An artist’s impression of Dubai’s eco-friendly mosque
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The region’s first eco-friendly mosque in the UAE is nearly 85% complete, and will be unveiled for worshipers soon.
“We are delighted to announce the imminent opening of the Islamic world’s first green mosque to worshipers,” said Tayeb Al-Rais, Secretary General, Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF). “The mosque will be the largest of its kind in Dubai spread across 105,000 square feet with a built-up area of 45,000 square feet that can accommodate 3,500 worshipers.
“Through this mosque, we hope to inspire many more such eco-friendly initiatives that are in line with Dubai’s vision for a sustainable future,” he added.
The mosque has followed the directives and specifications laid down for green buildings in the country, and the project is expected to gain LEED’s silver certification for conforming to the sustainability measures of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
“We have utilized latest green technologies available in the region’s first eco-mosque project,” said Mohammed Hassan, director – investment, AMAF. “The installation of mixers that are in line with the specifications of green buildings will help reduce water consumption. Care has been taken to moderate the speed of water flow from taps in the ablution areas. Used water will be recycled and utilized in washrooms and for plant irrigation.”
Besides employing thermal insulation to reduce heat transfer, various other design and construction elements of the mosque are environment-friendly. Some such measures include double-glazed windows with metal coatings to reduce intense solar radiation into the mosque, usage of solar panels for water-heating, intelligent lighting control systems to correspond with prayer times, daylight sensors and climate control systems to monitor air-conditioning based on prayer times and number of worshipers, said a report by WAM.