Home News - MENA Q4 Regional Network Update from the Chair, Sadek Owainati
Q4 Regional Network Update from the Chair, Sadek Owainati
Q4 Regional Network Update from the Chair, Sadek Owainati
December 05, 2011 at 11:42 PM
The MENA region had a good presence at the WorldGBC Congress and Greenbuild conference last October, as its representatives participated in panel discussions and workshops during these events. There was also a MENA Regional Network meeting in Toronto, which was attended by six GBCs from the region.
Green Building Councils in the MENA region, which includes ten GBCs and three Associated Groups, continue to consolidate their presence in the market. Jordan is working towards achieving the Established status, while Lebanon and Qatar have submitted their case to become Emerging GBCs.
The political and social movement in the region is having an impact on some councils such as in Syria, and in Tunisia interest has gained momentum by expanding its Founding members and the same applies to Bahrain and Oman GBCs. TunisiaGBC will be registered as an NGO while both Oman and Tunisia expect to submit their EOI to attain the status of Prospective GBC, hopefully by early 2012.
Construction works continue to represent a major sector in the region’s economy, especially in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq. The current season is usually active with conferences related to the construction industry with emphasis on sustainability and green buildings are being held throughout the region.
The second Green Building Forum was held in October in Riyadh and the Big 5, a major event in Dubai last November, was actively supported by EmiratesGBC with its representatives as moderators and speakers. There were a few other conferences on energy and sustainability held during this quarter in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. BahrainGBC participated in the 15th Gulf Engineering Forum held recently in Bahrain. Siham Omri of the Morocco GBC was recently invited to speak at events in Morocco and Spain on the topic of green cities. The Jordan GBC sent a delegate to participate in COP-17 activities in Durban, South Africa, and the EmiratesGBC nominated Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council for the WorldGBC Government Leadership Awards planned as part of COP-17 events.
Green Building Councils in the MENA region, which includes ten GBCs and three Associated Groups, continue to consolidate their presence in the market. Jordan is working towards achieving the Established status, while Lebanon and Qatar have submitted their case to become Emerging GBCs.
The political and social movement in the region is having an impact on some councils such as in Syria, and in Tunisia interest has gained momentum by expanding its Founding members and the same applies to Bahrain and Oman GBCs. TunisiaGBC will be registered as an NGO while both Oman and Tunisia expect to submit their EOI to attain the status of Prospective GBC, hopefully by early 2012.
Construction works continue to represent a major sector in the region’s economy, especially in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq. The current season is usually active with conferences related to the construction industry with emphasis on sustainability and green buildings are being held throughout the region.
The second Green Building Forum was held in October in Riyadh and the Big 5, a major event in Dubai last November, was actively supported by EmiratesGBC with its representatives as moderators and speakers. There were a few other conferences on energy and sustainability held during this quarter in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. BahrainGBC participated in the 15th Gulf Engineering Forum held recently in Bahrain. Siham Omri of the Morocco GBC was recently invited to speak at events in Morocco and Spain on the topic of green cities. The Jordan GBC sent a delegate to participate in COP-17 activities in Durban, South Africa, and the EmiratesGBC nominated Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council for the WorldGBC Government Leadership Awards planned as part of COP-17 events.
Looking ahead to 2012, there will be active participation by GBCs during forthcoming conferences planned to be held early in the year in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. It is expected that WorldGBC MENA Regional Network will hold a network event and in-person meeting during March 2012.
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