Over 55 Certified Green Professionals from different countries attended a refresher course on GSAS v2.0 Updates (GSAS v2.1) hosted by the GORD Academy. These engineers, architects, project managers and top management of various consulting firms from UK, Egypt, Jordan, Dubai and Doha were attending this workshop as part of their continuing professional development and to renew their CGP license that enables them to implement sustainability best practices in their respective fields of work .

Over a high-energy session, GORD provided the workshop participants with the latest updates on GSAS v2.1 including energy calculator, water compliance options, mechanical ventilation compliance routes and the enhanced and simplified registration process for different schemes in the GSASgate.

The participants appreciated the relevance and benefits of GSAS updates for this region in their respective areas of work.

Shakir Ismail who is a Sustainability Specialist at KEO Int. Consultants, commented:

I really like the new language and approach used in GSAS v2.1 and feel that I needed these additions given in the updates as I find them to be very relevant. And of course, the support from GORD is great. I would say considering the edge that GSAS has for addressing the local issues, it is perfect for us.

While Dimitra Kyrkou, the Senior Environmental Designer at Foster & Partners London stressed on the advantage of GSAS for its relevance to the region's particular requirements by saying:

I feel these updates are very useful as they will make it much easier for us to apply GSAS and in using the calculators etc. It's elevating to know that there's constant effort to improve upon the system and not that it is full and final. I find GORD to be a great resource and connection for companies like us , based in the UK and working for this market. It gives us great insight and support in how to approach the clients here.

GSAS (Global Sustainability Assessment System) is the first performance-based system in the MENA region, developed for rating the green buildings and infrastructures for their design, construction and/or operation. The primary objective of GSAS is to create sustainable built environment, considering the specific needs and context of the region. GORD Academy offers various customized training and membership opportunities along with continuing professional development opportunities such as this workshop to construction industry professionals and corporates that aim to deliver sustainable, high performance structures to benefit the society and environment.