TheBusinessWeekly n 1 June 2008 n 25
real estate
Green building concept German Business Park
fast catching up breaks ground
Energy savings a
key driving factor
TBW Bureau
Property developers in the UAE
and throughout the Middle East
now have a greater understand-
ing of green building and energy
management principles, and are
seeking expert advice on how to
save energy over a building’s life-
cycle, says a Dubai-based energy
management company.
Energy Management Serv-
ices (EMS) has witnessed a huge
shift in the mindset in the last
two years, as property develop-
ers learn more about the benefits
of energy management, including
the huge cost savings.
“There has been a big move
towards green buildings in the
UAE and throughout the region,”
said Khaled Bushnaq, CEO of
EMS, ahead of FM Expo and the
Property and FM conference in
Dubai. “Two years ago, we had to
convince property developers to
go green and think about efficient
Berjal, Al Rashed launch Dh15b Berjal City
Biggest Saudi-
Emarati tie-up
in Ajman
By Jim Paolo Joquico
Berjal Real Estate, a Saudi-based
real estate company, and Ajman-
based Al Rashid Real Estate, have
launched a collaborative develop-
ment, Berjal City, set to be one of
the largest real estate projects in
the emirate of Ajman.
The Dh15 billion Berjal is also
the biggest Saudi-Emarati invest-
ment project in the emirate.
Berjal City will be located on
the main Emirates Road, beside
the Emirates City. Berjal Real
Estate, one of the most important
real estate companies in Saudi
Arabia, is developing and paving
the infrastructure of the project.
Meanwhile, Al Rashed Real Es-
tate will take charge of marketing
energy. The majority didn’t know
what ‘green’ meant and assumed
there was an extra cost attached.”
“Now developers want to go
green and some are achieving
LEED (Leadership of Energy and
Environmental Design) certifica-
tion, an internationally recognised
green building rating system.
Many large developers are creat-
ing their own green design guide-
lines to be followed by smaller de-
velopers building on their plot of
land,” said Bushnaq.
As an expert in the energy
management field, Bushnaq will
outline challenges related to the
preservation of essential resourc-
es and how to create customised
water, energy and environmental
programmes that can deliver ma-
jor savings at the new Property
and FM conference, which runs
alongside the well established
FM Expo.
“Property developers can save
millions if energy-efficient tech-
nology is incorporated in the de-
sign stage before the property is
built,” Bushnaq said.
Berjal City
the development within the UAE
and in other countries as well.
Yaser Al Nemr, general man-
ager of Berjal Real Estate, said
the company is planning to invest
in more real estate projects in the
UAE, but could not give any esti-
mates as to the amount.
EUR200m business
hub cements UAE’s
foreign ties
TBW Bureau
German Business Park, a large
mixed-use development in Dubai
Silicon Oasis that will serve as a
hub for German business in the
UAE and wider GCC region, has
broken ground with UAE Foreign
Trade Minister Sheikha Lubna
Bint Khaled Al Qasimi and the
German Consul-General to Du-
bai Johann-Adolf Cohausz in at-
tendance.
Addressing leading represent-
atives of the German and UAE
business communities at the of-
ficial groundbreaking ceremony,
Sheikha Lubna said, “Our eco-
nomic ties with Germany have
never been stronger than today. I
believe that the groundbreaking of
German Business Park represents
another important milestone in
our ever-evolving partnership. As
the UAE minister of foreign trade,
I am particularly pleased that the
“There is no fixed price. That
depends on the market forces
and the situation. However, we
will be sure to welcome any offers
for investment plans. Should an
offer be received, we will think
about it, and we will decide ac-
cording to the situation,” Al Nemr
Sheikha Lubna with dignataries
initiators have chosen Dubai as
the location for the German Busi-
ness Park. The decision reflects
the great amount of trust the UAE
enjoys among its key international
business partners.”
Mohammed Al Zarouni, vice-
chairman and CEO of Dubai Sili-
con Oasis Authority, said, “With
this move, we aim to further ce-
ment our relationship with our
German partners.”
told The Business Weekly.
In addition, Al Nemr hinted
at negotiations for future projects
in other emirates such as Dubai
which are currently being under-
taken by the company.
“Other projects in Dubai are
to be discussed, but we are going
step by step. We are concentrat-
ing on Berjal City at the moment,”
he said.
“Berjal is a very well-known
and highly experienced real estate
company in Saudi Arabia. It’s
one of the oldest in the Kingdom,
with over 40 years of experience
in the real estate market. In fact,
the company developed most of
the villages in Saudi Arabia,” Al
Nemr added.
Berjal’s total investment
portfolio over the years in Saudi
Arabia is difficult to estimate
considering that it has covered a
huge number of projects in the
Kingdom.