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Dubai to get first green mosque

Building on the idea of a sustainable future, Dubai will see the development of the first green mosque in the Middle East as Tayeb Al Rais, secretary-general of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), laid the foundation stone for it on Tuesday.

Located on a 105,000 square feet plot, the mosque will take shape over an area of 45,000 sq ft and accommodate 3,500 worshippers. Nearly 60,000 sq ft of the plot has been allocated for landscape at the environmental friendly mosque that is scheduled for completion in March 2014. Hamad Abdulkarim Al Arif, Managing Director of Al Arif Contracting, contractors for the mosque’s construction, attended the stone laying ceremony.

Tayeb Al Rais said: “The new eco-friendly mosque comes as part of our efforts to contribute to this vision. Setting new standards for sustainable mosques in the UAE and the wider region, the mosque will conform to green standards for reducing energy, water and materials consumption. We thank the Dubai Municipality for offering support in getting the project off the ground.”

The mosque is in line with Dubai’s recent legislation that mandates all new buildings to integrate green building standards for enhancing the overall well-being and safety of the occupants. The law prioritises improved planning, design, construction and operation of buildings for the creation of a conducive city.

Al Rais added: “As part of our efforts to contribute to Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, we aim to convert a large number of mosques in Dubai into eco-friendly facilities that use green building materials, thermal insulation systems for lowering energy consumption, and air conditioners that emit reduced greenhouse gases.”

news@khaleejtimes.com