the CO2 that industry puts into the air.”

Portland cement is the source of the

“glue” that holds most modern concrete

together. But making it needs very high

temperatures and that releases carbon

and Monteiro’s team found that the Ro-

man method used half the heat.

“In the middle 20th century, con-

crete structures were designed to last

50 years, and a lot of them are on bor-

rowed time,” Monteiro says. “Now we de-

sign buildings to last 100 to 120 years.

Yet Roman harbour installations have

survived 2,000 years of chemical attack

and wave action underwater.

The Romans made concrete by

mixing lime and volcanic rock. For

underwater structures, lime and vol-

canic ash were mixed to form mortar,

and this mortar and volcanic ash were

packed into wooden forms. The seawa-

ter instantly triggered a hot chemical

reaction. The lime was hydrated – in-

corporating water molecules into its

structure – and reacted with the ash

to cement the whole mixture together.

Descriptions of volcanic ash have

survived from ancient times. First Vit-

ruvius, an engineer for the Emperor Au-

gustus, and later Pliny the Elder record-

ed that the best maritime concrete was

made with ash from volcanic regions

PLATINUM SPONSOR:

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Documents

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