The BEEAH Headquarters officially opened on Wednesday, March 30, in a formal ceremony led by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, revealing one of the most sustainable and smartest buildings in the world and setting a new benchmark for future workplaces as the “Office of the Future”.During the opening and subsequent tour of the Headquarters, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah was accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, as well as leadership of Sharjah government entities.
The BEEAH Headquarters is designed by the renowned Zaha Hadid, powered by solar, integrated with next-generation technologies and built to realise net-zero emissions. As BEEAH pursues its ambitions to accelerate sustainable impact globally, the iconic Headquarters serves as the organisation’s blueprint to shape tomorrow’s smart, sustainable cities.
Following the formal inauguration of the building, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness the Crown Prince of Sharjah and leaders of government entities toured the BEEAH Headquarters, were briefed on all technological aspects of the building and were introduced to its different spaces, including the courtyards, the immersive visitor’s centre, the state-of-the-art auditorium and smart meeting rooms.
HE Salim bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Board of Directors at BEEAH, said: “It is truly a historic moment with His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah inaugurating the BEEAH Headquarters in the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince of Sharjah and the esteemed leadership of Sharjah government entities. The building is a landmark to the future-forward vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, reaffirming the emirate as sustainability capital of the Middle East, a goal that we are driven to achieve as an organisation.”
Built with sustainability at its core and integrated with future technologies, the BEEAH’s Headquarters is the most AI enabled office in the Middle East. It is equipped to operate at LEED Platinum standards, the highest standards for energy efficiency in the world, and realise net-zero emissions. The building design is among the last works of Dame Zaha Hadid, one of the most influential architects of her time. The distinct curvilinear features of the headquarters mimic the intersection of sand dunes, drawing from the desert landscape of Al Sajaa in Sharjah, where the building is located.
In addition to being a global architectural icon in Sharjah, the Headquarters is a major milestone for BEEAH, signalling its growth from a company founded to proactively tackle environmental issues within the emirate and across the UAE, to an international holding group with businesses in industries that are critical to realising a sustainable future.
Speaking about the new headquarters, Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, said: “The building is a manifestation of our twin-pillared strategy of sustainability and digitalisation. This strategy has led to diversification and growth of the Group’s businesses, not only across industries but also across geographies. The new headquarters will be our base of operations as we continue to pursue ways our businesses can make global impact.”
Earlier this year, prior to the opening of the headquarters, BEEAH had announced its transformation into a holding group with a new visual identity. Under this new structure, BEEAH has continued to grow its businesses in waste management, recycling, energy, environmental consulting, technology, education, as well as green mobility. For all BEEAH Group’s businesses, the headquarters will serve as a centre for management and administration.
Highlighting the building as the office of the future, Khaled Al Huraimel added: “The building is not only sustainable and digitally enabled, but it also achieves an unparalleled environment for employee comfort and productivity. It demonstrates that by adopting future-ready systems, we can achieve environmental targets and improve quality of life at the same time.”
The employee experience of the headquarters includes contactless pathways with secure facial recognition check-in, a virtual concierge, smart meeting rooms and a companion app to automate day-to-day tasks.
Light and temperature in the smart meeting rooms are managed automatically depending on occupancy and time of day. The rooms are also equipped for remote and hybrid work scenarios, with powerful collaboration tools.
In addition to the technological integrations, the structure and finishing of the headquarters is sustainable by design, facilitating minimal energy consumption. The curved façade of the building is inspired by the surrounding sand dunes and is orientated to account for the prevailing Shamal winds. Expanding outwards, the Headquarters creates a sense of harmony with the natural desert environment.The exteriors are made up of glass-reinforced concrete, reflecting the sun’s rays for a natural cooling effect. Inside, slab and glass cooling help naturally regulate the building with ambient temperatures. The building is also powered by a solar farm with energy stored in Tesla battery packs.
The completion of the BEEAH Headquarters was made possible through the design and architecture of Zaha Hadid Architects, sustainability engineering and consulting by Buro Happold and Atelier Ten, property development by Matthews Southwest, construction by Al Futtaim Construction, MEP by Al Futtaim Engineering, and technologies by Microsoft and Johnson Controls. EVOTEQ, a BEEAH Digital venture, facilitated technology integrations into the Headquarters.
For more information, photos and videos on the headquarters, please visit the BEEAH Media Centre or email communication@beeahgroup.com.