Ghassan Aouad
An event earlier this month organised by CIOB President Professor Ghassan Aouad, who is also president of the Applied Science University in Bahrain, brought together representatives from the worlds of academia, industry and diplomacy.
The Forum on Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructures in Bahrain on 13 May hosted around 200 delegates from Bahrain, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, UAE and the UK.
The event was hosted by the CIOB in association with the Applied Science University, Bahrain and the Bahrain Society of Engineers, marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the university.
Speakers included Mike Salmon of Drake & Scull, also a past president of CIOB Middle East, who spoke about the importance of motivation in achieving sustainability.
Don Ward, chief executive of Constructing Excellence UK, spoke about the use of LEED and BREEAM in the UK and the Middle East and how the idea of sustainability has changed and broadened as the economic and social benefits are recognised.
Professor Waheeb Alkhaja, MD of the Applied Science University, underlined the role that universities can play in achieving a culture of excellence. He told the conference: “Preservation of life on our planet and the preservation of the environment are top priority. We aim to make ASU students capable of serving their home community in this essential area.”
A panel discussion after the keynote speakers featured contributions from the managing director of Nass Contracting, David Anthony; UKTI representative Yara Tawfeek alongside Chris Blythe, chief executive of CIOB; and Rick Hopper, MD of Atkins Bahrain and Kuwait.
The discussion highlighted the plethora of codes one could choose to work with in the Middle East, originating in different parts of the world, which was felt to be an issue for those not expert in sustainability and building requirements.
However, the way self-certification has been implemented for some aspects of building regulations in Bahrain was judged to be a strong idea and highly applicable to the UK and elsewhere, provided that a sufficient level of inspection could be achieved.
The conference was closed by Professor Aouad who emphasised that extremely well-educated people are leaving the universities in the Middle East who must be attracted into the construction industry and that it is equally important that the legal regime be improved to allow them to build the most sustainable buildings they can.
During the event, Masoud Alhermi, president of Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE) joined Professor Aouad in signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the CIOB and the BSE agreeing to joint working between the two bodies to promote sustainability effort in the coming years.
