Saudi Gazette In compliance with internationally recognized standards,18 buildings in Saudi Arabia have been globally certified as environment friendly. Eng. Faisal Al-Fadl, Secretary General of Saudi Green Buildings Forum announced that 89 specialists in the government and private sectors are actively working to implement environment friendly construction practices across the Kingdom. In addition to the 18 buildings that have achieved the status of ‘green buildings', 47 more are in the process of applying for green building certification, out of which 29 buildings are in Riyadh. “Green buildings can achieve a 30% reduction in consumption of water and electricity compared to other buildings. In the coming years, we will witness a surge in environment friendly practices in real estate and construction projects in the Kingdom,” said Dr. Saleh Al-Awaji, Deputy Minister for Electricity Affairs at the Ministry of Water and Energy, in his address at the Saudi Green Buildings Forum 2011 last week. Dr. Saleh Al-Awaji pointed out that residents will save a huge amount of money on the bills they pay for water and electricity- two essential commodities that we cannot live without. A green building refers to a structure that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle, right from choosing its site to design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Strategic placing of windows can reduce the need for electrical lighting during the day by letting in more sunlight. Special insulation in walls, windows, and ceilings can make the building more energy efficient by keeping heat out and slashing the electrical bills for air-conditioning. Other factors taken into account are cutting waste production during the construction process and use of non
