Contract Awarded for Construction and Maintenance of Dubai’s First Eco-Friendly Mosque

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12 Sep 2012

The mosque will be located In Bur Saeed area close to the Clock Tower Roundabout in Deira.

Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) today announced that Al Arif Contracting, a leading contracting company in the UAE and a subsidiary of Masharie, the private equity arm of Dubai Investments, has been awarded the contract for the construction and maintenance of the UAE’s first eco-friendly mosque.

An initiative of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), scheduled for completion in 18 months, the mosque will be located In Bur Saeed area close to the Clock Tower Roundabout in Deira. The 45,000 square feet mosque will take shape over an area of 105,000 square feet. As the largest mosque in Dubai, the facility will accommodate 3,500 worshipers.

During the implementation of the project, Al Arif will work closely with a specialist consultant to develop green building standards that will prioritise the provision of green spaces and use of solar panels to generate heated water for the purposes of ablution and the Imam’s house. The facility will also ensure the recycling and purifying of ablution water for irrigation and washroom supply, use of environmentally-friendly building materials, and improved performance of the air-conditioning and air-purification system with the integration of high efficient technology equipment.

Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary General, AMAF, said: "Al Arif won the contract from among a large number of construction companies that submitted their tender for the pilot project. Following the successful completion of this landmark initiative, AMAF aims to transform a large number of mosques in Dubai to eco-friendly mosques and adopt green building standards to contribute to Dubai’s sustainable development plans."

He added: “Al Arif has a track record of shaping major construction projects in the UAE, and has proven experience in the implementation of real estate projects that support environment preservation and sustainability factors. A specialist consultant will work alongside Al Arif to ensure compliance with all standards set forth in the contract."

Hamad Al Arif, Managing Director of Al Arif Contracting Company, said: "We are delighted to take on the responsibility of constructing and maintain the first eco-friendly mosque in the UAE. Our teams are gearing up to begin work very soon and aim to complete the project within 18 months. We look forward to leveraging our experience, technical competencies and manpower to deliver a project of exacting standards. The eco-friendly mosque will add great value to our record achievements in the UAE."

Conforming to green building criteria, the project will install thermal insulation, programmed and automatic thermostats, suction fans with energy recovery units, and use natural light and heat reflective colours especially at the interfaces and roof. It will also feature a roof garden for heat insulation, and undergo periodic maintenance. The eco-friendly mosque will additionally aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the air conditioning system and avoid the use of building materials such as asbestos and polystyrene.

The construction of the mosque is in line with Dubai’s recent legislation on green buildings, which mandates the conservation of resources, environmental protection and the adoption of green practices for improving the performance of buildings and enhancing the overall health and safety of the inhabitants. It also takes forward the Dubai Strategic Plan that endorses the creation of an urban and sustainable environment through enhancing the efficiency of infrastructure in order to meet the needs of future development.