COVID-19 brings sustainable transformation to UAE’s real estate segment

Leading business leaders who spoke on the COVID-19 impact at a recent Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry webinar implied that the pandemic is influencing more firms in the UAE to embrace sustainable building solutions as they reopen and return to 100% capacity.

The webinar, Ensuring Sustainable Health and Safety of Building Occupants during COVID-19, was organized by the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network’s Task Force on Green Buildings and accompanied by prominent business leaders who bestowed their experiences and best practices in achieving health and safety standards at the workplace.

During the event, partakers discovered the significance of ensuring the sustainable health and wellbeing of employees and building occupants, especially during the current stage when workers are steadily returning to the office.

Marcos Bish, Managing Director at Summertown Interiors, stated that the health and safety anxieties introduced by COVID-19 have expedited adjustments made to the company’s offices, which include investments in new technologies improving air and water quality, preventative measures and social distancing. He emphasized on the importance of adopting a holistic plan before reopening offices and clearly delivering new policies and guidelines to staff.

George Abraham, Deputy Director Engineering at Zulekha Hospital shed light on the importance of Sustainable Healing Environment to sustain advanced building safety. He emphasized the necessity to ensure the health and wellbeing of building occupants by adopting the healing environment approach and improving facilities, especially in hospitals.

Mr. Abraham suggested that Zulekha Hospital has achieved accreditation, LEED, ISO and other certifications, as well as being in the process of obtaining WELL platinum certification. These certifications support the adoption and implementation of the Sustainable Healing Environment.

For his part, Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber, answered: “It is crucial that companies understand their responsibility of making the wellbeing of employees a top priority as they begin to reopen offices, navigate new challenges and adapt to the new normal in the Covid-19 era.”

Rettab remarked that the webinar provided an excellent platform to share case studies and shed light on how businesses are making the required adjustments to keep employees safe while decreasing their environmental impact. He continued that the webinar was the latest in a series of virtual events organized by Dubai Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business, which advised the business community on a wide range of important business matters as they deal with the impact of Covid-19.

The Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network is an indispensable platform for the business community to interact on information and experiences relating to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

The Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) was established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2004 to support and promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. The Centre’s objective is to engage the Dubai business community in assuming greater responsibility for the emirate’s social and environmental needs. The CRB also promotes Dubai as the GCC’s gateway for global commerce by offering its business partners an environment of transparency and rule of law.