A leading Qatari property expert will speak at the Green Building Forum in Bahrain next month as part of a campaign to encourage leadership in the real estate sector to support global environmental issues.

Dr Yousef Al Horr, founder, chairman and managing director of Barwa and Qatari Diar Research Institute (BQDRI), will deliver keynote presentations on ‘The Development of the First Performance-Based Green Buildings Rating System in the Mena Region’ as well as ‘The Role of Education and Research in Promoting Environmental Expertise in the Region’ on May 5 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).

BQDRI is a leading proponent of sustainable communities and developments in Qatar.

The award-winning Dr Al Horr believes passionately that responsible design, construction and building operations can mitigate the negative effects of the built environment. Under his chairmanship and direction, BQDRI has won several notable awards.

Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of the forum co-organiser Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE), said: “In its first year the forum is attracting leaders in their fields from around the Gulf region. The participation and support of Dr Al Horr and Qatar is a welcome addition to the panel of experts who will address the audience.”

Ahmed Suleiman, partner at leading international event consultancy and forum co-organiser North Star Associates, said: “Dr Al Horr is a leading authority in his field and his particpation provides an invaluable contribition to the forum by showcasing the pioneering work of BQDRI.”

Dr Al Horr joins a distinguished panel of speakers at the Green Building Forum including Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa; Dr Mowafak Al Jassim, senior scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US; Dr Elex Amato, Associate Director at global construction consultants Davis Langdon; Professor Vasanth Bhat of Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (DSCE) in Bangalore, India; and Professor Hans Haenlein, a leading expert in the planning of education and community facilities. Dr Hashim Hussein, Head, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) ITPO in Bahrain, will moderate a plenary session. 

The Green Building Forum, whose theme is ‘Innovating to Protect the Environment’, will be held under the patronage of Bahrain’s Minister of Housing, Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. It is 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, the British Council, British Expertise and The Middle East Association.

The Green Building Forum 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