The UAE ranked 14th for the highest national concentration of sustainable buildings in the world and was the only country from the region in the top 30, according to a new survey.
The country is home to 869 green-rated buildings, while Saudi Arabia ranked 54th with 38 green-rated buildings, consultancy Knight Frank said in the second edition of its (Y)our Space report, which surveyed almost 400 businesses worldwide on their workplace strategies and real estate needs.
Kuwait and Oman have 12 green-accredited buildings each and rank 69th and 70th, respectively.
"The climate crisis has spawned a global green reawakening and businesses in the Middle East are alive to the climate challenge," Faisal Durrani, head of Middle East research at Knight Frank, said.
The UAE is encouraging the construction of greener buildings and working to retrofit older buildings to make them less energy-intensive as part of its push into energy sustainability. The UAE has committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 23.5 per cent by 2030.
Global companies that have set a 2030 net zero carbon target may struggle to achieve their objectives if there is no major shift towards sustainable buildings, the Knight Frank report found
Three-quarters of Middle East businesses surveyed, which represent 7,800 staff, say their real estate choices in the future will be influenced by their net zero targets, the consultancy said. However, the vast majority of companies say that less than 25 per cent of their global portfolios are green or sustainable.
“The message to landlords is loud and clear: green credentials of buildings will become a key battleground in [the] post-Covid economy, particularly as office footprints are likely to be revised downward as more businesses adopt hybrid working methods, factoring for greater remote working," Mr Durrani said.
Being "greener" will be a major differentiator as businesses adapt their occupational strategies to encourage more employees to return to the office, he added.
Landlords in the region will have to weigh the costs and benefits of "greenifying" their buildings to cater to changing business demands.
"As investors and businesses are increasingly factoring the green credentials of a building in their decision making, it’s clear that the saleability and lettability of non-green-rated buildings will be negatively impacted over the medium to long-term," Mr Durrani said.
Global businesses want to be more sustainable, with 40 per cent of companies setting a net zero carbon target, the report showed. Of those, 77 per cent are aiming to achieve this goal by 2030.
However, despite the real estate sector accounting for as much as 40 per cent of global carbon emissions, and with growing pressure from the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agendas of investors, more than 87 per cent of companies said that less than half of their current global real estate portfolios are either green or sustainable, the report said.
"This suggests a real disconnect between real estate and wider corporate thinking on sustainability," Knight Frank said.
Almost 60 per cent of global respondents said that there is only a partial recognition from their wider business that occupying and utilising real estate differently will impact their ability to achieve net zero carbon and wider sustainability targets.
A further 15 per cent said that there is no recognition of this at all, the report showed.
“Developers and landlords in the Middle East have made great strides in delivering world-leading green buildings, incorporating stunning technologies," Mr Durrani said, citing the condensation harvesting system on the Burj Khalifa as an example.
"But such technologies need to be adopted more widely if landlords are to compete on a level playing field for increasingly green conscious businesses," he added.
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The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
The years Ramadan fell in May
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The five pillars of Islam
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
