Housing Minister to patronise Green Building Forum

Bahrain’s Minister of Housing, HE Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa will patronise the first Green Building Forum, to be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on 5 May 2010.

The Minister will deliver a keynote opening speech to Forum delegates, in which he is expected to highlight 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 will feature a distinguished line-up of renowned speakers from the world of government, business and environment who will discuss topics including: 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.

The Green Building Forum is organised by Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions in association with leading international event consultancy North Star Associates. Jubran Abdulrahman, Managing Director, HCE said: “The Green Building Forum is enormously relevant to the construction industry and the world we live in and the patronage of HE 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 Forum 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, 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 4 to 6 May 2010, also at the BIEC.