The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) was among the leading organizations highlighted at the Gulf Green Cities & Buildings Conference & Expo that took place in Kuwait from 25 to 26 January. Organized under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz Waled Abdullah Al-Mujel, Kuwait’s Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, the two-day event gathered advocates, practitioners and researchers to share the latest solutions and advancement needed to catalyze the region’s transition towards sustainable built environment. As one of the main participants at the event, GORD offered technical presentations and workshop on GSAS green building rating system as well as exhibited its sustainable solutions that piqued the interest of visitors coming from across the Gulf region.

It also showcased its sustainability solutions represented in demonstrating the patent of ultra-efficient cooling system called “Synergia7n1", which attracted the attention of conference visitors from all GCC countries.

After Qatar, Kuwait houses the largest collection of green buildings certified under GORD’s Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS). As the developer and certifier of GSAS, GORD’s prominent participation in Kuwait’s recent event was necessitated by the regional market’s rising interest in implementing GSAS on new and existing projects through dedicated certifications for design, construction and building operations.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GORD, acknowledged the nation’s progress, saying, “The State of Kuwait has made concerted efforts towards green transformation, making environmental sustainability an integral part of its national strategy. Within the framework of the Kuwait National Development Plan (2020 – 2025) towards United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and Kuwait Vision 2035, green cities with sustainable built environment are of prime importance. As Kuwait continues its sustainability journey, we at GORD are honored to support the nation with wider implementation of GSAS green building framework, which has already been applied on a number of projects from leading government and private companies in Kuwait. These entities include Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC), Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), Kuwait Municipality, Ministry of Public Works, Kuwait Finance House, Al-Sayer Group and Kuwait University and other organizations.” Speaking about the organization’s research work, Dr. Alhorr added, “GORD’s R&D activities contribute to sustainable development by focusing on themes related to energy efficiency and recycling, materials innovation, and high-performance air-conditioning technologies, resulting in the registration of more than 10 patents and collaborations between GORD and Kuwaiti institutions.”

Alongside exhibition opportunities for novel green solutions, the Gulf Green Cities & Buildings Conference & Expo offered expert presentations on areas related to buildings’ energy efficiency, energy management, renewable energy, green buildings, sustainable transport in green cities, water management, waste and land management in green cities, information technology to support green cities,  government legislation for ecofriendly building construction, net-zero energy or carbon-neutral structures, economic advantages of green buildings, green building materials, incorporation of green-building principles into projects designs, and sustainability in operations and maintenance.

A key highlight of the event remained GSAS Green Advocate Masterclass delivered by GORD’s sustainability experts. Addressing the climate challenges within the built environment, GSAS Green Advocate Masterclass is an intensive one-day course that provides a solid foundation for individuals looking to accelerate their career in the sustainability milieu has been attended by 40 practitioners. By attending the complimentary course offered during Gulf Green Cities & Buildings Conference & Expo, attendees of the workshop received essential knowledge in the field of green buildings and sustainability as guided by the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS).

GSAS is Middle East’s first performance-based green building certification system aimed at improving the design, construction and operations of buildings while also identifying sustainability challenges specific to MENA’s built environment. Covering a total built-up area exceeding 2.4 billion square feet, GSAS has been implemented on more than 1,500 projects including districts, neighborhoods, infrastructure projects and wide range of building typologies.

GORD’s knowledge exchange activities at Kuwait’s Gulf Green Cities & Buildings Conference & Expo are expected to encourage project owners to embrace sustainable building practices all the while reinforcing GSAS’ position as the fastest growing green building rating system in the GCC region.