EmiratesGBC Celebrates Regional Excellence at 2025 MENA Green Building Awards

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), a professional non-profit organization dedicated to advancing green building principles in the UAE, recognized and celebrated excellence and best practices in the built environment at the MENA Green Building Awards 2025. Organized in association with nine MENA Green Building Councils, the prestigious awards, which honor achievements across design, construction and operations in the MENA region, were held recently at the Embassy Suites by Hilton, Dubai.

In a testament to the accelerating commitment to a greener built environment throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the 2025 MENA Green Building Awards received 81 submissions from 55 diverse stakeholders across 7 MENA countries. A distinguished panel of 34 judges evaluated the submissions across 17 categories, including the 11 promising applications for the Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Awards, which showcase the forward-looking approach of the next generation to a sustainable future.

More than 200 industry stakeholders, award winners and legends of the built environment as well as sustainability enthusiasts from academia, private and public sectors attended the event, which served as a powerful platform to celebrate the individuals and organisations leading the charge in environmental stewardship and energy efficiency. The MENA Green Building Awards 2025 received the invaluable support of Platinum Sponsor from Emirates NBD, whose steadfast commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with the awards' mission.

Habiba Al Marashi, Co-founder, Vice Chair & Treasurer - EmiratesGBC, said: “The MENA Green Building Awards 2025 has once again shone a spotlight on the robust innovations and dedication driving sustainable development across the region. It is an honor and a privilege to recognize the vision and leadership of individuals and entities who are at the forefront of action in demonstrating the tangible benefits of green building principles to all. We are thankful to our Platinum Sponsor, Emirates NBD, for their invaluable support in celebrating these achievements and inspiring continued progress.”

The 2025 Doctor Owainati Students’ Excellence Award was given to Yashvi Gandhi from Amity University Dubai for her research titled VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. The winning student was handed a cash prize in addition to a year’s free student membership at Emirates Green Building Council.

The overwhelming participation at the 2025 awards, reflected by a growing number of submissions from across the MENA region, underscores the region's growing leadership in sustainable practices and its commitment to tackling climate change through innovative built environment solutions.

The winners of the 2025 MENA Green Building Awards are:

Net-zero Energy Building Project of the Year:

The Link- Masdar City by Climatize

Existing Sustainable Building Project of the Year:

Strategically Green: Redefining Sustainable Shopping Malls by Majid Al Futtaim

Sustainable Design Project of the Year:

Ghaf Woods by Majid Al Futtaim

Healthy Spaces Project of the Year:

UAE Media Council: Certified Healthy Space under the Building Humanization Initiative by Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure

Sustainable Retrofit Project of the Year:

EMAAR PROPERTIES PJSC by Emaar Asset Management

Sustainable Facility Management Organization of the Year: