DUBAI Pearl, a 20-million-sq-ft integrated sustainable destination overlooking the Palm Jumeirah, has achieved the prestigious Leed Gold pre-certification from the US Green Building Council.

The pre-certification brings Dubai Pearl a step closer to setting a new precedent for sustainable urban communities in Dubai. Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the internationally recognised benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings across the real estate industry. Its five key principles of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality, provide a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction practices.
Complying with the guidelines of the Leed Green Building Rating System, Dubai Pearl will utilise environment-friendly technologies to conserve energy, recycle water and re-use assets. A ‘green’ environment will thus be created through the Leed-compliant system, which will reduce electricity, gas and water consumption and help in the optimisation of air-conditioning, light control and car-park ventilation.
Large-scale solar-boosted hot water generation plant, a high-efficiency building façade, an optimised ventilation system for one of the largest underground car-parks in the world, extensive grey water collection and re-use, green roofs and heat recovery systems will be integrated into the development.
The Dubai Pearl development, set for completion in 2013, maintains a waste management plan to ensure that recycling of material is maximised and that encourages to minimise or avoid waste.
While over 50 per cent of the site area will be public open space, almost 45 per cent of it will be landscaped.