DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Known for its sleek, record-breaking skyscrapers and luxurious hotels, Dubai has been making a name for itself as a leader in sustainability. Over the past decade, the emirate has focused on building with the environment in mind – which has filtered down to luxury buyers and investors, who are more environmentally conscious than ever before, according to Jackie Johns, managing partner of Christie’s International Real Estate Dubai. Dubai’s current focus on sustainability began when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum assumed power in 2006. Sheikh Mohammed launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, decreeing that 75% of the city’s energy would come from clean sources by 2050, with a goal for the city to have the smallest environmental footprint in the world. In the late 2000s, a confluence of events is credited with kickstarting the Global Clean Energy Strategy. The global financial crisis brought tourism and construction to a halt in Dubai, forcing the government and developers to pause. At the same time, Dubai was looking for ways to lessen its dependence on imported natural gas, solar power was emerging as a cost- competitive option, and green ideas were beginning to gain acceptance in the UAE.
Just over a decade later, the city has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency and promote the use of renewable energy sources.
This focus on the environment is now commonplace among high-end developers. Johns says buyers in Dubai “expect sustainable features, and builders deliver,” offering residences with nature-inspired amenities, environmental certifications and innovative building materials like bamboo and recycled steel. One notable example of the trend is Eywa Dubai, a new-construction condominium tower that bills itself as one of the most self-sustaining developments in the world, and a “model for future eco-conscious residences.” Designed as a “living, breathing ecosystem,” Eywa offers a unique biophilic design and is one of the few buildings in the world to attain both LEED Platinum and WELL Platinum certifications.
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