Implications of Infrastructure Regulation Codes in the Middle East

Every region wants to develop its own infrastructure regulation codes to establish sustainable infrastructures through it. In the past year the infrastructure ARABIA Summit conference held from 22 April for four days, saw the presentation of a White Paper exploring the various opportunities and limitations that have been involved with the infrastructure industry some of which are in existence today.

Violence and its impacts on the stability of the Middle East have been on declining rapidly with sustainability arising in most discussions pertaining to the agendas of government. But the possibility of implementation is a key point here. Several speakers on that forum pointed out that the energy code currently being phased into the industry in Abu Dhabi was the best and reiterated that the nation was on course to meeting the UN’s Green Buildings target for extremely hot climates. 

Water balance has become an issue of importance as well in the region and playing as the key in the sustainable design phase. Overall, carbon emissions pertaining to the sustainability agenda, has the majority of it being water, electricity and energy related. For the region to therefore attain a level of carbon emission targets that have been set by the Copenhagen, it is vital to cut down on the use of the above mentioned elements, especially on energy.  Each country has its own set of targets and they are to be attained by 2020. The UAE is amongst the top emitters of carbon gases in the world emitting about 30 carbon tonnes a year, per individual. There is a need to act upon these issues and with the UAE committed to driving down it’s emission levels and introducing initiatives, these will go a long way  in setting a benchmark for sustainable  building and communities.  Tests were conducted and implementation of proper designs is being ensured by timely inspections of the authorities. These tests are being centralized with a central lab being built.

Understanding these codes in the region allows the nation’s infrastructure industry as a whole to understand the way these apply to this region and help develop designs in infrastructure that can match up sustainable agendas and these good designs can save money by up to twenty percent.