Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer in the region, is setting ambitious sustainability targets for Tilal Al Ghaf, its new flagship Dubai community, with plans to make it the first mixed-use development in the emirate to achieve a ‘very good’ rating under the Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) sustainability accreditation programme.

Spanning 3 million sq m at the intersection of Hessa Street and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, near Dubai Sports City, Tilal Al Ghaf is a phased project that will include more than 6,500 freehold homes when completed by 2027, ranging from apartments, townhouses and bungalows, through to substantial luxury villas.

Homes will be set in a series of walkable neighbourhoods connected by pathways, natural open spaces, and neighbourhood parks. Its 355,000 sq m of landscaped open space will include green spaces and play areas, 18 km of walkable trails and 11 km of cycling paths provided with bicycle sharing facilities for the residents and visitors to use.

The centrepiece for the landscaping will be Lagoon Al Ghaf, a 70,000-sq-m swimmable Crystal Lagoon, complete with 400 m of beachfront and 1.5 km of walkable waterfront, enabling a wide range of water sports activities.

Extensive on-site generation of solar power will be a key pillar of Tilal Al Ghaf’s sustainability strategy as Majid Al Futtaim aims to produce 20 per cent of the community’s energy needs from renewable solar power, transferring surplus electricity to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) through the Shams Dubai initiative which went live in 2017.

To achieve this, the first offering of upper-luxury villas and bungalows, launched in April this year, will offer rooftop photovoltaic solar panels as a standard feature, providing 45 per cent of energy needs, along with solar hot water heating and top-notch air conditioning systems.

In addition, solar panels will be offered as options on other single-family buildings, and installed on public buildings across the community. Public spaces will be lit by solar-powered streetlights and renewable energy will be deployed alongside smart technology to reduce energy consumption.

Other environmental targets include a 55 per cent reduction in the project’s carbon footprint, and 25 per cent reduction in potable water demand.

All water bodies, such as the fully swimmable Crystal Lagoon, will be topped up using ground water. This will relieve pressure on the water table, says Majid Al Futtaim.

The community name itself – Tilal Al Ghaf – represents a link to environment and heritage, inspired by the indigenous Ghaf tree which is a symbol of the UAE, it stated. Extensive plantings of indigenous Ghaf trees will be provided across the community.

During the construction stage, 60 per cent of building waste will be diverted from landfill, and 30 per cent of waste will be recycled during operation, with 80 per cent of organic waste recycled as compost for the community’s parks and gardens.