Qatar is on track to ensure the overwhelming majority of the projects to be used in the 2022 Fifa World Cup will achieve world-class standards of sustainability, said a top official.

“We are saying that 80 per cent of the construction project activities from now to 2022 will be based on the principles and practice of sustainability,” says Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) founder and chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr.

GORD is a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company. It promotes healthy, energy and resource efficient, and environmentally responsible building practices in Qatar and the Gulf.

“We have been talking about sustainability and our vision,” Alhorr said. “These dreams are now being put into action in Qatar where we are really implementing sustainability practices. This includes in QRail, all the World Cup 2022 projects, the new cities and all new government projects including schools and hospitals.”

Alhorr is a keynote speaker on day one of the Meed Qatar Projects conference organised in association with Ashghal, Qatar’s public works agency, which opens at the Grand Hyatt Doha on March 10.

“My presentation will help business understand what the opportunities are in this area and what is needed including materials and systems to support our sustainability plans,” Alhorr said.

He added that GORD is preparing to undertake sustainability projects in Saudi Arabia.

“We have started training on the ground in the kingdom and we are doing capacity building with the aim of moving to implementation this year,” he said.

GORD has an agreement to promote sustainability in government and private buildings in Kuwait and has started talks about carrying out similar projects in Bahrain, Alhorr added. – TradeArabia News Service