Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has reaffirmed its support for the sustainable growth of Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sector, coinciding with the 33rd edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026.

Empower said its district cooling solutions are helping hotels, resorts and tourism facilities improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and optimise resource use. By the end of 2025, hotels and hotel apartments served by Empower represented 24% of Dubai’s 827 hotel and hotel apartment facilities, highlighting the sector’s growing use of district cooling.

The company’s hospitality portfolio includes prominent properties such as Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, One Za’abeel, Atlantis The Royal, One&Only Za’abeel, Burj Al Arab, Atlantis The Palm, Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Jumeirah Emirates Towers and Jumeirah Al Naseem.

“Dubai has cemented its position as a premier global tourism destination, driven by the vision of its leadership and a strategy focused on the sustainable development of infrastructure and the continuous enhancement of quality of life and services. The hospitality sector remains a key driver of this growth, while district cooling solutions are playing an increasingly vital role in enabling hotels, resorts, and tourism projects to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational reliability, thereby strengthening Dubai’s competitiveness and its ability to continue attracting investment and high-quality tourism developments,” said H.E. Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

Empower said district cooling systems can reduce electricity consumption for cooling by up to 50% compared with conventional air-conditioning systems, making the technology particularly relevant to large-scale urban developments.

“At Empower, we continue to develop advanced district cooling infrastructure and deploy cutting-edge technologies and smart systems to enhance operational efficiency and reduce energy and resource consumption. We believe that the continued growth of the tourism and hospitality sector in the coming years will create significant opportunities for sustainable cooling solutions, particularly as hotel establishments increasingly adopt efficient and flexible technologies that align with the evolving expectations of travelers and the requirements of future cities. We remain committed to supporting this transformation through reliable and sustainable services that help reinforce Dubai’s global model for sustainable urban and tourism development,” added Bin Shafar.

To meet rising demand, Empower continues to expand its cooling plants and network across Dubai. By the end of 2025, its district cooling transmission and distribution pipeline network exceeded 430 kilometres, supported by 90 plants across the emirate.

The company said its infrastructure investments align with the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040, which targets a 134% increase in land allocated for hotel and tourism activities by 2040. Empower aims to develop scalable infrastructure capable of supporting the sector’s future expansion while improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of Dubai’s tourism and urban development. -TradeArabia News Service