The Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) recently participated as the Official Sustainability Partner at the 4th RetrofitTech & Sustainable Buildings Qatar Summit. Held under the theme “Greening Qatar’s buildings today, for a sustainable tomorrow,” the summit emphasized the vital role of retrofitting existing infrastructure to advance the country’s sustainability agenda.

In Qatar, where the national goal is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by 2030, retrofitting has become a critical pathway. The summit served as a platform for experts, innovators, and policymakers to share strategies and solutions that can make existing buildings and systems more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible.

Leading GORD’s delegation, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman, delivered a keynote address highlighting the importance of retrofitting. “Retrofitting is the ultimate form of upcycling. It allows us to preserve the embodied carbon of existing structures while upgrading them to meet modern standards of energy efficiency, health, and resilience,” he said, while sharing GORD’s innovative solutions that support sustainable retrofitting. These include GSAS Operations for assessing existing building performance, the International Green Mark’s ecolabeling scheme, MRV Certification for measurement, reporting, and verification, Energy and Water Labels to track resource efficiency, Synergia9n1 for sustainably cooling indoor and outdoor spaces, and Comlada, an advanced Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) offering hybrid indoor air quality testing capabilities.

Also addressing the summit, Engineer Saleem M. Al Yafei, Executive Director of City Operations at Qatar Foundation, acknowledged GORD’s contribution through its pioneering Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS). “Many of our projects are certified under GSAS, a leading green building certification system. These certifications span various stages, from design to operations, ensuring that our buildings meet the highest standards of sustainability,” he said.

Alongside the conference, GORD showcased its suite of low-cardon solutions at the exhibition held in conjunction with the event, providing industry stakeholders with the opportunity to explore innovative tools and frameworks that support greener, healthier, and more resilient buildings in Qatar and beyond.