Dubai Mall Solar: Installing solar panels to cut its environmental footprint

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02:30

Some of the shopping centres in the Mideast could soon be a bit greener. That's because one of the region's largest mall operators has just installed thousands of solar panels in Dubai in an effort to reduce the region's environmental footprint. Rosanna Lockwood is in Dubai.

It's perhaps best known for its giant indoor ski-slope - despite the baking temperatures outside. But now the owner of Dubai's landmark Mall of the Emirates wants it to be a flagship for sustainability. It's retro-fitted over a thousand of its car parking spaces with more than 7-thousand solar panels, and is setting strict targets for its buildings across the region.

IBRAHIM AL'ZUBI, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER MAJID AL FUTTAIM HOLDING "As part of our renewable energy policy in all our assets, where 7.5% minimum in new assets must come from renewables, 5% in existing assets like Mall of the Emirates must come from renewables. Mall of the Emirates their target was 5%, they managed to achieve more than almost 8% plus, harvested from the sun."

The installation of the panels is expected to save around $380-thousand-dollars each year in energy costs. And is the equivalent of taking almost 500 cars off the road.

ROSANNA LOCKWOOD DUBAI "Here in Dubai, people often come to shopping malls to escape the sunshine. But now some of the 40-million annual visitors to this mall will find that their shopping is - at least partly - powered by the sun."

The UAE government is investing billions of dollars in cleaner energy as it looks to reduce its dependence on oil. That's encouraging companies here to think about renewables too.

ANNE LE GUENNEC, CEO ENOVA "We see a lot of interest coming from all our clients in the Middle East because the cost of the technology is now very affordable, much more than before, meaning that from now we can definitely compare the cost of solar energy to the cost of electricity that you get from the grid."

With better access to hi-tech equipment at lower prices, Majid Al Futtaim Holding says it can reduce its reliance on fossil fuels almost completely.

IBRAHIM AL'ZUBI, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER MAJID AL FUTTAIM HOLDING "It's not about possible, it's a commitment. We have a commitment from now. We have to work from now until 2040 to be net-positive."

The companies are planning on working together on similar projects at three other malls in the region. Where once it was a race to be the biggest and the best, shopping centres in the Middle East are growing increasingly conscious of their environmental impact. It's likely to be good news for the environment as well as their bottom lines. Rosanna Lockwood, CGTN, Dubai.