Bahrain’s Minister of Housing Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa will patronise the first 'Green Building Forum,' to be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on May 5.

The forum is being organised by Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions in association with leading international event consultancy North Star Associates.

Shaikh Ibrahim will deliver the opening speech at the forum which will spotlight 'the concept of environmental sustainability as a crucial element of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, the objectives of which are to transform the Kingdom from a regional pioneer to a global contender.

The Ministry of Housing is currently considering smartbuilding technology and sustainable materials to build more homes in Bahrain.

In addition to Shaikh Ibrahim, the forum has also lined up renowned speakers from across the globe to address key issues related to green building technology.

The major topics to be discussed at the forum include the Copenhagen Treaty and its relevance to the Gulf; Government Regulations and Green Codes of Conduct; Green Building in the Gulf; Environmentally-sympathetic Design and Construction; Challenges for the Construction Industry and Sustainable Building Materials; Smart Buildings; Renewable Energy Powering the Home; Carbon Trading or Zero Emissions; Innovation in Building; Recycling Waste; and Green Building Training and Education.

Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director, Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions, said: “The Green Building Forum is enormously relevant to the construction industry and the world we live in and the patronage of the Minister of Housing demonstrates the significance of the event to Bahrain’s housing and construction sector.”

Ahmed Suleiman, managing director, North Star Associates, said: “At a time when conventional building strategies are mainly about steel and cement, the forum provides a platform to reconsider conventional thinking and demonstrate that green building methods do not necessarily compromise quality or translate into higher construction costs.”

The event is being supported by the Bahrain Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Emirates Green Building Council, the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce, British Council, British Expertise and The Middle East Association.

It will run concurrently with the fifth gulfBID exhibition, the leading exhibition for the construction and interiors industry in the Northern Gulf, which will be held from May 4 to 6, also at the BIEC.-TradeArabia News Service