Abu Dhabi UPC Certifies First Estidama Pearl-Qualified Professionals

DUBAI, UAE, April 12, 2011 - Following the completion of the Pearl Rating Systems (PRS) training
programme, and exam, 186 candidates were successfully awarded with
Pearl-Qualified Professional (PQP) credentials last month. The newly
PQP-qualified professionals, primarily architects, engineers and urban
planners, can now officially apply the PRS for communities or buildings to
assist in facilitating the certification process of each development and
providing quality assurance to documents prior to application submission for
planning and building permit approval from the UPC.

Estidama, the Arabic word for sustainability, is a sustainable programme
designed specifically for the hot climate and arid environment of the Middle
East region, and regulated by Abu Dhabi's Urban Planning Council. The Pearl
Rating System, one of the first initiatives of the Estidama programme, is a
framework for sustainable design, construction and operation of communities,
buildings and villas. Since September 2010, the Pearl Rating System has been
incorporated into the planning approval and permitting processes for all new
projects in the Emirate.

A number of these PQP-qualified professionals will come together at the
5th Annual Cost-Effective Sustainable Design & Construction Middle East,
along with representatives from Abu Dhabi's Urban Planning Council,
Department of Municipal Affairs and Masdar City; to evaluate how effectively
the PRS regulations have been incorporated and received by the construction
sector six months after Estidama hit the market.

Gary Moss, Director of Specialist Services at Davis Langdon will host a
specialised workshop at this event for architects and consultants to help
measure the true cost of a building project in terms of its sustainability.
Life Cycle Costing is a critical aspect of sustainable building projects and
must be carried out in order to achieve relevant Estidama credits. Davis
Langdon are experts in their field and worked closely with the UPC to develop
the relevant Estidama credits.

Nizar Kamouna, Senior Project Manager at KEO Consultants, a PQP qualified
professional who has personal experience of applying the PRS to a project,
has put together an interactive, hands-on workshop that will benefit
stakeholders throughout the supply chain in order to pass on his commercially
viable solutions for shared challenges associated with the regulations.

In association with the Emirates Green Building Council, Lebanon Green
Building Council and United Nations Environment Programme, IQPC Middle East
will be hosting this summit at Le Royal Meridien in Abu Dhabi from 22-25 May
2011 to bring together stakeholders within regional and international
sustainable design and construction projects.

The conference may also provide the first opportunity to hear how the UPC
intends to apply the PRS to the operational phase of community or building
developments. This is the last element required in order to ensure the
project remains sustainable throughout its entire life cycle and remains
committed to Estidama's core principles of preserving and enriching Abu
Dhabi's physical and cultural identity, while constantly striving to improve
quality of life for its residents.

A full line-up of attending experts and senior speakers plus the agenda
are available at www.mesustainableconstruction.com

About IQPC

IQPC provides business executives around the world with tailored
practical conferences, large scale events, topical seminars and in-house
training programs, keeping them up-to-date with industry trends,
technological developments and the regulatory landscape. IQPC's large scale
conferences are market leading "must attend" events for their respective
industries.

IQPC produces more than 1,500 events annually around the world, and
continues to grow. Founded in 1973, IQPC now has offices in major cities
across six continents including: Berlin, Bengalaru, Dubai, Johannesburg,
London, Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and
Toronto. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to produce
an unrivalled portfolio of conferences.

For more information contact Michelle Petiza, Marketing Manager, IQPC
Middle East. Email enquiry@iqpc.ae or call +971-364-2975 or visit
www.mesustainableconstruction.com

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