May 29, 2007

Sama Dubai Strategic Sponsor of 'Water Resources Management' Workshop

Dubai: 29 May, 2007 - Sama Dubai, the international real estate investment and development arm of Dubai Holding, recently sponsored the 'Water Resources Management' workshop, organised by the Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT), in Dubai. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister for Finance and Industry, and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, the workshop addressed various challenges facing water resource management in the region including water deficit, the biggest economic, social and environmental challenge the Arab cities will have to tackle by the year 2030. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between United Nations Environment Programme-Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP-ROWA) and the Environmental Centre for Arab Towns on the first day of the forum to promote joint efforts on future projects.. As the strategic sponsor and the only real estate developer supporting the event, Saud bin Eid, Environmental Specialist at Sama Dubai, highlighted the company's commitment to long term environmental stewardship and sustainable use of natural resources. This is part of the company's efforts to ensure its projects, operations and procedures comply with the highest international environmental standards. Examples were drawn from 'The Lagoons,' one of the first projects in the UAE to undergo a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study. Saud said: "The environmental symposium provided an excellent platform to share insight gained from our recent ecological initiatives, as well as establish long-term relations with international organizations such as ECAT. We believe that to achieve long-term growth, our business activities must contribute positively to the Environment. "Sama Dubai places a high priority on the sensible use of natural resources, intelligent management of the environment, and respect for cultural values, people and the communities in which we operate. Investors can be confident our projects meet the highest global environmental standards, which add value to their investments" Sama Dubai is committed to providing high quality real estate products and services that are environmentally sound. Its projects feature resource efficient buildings created by planners who understand environmentally sensitive architectural practices. The company encourages ecological awareness amongst its customers. The company's efforts to preserve the environment and drive sustainable development practices in the construction and real estate sectors were recently acknowledged by the Emirates Environmental Group. The master developer's other environmental initiatives include the protection and enhancement of the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary (RAKWS) and its wetlands, including commissioning an environmental study in a drive to establish the sanctuary as the UAE's first internationally recognised wetland area and setting up an AED 10 million visitor centre on site to promote awareness about the site's values.