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Majid Al Futtaim mall world’s largest to win LEED

DUBAI, July 21, 2015

Majid Al Futtaim, the leading retail and leisure pioneer in the Middle East, has set a new global benchmark in sustainable retail development with the world’s largest shopping mall to achieve a prestigious sustainability rating.

The US Green Building Council confirmed City Centre Mirdif shopping mall in Dubai as the largest mall in the world to achieve the LEED Gold EBOM (Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance) rating, which is located in one of the hottest places on earth.

The company has set ambitious goals for 2018 to deliver results across three key areas – developing and managing high performance assets that support prosperous communities and in doing so deliver pioneering standards across its business.

The initiative at the three-million-sq-ft City Centre Mirdif required co-operation from more than 500 retailers in the mall including Carrefour and leisure and entertainment brands VOX Cinemas, Little Explorers and Magic Planet.

The mall operations team, retailers, and brands supported efforts by achieving targets across 110 category areas including alternative transport, water efficiency, waste management, green cleaning policies and efficient energy management.

 Alain Bejjani, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, said: “We are witnessing a genuine drive of development projects pursuing increasingly higher levels of sustainability, with more companies seeking to embrace internationally-recognised standards. We lead by example by applying international best practices across our entire business operations and portfolio of brands. In doing so we support the economic and social development of Dubai and the wider Middle East region.”

The innovative sustainability practices, implemented by Majid Al Futtaim, signify the company’s leadership in the green building movement in Mena. The accomplishment also supports Dubai’s vision to become one of the most sustainable cities in the world by 2020, which forms part of the United Arab Emirates’ broader development and economic diversification goals.

 Working in partnership with Enova by Veolia, a Majid Al Futtaim facilities and energy management provider, the success at City Centre Mirdif will serve as a catalyst to increase the adoption of sustainable building practices across the Mena region. Buildings that were previously ineligible to be considered for LEED certification can now target ratings, following the combined efforts of Majid Al Futtaim and the U.S. Green Building Council.

The harsh Middle East climate previously excluded buildings from achieving LEED EBOM, because of the high amount of energy consumption used for cooling (more than 60 per cent), along with the complex nature of integrated malls in the region. Majid Al Futtaim pioneered this concept in the Middle East back in 1995, combining a variety of retail, leisure and hospitality businesses such as gyms, medical clinics, cinemas, hypermarkets, hotels and retail into one lifestyle destination.

 Chris Dixon, technical operations director, Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim said: “The biggest hurdle was achieving the energy and atmosphere pre-requisite for energy requirements set by the US Green Building Council. Working together for 18 months we developed a regression analysis model so that buildings in the region can become eligible for the certification for the first time.”

“With malls open for 16 hours a day, and outside temperatures reaching over 50C, it is far more difficult to acquire LEED Certification than other parts of the world, and until now wasn’t possible,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Majid Al Futtaim | LEED | Shopping Mall | Mirdif Mall |

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