A debate regarding ‘green’ building standards took centre stage at the 2008 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in May, according to AHIC co-organiser, Jonathan Worsley.

This follows the initiative of Dubai’s ruler, HH Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who has been calling for governance in environmentally-aware building values for some time now.

“Sector leaders and professionals will spotlight the implications of this directive by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad, which is aimed at ensuring best practice project development in the emirate and then across the Middle East,” he said.

The initiative aims to position Dubai as the first city in the Middle East to adopt a green building strategy and eventually, developing a performance rating system that reflects the specific climate, culture, constructive environment and market in the region.

Energy consumption accounts for nearly 6 per cent of the running costs of a hotel and recent research has revealed that five-star city hotels in Dubai consume around 225 per cent more energy than their counterparts in Europe.

“The Green Development session at AHIC 2008, will look into how the hospitality sector is adapting to this new regulatory environment and the measures hotel groups are already taking to become leaner and greener in the eco-conscious 21st century,” Worsley explained.

According to advisory board member, Marc Dardenne, CEO, Emaar Hospitality, the hotel industry is well aware of its responsibility for sustainable development.

“Attention to environment conservation should begin at the development stage of a project. One advantage of the Gulf region that I have noticed is that integration of environmental best practices do start early on, and today it is yielding positive results.”