"Green Buildings project" approved

Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved "Green Buildings Project" in the UAE. 
This comes in accordance with the strategic directions of the Federal Government aimed at achieving environmental sustainability, and by this approval the UAE has become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to apply these standards adopted globally on government installations. 
The guide contains general rules on the application of green building standards on new government projects implemented by the Ministry of Public Works, which would increase the environmental safety and establish clear and certified standards for green buildings in the country. 
The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, in coordination with local governments through the Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA), will review and use the guide when implementing projects at the local level. 
The project contributes to energy consumption in all its forms, improving the quality of the internal environment of buildings, water conservation, promoting public health, reduce harmful emissions from sources of cooling water, especially carbon dioxide, as well as contributing to maintain the country's environment in the long term so that new buildings can be able to withstand current environmental challenges and contribute to providing a sustainable urban environment-friendly environment. 
The guide includes a list of the most important elements of green buildings to be taken into account in the implementation of new government projects by the Ministry of Public Works, such as, competencies of building facades, cooling systems, energy, water usage, indoor environmental quality and surfaces, thermal surfaces and their designs. 
It should be mentioned that the new projects of the Ministry of Public Works during the Plan 2011 -2013 include establishment and construction of many schools, hospitals, health centres, courts, new buildings and projects for the ministries of interior, education, health, environment, water, Justice, Youth, Culture and Community Development and Presidential Affairs. – Emirates News Agency, WAM