As the world gathers in Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced that three of its shopping malls in the region have been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. This is the highest level of certification in the LEED green building rating system- the world’s most widely used green building rating system.
The LEED Platinum Certification for City Centre Bahrain (total score of 84 points), City Centre Deira (83 points), and City Centre Muscat (82 points) have been awarded for Operations and Maintenance for Existing Buildings (LEED O+M: Existing Buildings) category and bring the total number of LEED-certified Majid Al Futtaim malls in the region to 20. In addition, My City Centre Masdar has already achieved Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Three Pearl rating.
The latest LEED Platinum Certifications follow Mall of the Emirates being honored with the same award earlier this year, making it the world’s largest operational mall to receive the certification.Among the latest award winners, City Centre Deira’s status of achieving LEED Platinum certification is particularly noteworthy given its position as Majid Al Futtaim’s first shopping mall, and stands as a testament to the Group’s commitment to sustainability and efficient building management.
Several sustainable practices implemented by Majid Al Futtaim contributed to achieving LEED Platinum status for the malls. These include a clear focus on water efficiency such as the installation of high-efficiency toilet fixtures across all malls, effectively reducing water consumption, and convenient access to public transportation, leading to elevated points in the location and transportation credit.
Other industry practices implemented include effective waste management strategies such as waste reduction and segregation positively impacting the waste performance credit, efficient lighting systems, and the ongoing HVAC optimization to earn higher points in the Energy and Atmosphere category. Through the ongoing sustainability enhancements in Majid Al Futtaim’s malls, it also contributes to the long-term viability but also enriches the well-being and overall satisfaction of our customers.
Commenting on the LEED Platinum Certifications, Khalifa Bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim – Asset Management, said: “As the UAE welcomes the world for COP28, at Majid Al Futtaim, we believe it is our duty to help protect our environment for the future. As the first company in the MENA region to adopt a group level net positive strategy and one of the first companies in the world to sign up to the World Green Building Council Net Zero Building Commitment, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. These highest-level LEED certifications reaffirm our commitment to providing a responsible and sustainable shopping experience for all our mall customers. We are confident that our efforts will guide our community, customers and business partners to eco-friendly solutions and pathways that are good for both people and the planet.”
Green Building Awards
The celebration of sustainability at Majid Al Futtaim malls during COP28 UAE builds on the group’s recent climate-friendly achievements and recognitions in global ESG best practices – including Mall of the Emirates winning the 2023 MENA Green Building Awards for the successful implementation of a Green Operations and Maintenance plan that has led to reducing waste generation and improving energy efficiency.
Feed the Future
The initiatives also draw attention to a unique food rescue programme run by Mall of the Emirates – ‘Feed the Future’ – that focuses on recovering leftover and edible food from restaurants, cafés, the Food Court, and workforce catering in the mall and repurposing it to the community. In the first two months of the pilot phase, the initiative has recovered over 2,000 meals equating to 15kg of food daily and diverted 2,050kg of CO2 from the environment.
Stemming from the success of the pilot at Mall of the Emirates, Majid Al Futtaim has decided to extend the program to three new shopping malls, anticipating a threefold increase in the number of F&B participants and a substantial scaling-up of impact.
SHORE Excellent Safety
Majid Al Futtaim has also announced its recent landmark achievement of winning four prestigious SHORE Excellent Safety certificates. The awards include the esteemed Platinum-level SHORE Excellent Safety certificate for Mall of the Emirates, and Gold-level SHORE Excellent Safety recognition for three other Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls in the UAE – City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Al Zahia.
Sustainable Hoardings
As a part of initiatives to help the industry, Mall of the Emirates will also roll out sustainable hoardings that can be fully recycled. Moving towards a greener future, the hoardings will replace gypsum with sustainable and reusable materials that are environmentally friendly and reusable.