A world-class panel of speakers will address the 5th SGBF Conference, organised under the patronage of HRH Prince Dr Mansour bin Metib bin Abdulaziz, which is to be held in Riyadh’s Al Faisaliah Hotel on 16-19 November 2014.
Prince Mansour will attend and speak at the SGBF Conference’s VIP opening ceremony at the Al Faisaliah on the evening of 16 November and present the annual SGBF Conference Leadership & Recognition Awards in the presence of a specially-invited delegates include HRH Prince Fahda bint Saud bin Abdulaziz, founding member of the King Saud Foundation.
Other keynote speakers, HRH Prince Sattam bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, founding member of the King Saud Foundation, and US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph Westphal.
Deputy Minister of Electricity and Chairman of the Saudi Electricity Company Dr Saleh al-Awaji will deliver an opening address to the SGBF Conference about the role of green building and sustainable development in Saudi Arabia’s capital projects programme. Special presentations about the role of rating methodologies will be delivered by Doug Lockard, commercial director at Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and UL Environment general manager Henning Bloech. UL is a global independent safety science company specialising in promoting safe living and working environments. At the Conference, UL will unveil Saudi Arabia Accredited Fronds (SAAF), a new sustainable building material products rating system adapted to Saudi Arabian conditions and much more.
The SGBF Conference will also hear from the British Research Establishment (BRE), creator of the BREEAM rating methodology. Haitan Askar, head of key accounts at BRE for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region will address the Conference.
This year’s Conference will include the inauguration of the Saudi Green Building Forum Trust Foundation general assembly meeting and the official signing of a Memorandum of Understandings with UL as the official SGBF Conference Resources partner and with BRE as the official SGBF Projects partner.
A workshop about LEED by US Green Building Council: The Green Building basics and LEED will be held on 16 November. A further workshop about LEED 201: core concepts and strategies for LEED Version 4 will be held on 19 November.
Topics to be tackled by the SGBF Conferenced include:
- The development of green labelling in the GCC
- The SuBETool system for designing a country specific, bespoke framework that allows countries to design their own sustainability priority levels and rating systems
- New techniques for developing sustainable cities
- Balancing energy efficiency and interior air quality
- The work of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre
- The role of the Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (SASO) in supporting sustainability
- The achievements of the Environmental Centre for Arab Towns
- The effect of green architecture concepts on urban design
- A Kuwaiti perspective on LEED NC2009.
“When the world’s largest oil exporter turns towards sustainability, there’s a clear message for the rest of the world that change is coming,” says King Abdullah initiative Secretary General Faisal Alfadl. “A green building leader, Saudi Arabia is also the location of the Middle East’s largest construction market. Green building design and energy-efficient products and technology are being driven by multibillion dollar spending by both the private and public sector. This offers exceptional opportunities for all those involved with green buildings and sustainable infrastructure and technology.”
“MEED’s once again extending its championship of the King Abdullah initiative for Green Building by organising the SGBF Conference,” says MEED Events chairman Edmund O’Sullivan. “Enormous and historic progress has been made in the kingdom in the past 12 months. The SGBF presence will once again review what’s been achieved and what’s to come.”
The 5th SGBF Conference is sponsored by the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), Tawuniya and Carrier.