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Champions of energy efficiency and green buildings in Saudi Arabia need to do more to educate consumers about the importance of cutting waste and develop green housing and communities that are in line with the kingdom’s social norms, MEED’s Saudi Mega Projects’ sustainability, energy efficiency and clean energy day was told this morning.
“We should educate the public, which is the most important objective,” chairman of the Saudi Green Building Forum education initiative Mohammed Al Surf said. “We need to … introduce new laws that not optional. And we need to apply the social and cultural norms of environmental comfort familiar to Saudi Arabians. This encompasses design housing and communities.”
Al Surf said that green building champions need to recognise most Saudi Arabian families face serious income constraints and will reject green building proposals if they are clearly expensive.
“It is important to tackle the fact that the majority of the Saudi public are low or middle income,” Al Surf said.
Saudi Mega Projects is being held the Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel on 8-10 December 2015. The strategic event partner is SABB; the gold sponsor is Conrac; the silver sponsor is Autodesk and the bronze sponsor is Pace. Viewpoint is lunch sponsor. The conference sponsors are Hill International; Aconex and Atheeb. Exhibitors are Sika, Salfo Engineering & Management Consultants, Arminox, PAL and Effat University.