Expo 2020 Dubai now home to 121 LEED-certified buildings

iStock / Aleksandra Tokarz

More than 120 permanent buildings across Expo 2020 Dubai have been certified by the US Green Building Council in a major sustainability milestone.

Of the 121 LEED-certified buildings, 103 are also LEED Gold, nine are LEED Silver, and two are 'Certified'.

This achievement is not just for the mega-event itself but for its legacy project, District 2020, the human-centric sustainable smart city that will repurpose 80 per cent of the Expo site.

The LEED certification system certifies buildings that typically reduce energy and water consumption over their lifetimes. As a result, they have lower operational costs and carbon footprints and are constructed from environmentally-sensitive materials.

The buildings have fewer impacts during construction; have better indoor air quality; and are better connected to the community, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment.

Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, "Moulding the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the places we live in represents our commitment to make a tangible and positive impact at a local, regional and global level throughout our 182-day run and beyond."

"A result of the hard work and dedication of our sustainability and site-delivery teams, our LEED certifications are emblematic of our efforts not only to host one of the most sustainable World Expos in history but to ensure our physical legacy, District 2020, serves as a model for the sustainable smart cities of the future."

After Expo ends on 31st March 2022, its LEED-certified buildings will live on within District 2020, the sustainable human-centric smart city that will repurpose 80 per cent of the mega-event's permanent built environment.

More from Business