Masdar has helped generate foreign direct investments, FDIs, to the sustainable energy sector in the UAE, by attracting the best organisations worldwide when it comes to sustainable products, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, told the Emirates News Agency, WAM.

Al Ramahi made the remarks on the sidelines of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Saint-Gobain’s First Multi Comfort House in the Middle East in the presence of Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, and Pierre-André de Chalendar, Chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain.

The Multi Comfort House at Masdar City is one of the French multinational's 30 similar projects around the world. It is the first in the Middle East and in a hot region anywhere in the world.

On completion at the end of next year, the project will demonstrate Saint-Gobain’s patented technology aimed at improving health and well-being by optimising the human experience within the built environment.

Al Ramahi sees the UAE as a role model for the development of a sound policy and a regulatory and institutional environment for FDI in areas of clean energy. "Abu Dhabi government has been a leader in introducing regulations related to energy efficiency, by introducing Estidama rating, for example."

He dismissed any impact of the fluctuations in oil prices on the volume of clean energy investments, affirming that the appetite is rather high for launching more investments in this domain.

"Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio will grow. Our region has seen tremendous growth in renewable energy targets, including in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and in UAE of course as well as North Africa and the Levant, mainly Jordan. We have a footprint across the whole region and we believe it will grow thanks to the incentives brought by these countries which encourage us even to look into new geographies to invest in over the period ahead, mainly Southeast Asia."

"It is a privilege to receive the chairman and CEO of one of France’s most prestigious companies at Masdar City, and to partner with Saint-Gobain in realising its first Multi-Comfort House in the Middle East," Al Ramahi told reporters at the news conference held following the launching ceremony.

"Our towns and cities consume around two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 percent of global carbon emissions. At the same time, the way our homes and offices are designed impacts our health, well-being and quality of life significantly."

"Saint-Gobain’s Multi-Comfort philosophy reinforces our own concept of sustainable urban development, which is based on the three pillars of economic, social and environmental sustainability," added Al Ramahi. "It also complements the Eco-Villa prototype opened at Masdar City last year, conceived as a template for affordable and highly energy- and water-efficient residential villas in the UAE. We look forward to further collaboration with Saint-Gobain in commercial sustainable real estate as we continue on our journey to realise the world’s most sustainable urban community here at Masdar City."

"The UAE is a reference for construction development," said Pierre-André de Chalendar, Chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s top 100 industrial groups. "It is building excellence, represented through Masdar City, is a role model for all, and Saint-Gobain is proud to be part of it."

He added, "Feeling good in a building is about having the perfect amount of light, the proper level of sound, the ideal temperature and a constant supply of fresh air. It is about design and technology, beauty and safety, efficiency and sustainability. This is precisely what Saint-Gobain can provide and demonstrate through this state-of-the-art Multi Comfort House to be constructed at Masdar City."

A "greenprint" for sustainable urban development, Saint-Gobain considered Masdar City the natural location to highlight its expertise in comfortable and sustainable home living.

The French company will build the 400-square-metre Multi Comfort House on a 2,200-square-metre site next to the Masdar City Eco-Villa. On completion, it will serve as both a Multi Comfort "experience centre" and an office for Saint-Gobain employees, while also providing training in the company’s products and solutions. It will be fully adapted to the UAE climate.

The German architecture and engineering consultancy Obermeyer will design and supervise construction of the project, expected to open by the end of 2019.

Saint-Gobain first developed the concept of Multi Comfort construction in 2004. It covers the four dimensions of light, air quality, temperature and acoustics within the home, as well as tertiary buildings such as shops, offices and public buildings.

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