Festival Plaza earns LEED Gold certification for outstanding commitment to sustainable operations
Dubai, UAE: Festival Plaza, the urban lifestyle mall in Dubai South, has obtained the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4.1 Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) Gold certification. The landmark achievement strengthens the mall's reputation as an eco-friendly shopping destination and positions it as a sustainability leader within the retail sector.
Since it first opened its doors in 2019, Festival Plaza has been dedicated to supporting national sustainability goals. The certification highlights the mall's commitment to maximizing energy efficiency, improving air quality, conserving resources, boosting resilience, safeguarding the health of its visitors and tenants, enhancing inclusivity and accessibility, and advancing positive impact on the community.
During the LEED evaluation process, Festival Plaza earned 65 points, positioning it among the top-performing sustainable retail destinations in the region. By adopting green building practices, the mall has achieved a 17.9% reduction in energy intensity, 14.6% savings in water usage, and an 85% waste diversion rate. Additionally, its carbon footprint has been reduced by 1,250 metric tons CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) per year, contributing to significant environmental benefits.
In addition, Festival Plaza has one of the healthiest and most accessible shopping environments in the UAE. The mall boasts high indoor air quality with CO₂ levels at 600 parts per million (ppm) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) at 110 micrograms per square metre. Meanwhile, easy access by public transport, with a Transportation Score of 92/100, significantly reduces emissions from commuting. Occupants were generally 'Very Satisfied' with the destination, while shoppers' appreciation of its steadfast focus on elevating the visitor experience, comfort, and well-being was reflected in the Human Experience Score of 85/100.
'At Festival Plaza, we firmly believe that green initiatives drive both profitability and planet-friendly results. We are immensely proud of the LEED Gold certification that strengthens the mall's brand image by officially testifying to its alignment with global sustainability standards. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our teams that have been instrumental in earning this accolade, which will go a long way in attracting eco-conscious consumers, tenants, and investors while driving long-term loyalty. This success motivates us to pursue a journey of continuous improvement and leverage the latest innovations to minimize our environmental impact,' said Felizardo Orticio, Sr. Operations Manager at Al-Futtaim Real Estate.
LEED, the most widely used green building rating system in the world, provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED-certified buildings are critical to addressing climate change, meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities.
About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate
Al-Futtaim Real Estate is the region's only private master developer with over six decades of real estate and management experiences, with a diversified portfolio across the real estate value chain. Al-Futtaim Real Estate is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio comprising of individual, corporate real estate and investment assets and master-planned destinations across the Middle East and North Africa region. With capabilities across the value chain and entire real estate cycle from location conceptualization, development, design and fit-out, asset management, contracting and operation, Al-Futtaim Real Estate covers a diverse range of industries and asset type including residential, commercial, malls, hospitality, healthcare, infrastructure, and education.
The current flagship mixed-use urban communities under Al-Futtaim Real Estate's Festival City brand are Dubai Festival City, Cairo Festival City and Doha Festival City. Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City are fully integrated communities which have been carefully master planned to offer a superior lifestyle destination with outstanding facilities, comprising residential and commercial accommodation, educational institutions and five-star hotels to fully complement the signature retail, leisure, and entertainment proposition. The Real Estate portfolio covers over 1 million sqm GLA across retail and commercial assets and over 80 million in annual footfall across five malls in the MENA region: Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza in the UAE, Cairo Festival City Mall in Egypt, Doha Festival City in Qatar and Zenata Mall in Casablanca, Morocco.
Testament to its expertise in the retail space, Al-Futtaim Real Estate also provides third party management services in asset management, leasing, marketing and operations for shopping centers in the region, including Arabian Center, part of the Al Naboodah Group.
The Al-Futtaim Real Estate division also manages Al Futtaim's contracting business, a fully integrated, end-to-end engineering, technologies and construction specialist with a solid delivery track record of mega projects in major Middle East markets over the past 50 years. Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies offers customers complete engineering and systems integration solutions.
Visit our website here
About Al-Futtaim Group
Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health; employing more than 33,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands.
Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enable the organisation to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers every day. For more information, visit: www.alfuttaim.com.
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