Increasing government regulations and ‘Green Construction’ awareness in Qatar

Progressive government regulations, increasing awareness about sustainability and the general inclination of developers in the Qatar towards reducing operational costs through better building design have translated into exponential growth of business for AESG. The GCC based company that specializes in the provision of energy and sustainability consultancy in the Middle East more than doubled its turnover between Q2 2011 and Q2 2012.

In response to a voluminous increase in projects in 2011, AESG ramped up its staff in early 2012 with the addition of specialised consultants in the fields of energy auditing, commissioning, energy modeling and sustainability consulting. The company has built a reputation for delivering exceptional quality and now intends to further enhance its technical capabilities though the recruitment of two new consultants within the next two months.

Highlighting the factors that have contributed to the success of the organization, Mr. Scott Coombes, Principal at AESG, said, “Contrary to what is published in the global media, new real estate development in the Middle East is still very high and a lot more focus is now being given to the quality and sustainability of building designs. Qatar building codes now all incorporate sustainability requirements and the Gulf Organization for Research and Development has introduced more rigorous codes, such as GSAS, the Global Sustainability Assessment System (previously QSAS). We have also seen a large amount of interest from the existing building sector as facility owners are under more and more pressure to reduce operational expenses in the face of rising utility costs.”

Since early 2011, AESG has worked closely with a number of major government organizations in Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as on large scale projects for private developers and multinational enterprises. This work has covered all stages of building evolution, including design, construction and operation.

Following its success in establishing a strong reputation in new construction projects, AESG intends to replicate this success in the existing building sector which it believes should be a key focus of sustainability initiatives in the region. Through the implementation of no-to-low cost measures alone, AESG can help existing buildings achieve cost savings of 10 to 20%, a figure which can be further increased by investing in appropriate energy saving solutions.

Mr. Coombes adds “We have consistently found that we are able to achieve significant cost savings in existing buildings through the implementation of energy management techniques. This is why we have a strong belief in the growth of this sector because it is where we can add immediate value to our Clients”.

Commenting on the organization’s future plans for the region, Mr. Saeed Al Abbar, Director at AESG, said, “We have already worked on projects throughout the Middle East and have many more overseas projects in the pipeline including major projects in Saudi and China. This is why the next logical step for us is to diversify our work into new territories, starting of course with the tremendous growth potential in the region.”

“There is no doubt that sustainability is something that is gathering tremendous pace throughout the Middle East. While this presents a huge opportunity for us, our core mission as an organization has always been to deliver the highest quality of service that ultimately contributes to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the region. This is why we will always ensure that we pace our expansion with our ability to maintain our high quality of service” he concluded.

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