A series of conferences and seminars at Cityscape, the largest real estate development and investment event, to be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 16-18 October 2007, will examine environmental and sustainability issues in property development along with energy efficiency and green buildings.

The issue of green buildings is emerging as a major factor in the booming Middle East realty market. The growing importance of eco-friendly development is underlined by a rating system to measure the green credentials of property developments in the UAE being devised by the Emirates Green Building Council.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and the Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said, “Dubai's energy intensity, the amount of energy used per capita, is among the highest in the world, much higher than Singapore or Hong Kong for example. Going forward, Dubai has to use energy more efficiently. There seems to be no doubt in anyone's mind that better energy conservation is a key initiative going forward for Dubai”.

The Emirates Green Building Council system aims to set a range of benchmarks to enable those that care about the environment to make informed choices about the buildings or apartments that they want to purchase or occupy. It will be based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system developed in the United States. LEED recognizes performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. A handful of Dubai buildings have qualified for LEED certification.