IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i19p14652-d1256335.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On The Path towards Sustainable Construction—The Case of the United Arab Emirates: A Review

Author

Listed:
  • Shadeedha Mohamed Saradara

    (Department of Management Science & Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates)

  • Malik Mansoor Ali Khalfan

    (Department of Management Science & Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates)

  • Abdul Rauf

    (Department of Architectural Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates)

  • Rubina Qureshi

    (Department of Humanities & Social Science, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 59911, United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

The construction sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expanding substantially due to many variables, including strong economic growth, a swiftly growing population, and continuous modernization endeavors. As a result, the development of the construction industry is leading to adverse impacts on energy consumption and environmental conditions. The UAE government and policymakers have implemented significant initiatives to advance sustainable infrastructure, promote clean energy utilization, effectively manage construction and demolition waste (CDW), and foster green building development. These measures follow the nation’s dedication to the Paris Agreement, which aims to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The article comprehensively examines the policies and practices implemented in this industrialized nation concerning sustainable construction. Moreover, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the UAE in comparison to other countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) concerning their accomplishments in sustainability. Additionally, the study seeks to integrate insights from the global community regarding sustainability policies, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the effective management of CDW, and the implementation of green regulations that govern environmentally conscious construction practices. A comprehensive analysis of information sources from official websites, particularly those of the ministry and key government agencies, is conducted to better understand the current sustainability policies and treatment methods related to the management of CDW and green building regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Shadeedha Mohamed Saradara & Malik Mansoor Ali Khalfan & Abdul Rauf & Rubina Qureshi, 2023. "On The Path towards Sustainable Construction—The Case of the United Arab Emirates: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-26, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:19:p:14652-:d:1256335
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/19/14652/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/19/14652/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohammad Al-Saidi & Esmat Zaidan & Suzanne Hammad, 2019. "Participation modes and diplomacy of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries towards the global sustainability agenda," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(5), pages 545-558, July.
    2. Mohammad Sulieman Jaradat & Khaled Abdalla Moh d AL-Tamimi, 2022. "Economic Impacts of Renewable Energy on the Economy of UAE," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 156-162.
    3. Brian Atkin & Martin Skitmore, 2008. "Editorial: stakeholder management in construction," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 549-552.
    4. Md. Monirul Islam Chowdhury & Syed Masiur Rahman & Ismaila Rimi Abubakar & Yusuf A. Aina & Md. Arif Hasan & A. N. Khondaker, 2021. "A review of policies and initiatives for climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability in Bangladesh," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 1133-1161, February.
    5. Asif, M., 2016. "Growth and sustainability trends in the buildings sector in the GCC region with particular reference to the KSA and UAE," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1267-1273.
    6. Yinqi Zhang & He Wang & Weijun Gao & Fan Wang & Nan Zhou & Daniel M. Kammen & Xiaoyu Ying, 2019. "A Survey of the Status and Challenges of Green Building Development in Various Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-29, September.
    7. Malin zu Castell-Rüdenhausen & Margareta Wahlström & Thilde Fruergaard Astrup & Carl Jensen & Anke Oberender & Pernilla Johansson & Eirik Rudi Waerner, 2021. "Policies as Drivers for Circular Economy in the Construction Sector in the Nordics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Charikleia Karakosta & Jason Papathanasiou, 2025. "Decarbonizing the Construction Sector: Strategies and Pathways for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Yasmin El-Hakim & Mohamed Nagib AbouZeid, 2024. "Towards Mitigating Climate Change Negative Impact: The Role of Regulations and Governance in the Construction Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-34, August.
    3. Sabika Nasrim Pilathottathil & Abdul Rauf, 2024. "Barriers to the Use of Cross-Laminated Timber for Mid-Rise Residential Buildings in the UAE," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-26, August.
    4. Leticia S. Ribeiro & Ana Lúcia Nazareth da Silva & Mayara Amario & Carina M. Stolz & Assed N. Haddad & Dieter Thomas Boer, 2024. "Reuse of Steel Residue in Polypropylene Matrices for the Production of Plastic Wood, Aiming at Decarbonization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Yousif Jaleel & Mohd Saidin Misnan & Mohamad Zahierruden Ismail, 2024. "Institutional Role in Adopting Sustainable Construction in Iraq," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(6), pages 403-415, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amal Shamseldin & Ashraf Balabel & Mamdooh Alwetaishi & Ahmed Abdelhafiz & Usama Issa & Ibrahim Sharaky & Mohamed Al-Surf & Mosleh Al-Harthi, 2020. "Adjustment of the Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment Field for Taif City-Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Yu Cao & Cong Xu & Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman & Nur Mardhiyah Aziz, 2022. "A Systematic Review of Green Building Development in China: Advantages, Challenges and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-29, September.
    3. Linyan Chen & Xin Gao & Shitao Gong & Zhou Li, 2020. "Regionalization of Green Building Development in China: A Comprehensive Evaluation Model Based on the Catastrophe Progression Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Ramesh Shrestha & Rajan Kadel & Shreeya Shakya & Nishna Nyachhyon & Bhupesh Kumar Mishra, 2025. "Awareness and Understanding of Climate Change for Environmental Sustainability Using a Mix-Method Approach: A Study in the Kathmandu Valley," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-25, March.
    5. Mohammad S. M. Almulhim & Dexter V. L. Hunt & Chris D. F. Rogers, 2020. "A Resilience and Environmentally Sustainable Assessment Framework (RESAF) for Domestic Building Materials in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-24, April.
    6. Shi Yin & Yudan Zhao, 2024. "An agent-based evolutionary system model of the transformation from building material industry (BMI) to green intelligent BMI under supply chain management," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Elfarra, Barakat & Yasmeen, Rizwana & Shah, Wasi Ul Hassan, 2024. "The impact of energy security, energy mix, technological advancement, trade openness, and political stability on energy efficiency: Evidence from Arab countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    8. Griffiths, Steven, 2017. "A review and assessment of energy policy in the Middle East and North Africa region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 249-269.
    9. Ruveyda Komurlu & Dilara Kalkan Ceceloglu & David Arditi, 2024. "Exploring the Barriers to Managing Green Building Construction Projects and Proposed Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-25, June.
    10. Fan Yang & Qian Mao, 2023. "Auto-Evaluation Model for the Prediction of Building Energy Consumption That Combines Modified Kalman Filtering and Long Short-Term Memory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Niranjan Rao Deevela & Tara C. Kandpal & Bhim Singh, 2024. "A review of renewable energy based power supply options for telecom towers," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 2897-2964, February.
    12. Bianca Gasparetto Rebelatto & Amanda Lange Salvia & Luciana Londero Brandli & Walter Leal Filho, 2024. "Examining Energy Efficiency Practices in Office Buildings through the Lens of LEED, BREEAM, and DGNB Certifications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-24, May.
    13. Wahhaj Ahmed & Ayman Alazazmeh & Muhammad Asif, 2022. "Energy and Water Saving Potential in Commercial Buildings: A Retrofit Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Oluyomi A. Osobajo & David Moore, 2017. "Who is Who? Identifying the Different Sub-groups of Secondary Stakeholders within a Community: A Case Study of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria Communities," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(9), pages 188-209, September.
    15. Ahmed, Wahhaj & Asif, Muhammad, 2021. "A critical review of energy retrofitting trends in residential buildings with particular focus on the GCC countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    16. Shaima A. Alnaqbi & Abdul Hai Alami, 2023. "Sustainability and Renewable Energy in the UAE: A Case Study of Sharjah," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-30, October.
    17. Redouan Assadiki & Gérard Merlin & Hervé Boileau & Catherine Buhé & Fouzi Belmir, 2022. "Status and Prospects of Green Building in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region with a Focus on the Moroccan Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-24, October.
    18. Roope Husgafvel & Daishi Sakaguchi, 2021. "Circular Economy Development in the Construction Sector in Japan," World, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-26, December.
    19. Bilal Manzoor & Idris Othman & Juan Carlos Pomares, 2021. "Digital Technologies in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry—A Bibliometric—Qualitative Literature Review of Research Activities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-26, June.
    20. Katherine Brookfield & Charlotte Dimond & Susannah G. Williams, 2022. "Sustainability Messages in Residential Property Advertising," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:19:p:14652-:d:1256335. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.