Dubai Chamber has proven that existing buildings in the Middle East can be brought up to international green building standards without significant additional investments through good operational practices and maintenance. Between 1998 and 2008, Dubai Chamber employees used their regular operations and maintenance budget to implement a number of initiatives which reduced water and energy consumption by 77% and 47% respectively and led to utility savings of around US $1.93 million. In order to highlight what it had achieved, Dubai Chamber applied for the coveted LEED certification for Existing Buildings in 2009 and became the 1st in the Arab world and the 4th outside of North America to earn this standard. Now, Dubai Chamber is applying the LEED green building framework to the renovation of its interiors and expects further water and energy savings in the future too.

For additional details, please refer to the case study document or view Dubai Chambers green building video.