Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship innovative and sustainable urban development, has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest mosaic made from recycled materials, a media report said.

The mosaic, which measures 1,015 sq m – around the size of two basketball courts – took one month to assemble and contains almost 90,500 recycled items, including plastic bottles, cans and cardboard, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

 The local community participated in the project, including Masdar City employees, tenants and local residents, along with members of the wider Abu Dhabi community and schoolchildren.

The aim of the mosaic, which was officially unveiled ahead of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2020, is to encourage UAE citizens, residents and visitors to take more responsibility for their impact on the environment and inspire them to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste. The artwork shows the evolution of the UAE, from its origins through to today and looking to the future, and it features key landmarks from all seven emirates.

Representatives from Guinness World Records presented Masdar City with the official record certificate in a special ceremony at the city.

"As a pioneer in sustainable urban community development, Masdar City will continue to lead in promoting best practice in waste management," said Yousef Baselaib, executive director, Sustainable Real Estate, Masdar.

He added, "This wonderful mosaic makes the sustainability debate more tangible and accessible through the universal medium of art, and demonstrates the commitment of the people of the UAE to protecting the environment. Sustainability requires everyone to play their part and engaging the local community is an essential element of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week."

The mosaic will be on display at Masdar City and can be viewed from the observation deck at the city.

Masdar City will be showcasing its expanding sustainable real estate and clean energy portfolio and projects at the Masdar stand at the World Future Energy Summit, WFES), one of the key events of ADSW 2020, from January 13 to 16. ADSW 2020, one of the largest sustainability gatherings in the world and a platform for accelerating sustainable development, is taking place in the UAE capital from January 11 to 18.