Coming in at 19 on the list is a global brand with a long history of turning scientific endeavour into practical application. In the Gulf region BASF's Construction Chemical's division has been involved in some of the most high-profile projects of the last few years. Whether we're talking about the towering Burj Khalifa, or the publicly-popular Dubai Metro, BASF's contribution is part of an important supply chain that makes these projects possible.

The company offers the construction industry a broad portfolio of raw materials, formulations and systems for energy-efficient, sustainable construction. The company adds value at major steps of the construction value chain and can customise its technologies to the specific needs and conditions of different climatic zones and construction segments. As a founding member of the Emirates Green Building Council, the company prides itself on the work it has put into creating energy efficient and environmentally sound products.

By providing its know-how on measuring construction products' sustainability, as well as by providing scientific information on its products' life-cycle performance, the company aims to enhance the development of sustainable regulatory standards. BASF's broad technological expertise and construction experience from around the world enables the company to solve the most challenging customer problems. Its eco-efficiency analysis is just one example of how the company uses science to address construction needs in a proven and sustainable way.

The results are clearly measurable as well. With the construction sector able to play a decisive role for climate protection - today it contributes about 22% of the global green-house gas emissions - by reducing its impact significantly, mainly by increasing the energy efficiency of buildings. BASF's corporate carbon footprint shows that the company's products, such as insulation materials, account for the reduction of more than 270 million tons of CO2-equivalents in the construction sector per year.