Ras Al Khaimah Municipality hosted a consultation workshop to develop sustainable community guidelines and regulations for the emirate. The workshop was attended by numerous representatives from federal and local government entities, and private organizations.

In his opening speech, H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality Department stated: “Barjeel, the green building regulations of Ras Al Khaimah, were launched in January this year, with focus on new individual buildings. We are now exploring ways to capture sustainability benefits also at the level of the public realm and infrastructure. We aim not only to decrease energy and water demand, but also to enhance livability and economic potential of our communities, by creating attractive places where to live and work.”

The effort is part of the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040, targeting 30% electricity savings, 20% water savings, and 20% contribution from renewable energy in the generation mix by 2040. Earlier this year, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality had already conducted initial stakeholder consultation on the potential opportunities to improve sustainability at the level of communities.

During the workshop, series of discussions took place, aiming to explore different regulatory approaches and requirements, tailored to the specific needs of Ras Al Khaimah. H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar reaffirmed that stakeholder input was crucial in achieving a good understanding of different perspectives and trade-offs between sustainability benefits and cost implications of the proposed regulatory frameworks. For this reason, he stated, we aim at an approach that is easy to implement, with focus on items with the highest positive impact.

H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, thanked all the participating entities, highlighting the benefits of the collaborative approach that the Municipality is adopting in the development of sustainable community guidelines and regulations.