Having received approvals for its second and fifth phases, Masdar City is set for significant expansion. Targeting Four Pearl Estidama Community Rating, the development also aims to become a hub for green research.

The UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the region, recently opened the doors of its first Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold hotel property in the UAE: The Hilton Garden Inn Mall of the Emirates.

ANDREW PACK, global technical support manager, Kingspan Insulation, says improvement in U-value specifications for buildings can deliver considerable returns on investment (ROIs) and reduce carbon emissions.

Kingspan Insulation says it has started manufacturing its Kingspan PalDuct Hydro System of pre-insulated ducting using a blowing agent, which has low global warming potential (GWP) and zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) as standard.

Unigulf Development, a Dubai-based distributor of Oriform expanded polystyrene (EPS), is promoting the product as “a perfect green building material with many benefits”.

Bahrain is working on 40 environment-friendly building projects as part of its sustainable development initiative aimed at reducing power and water consumption as well as carbon emissions at these facilities.

The Dow Chemical Company is promoting its industry-leading Dowtherm A, a heat transfer fluid which enables the capture of solar thermal energy in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.