Quite honestly speaking, I’m amazed, even if it is in a small way. I honestly thought that Dubai was already as eco-friendly as it can get. It looked stylish, clean & to be fair, how much more could anyone do with a desert? But then the rulers of UAE are not he ones to be content with what they have & quite often have stunned us with what they come up with. Remember the Burj Al Arab tower? For those who have a more pictorial memory, it’s the big, grand sail shaped hotel that is built in water on sand. Then they go on to build 3 artificial islands in sea.
All this quite simply shows that construction is a hot business in that part of the world. When something happens to be such a big industry, then it is bound to get very commercial. So to stop on any future efforts where the standard of buildings constructed could let the world down, the ruler of the land, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, passed a law that from now on all future constructions will comply with the state-mandated standards of environment & energy efficiency.
This can be nothing but sweet music to all those who care for the planet. It also shows how Dubai would make every possible change in its own infrastructure to facilitate the interest of those who wish to visit the land. Quite simply put, they want to set the standards for the world to follow & also want to keep their international tourists happy. In short, both pride & economy are driving environmental awareness here.
Irrespective of the motto, it is important to note that this would mean that huge amounts of energy being saved. Just from looking at Dubai in the night, one can estimate the amount of energy consumed by this vibrant place. According to the U.S. Green Buildings Council, an energy efficient building must save 70 percent on electricity, 60 percent on water and 36 percent of energy. If same standards are applied in Dubai, it could mean that we are looking at enormous cuts on energy requirements in the city.
The rulers of Dubai are not known to go back on there word (Unlike the British government under Gordon, but that is a different story). So the world can for now be pleased about the development.
