Sustainability in the Middle East: achievements and challenges

Abstract

The built environment industry, being among those which generate the most pollution, offers significant opportunities to alleviate environmental pollution and promote the sustainable use of resources. The Middle East region, hindered by natural constraints and underlying political and social issues, has tried over the years to shift towards more sustainable practices in design and construction. This review article sheds light on the achievements and challenges of sustainable development in the Middle East.With the development of green building codes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Lebanon, the Middle East region has strived to become more environmentally friendly, with record-breaking developments. The region currently has four well-established green building codes: the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council's Estidama; Dubai Municipality's Green Building Regulations; the Lebanese Green Building Council's ARZ; and GORD's GSAS: Global Sustainability Assessment System, in Qatar. Green building codes...