Abu Dhabi Builds Its Architectural Cred

The building boom in the capital of the United Arab Emirates rivals that of Dubai. But Abu Dhabi hopes to distinguish itself with ambitious green architecture

by Reena Jana

• View Slide Show

In recent weeks, the rivalry between neighboring United Arab Emirates Dubai and Abu Dhabi has been heating up on a world stage—most notably with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's purchase of a $7.5 billion stake in Citigroup (C) (BusinessWeek.com, 11/27/07), which came on the heels of Dubai's investment in Sony (SNE) in late November.

At the same time, the two cities have been competing on another playing field: the rapid construction of show-stopping, record-breaking buildings. These new structures and complexes—from soaring skyscrapers and indoor ski slopes (in Dubai) (BusinessWeek.com, 3/2/06) to a desert outpost of France's Louvre museum and a glitzy update of the traditional Middle Eastern market (in Abu Dhabi)—are intended to establish each city as a destination for tourists.

Recently, though, a new twist has characterized the architectural rivalry. July, 2006, saw the launch of the Emirates' Green Building Council in Dubai—which involves all of the UAE. The Council is adapting the ratings standards of LEED to the desert climate of the UAE. And on May 31, 2007, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) kicked off a two-phase green-building initiative.

The First Zero-Carbon City

First, a gap analysis report will compare international green-building procedures with current practices in Abu Dhabi. The second phase centers on the establishment of government-backed Green Buildings Guidelines (GBG). According to the EAD (as reported in Arabian Business), the implementation of sustainable building practices is vital as the emirate is expecting a 25% yearly increase in construction over the next three years. But it's clear Abu Dhabi is also vying to be "greener" than Dubai.

Sustainably minded projects include Masdar, which aims to be the first zero-carbon city in the world—not just the Middle East. The product of an initiative sparked by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyana, the walled, car-free, city-within-a-city was designed by London architects Foster + Partners and is being developed by the government-funded organization leading the project.

Also in Abu Dhabi, Tameer Towers is a $100 million mixed-use development from Tameer Holding (based in the emirate of Sharjah), which says it has a portfolio of construction projects in the region with a gross value of $11 billion. This complex is being designed by international architecture firm Gensler and will incorporate details such as shade from landscaped terraces and an eco-friendly plan to use local, rather than imported, materials to create the 72-story building.

The Oil Paradox

Other environmentally friendly projects include the 83-story Sky Tower, from Miami architectural firm Arquitectonica, which plans to use sunlight-controlling glazes to keep the building cool, as well as water-saving fixtures throughout the structure. Both of these buildings are hoping to receive LEED certification—before any other projects in the UAE. Although the ultra-ambitious Masdar project doesn't have a set date for opening, the other two structures are scheduled to be completed within the next four years.

The overall environmentally savvy strategy Abu Dhabi is developing might seem paradoxical, given its 100-billion-barrel oil reserves. At the same time, investing in solar power technologies makes sense in a desert region where sunlight is abundant. Given its oil-rich economy, the emirate's developers are also able to sink billions of dollars into new construction. And even Abu Dhabi's vast petroleum reserves will someday be used up, so the forward-thinking green-business initiatives of the emirate's government seem wise.

The "green" strategy was not always front and center in Abu Dhabi's plans to create new wonders of the world to attract tourists and new forms of business revenue from the tourist industry.