His Excellency Ahmad Bin Shafar, President of Dubai District Cooling Operators Association (DCOA) and CEO of Empower, said that the construction sector will see a transformative boom following the approval of the 'Blue Residency Visa' initiative by the UAE Cabinet under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Blue Residency is a unique and remarkable global initiative from the wise leadership to attract talent and exceptional contributions in the field of environmental protection, sustainability, modern technologies and the circular economy.

“The building, construction and real estate sectors are a real theater for sustainability and environmental conservation applications, including urban planning, engineering and architectural designs that allow for the environment, as well as building, decoration and furniture materials, whether recycled or manufactured with green standards, and heating and cooling processes that protect natural resources such as water and reduce electricity consumption,” said Empower's CEO.

Bin Shafar pointed out that the building, construction, and real estate sectors directly feed more than 36 business activities that employ hundreds of thousands of people in various fields that contribute to promoting sustainability, green technologies, environmental protection, and circular economy chains.

Bin Shafar reaffirmed Empower's commitment to keep working towards achieving national goals in sustainability by adopting AI-powered cooling plants and investing in 4th generation technologies to increase its reliance on AI and renewable energy.

On the sustainability front, Empower recently partnered with the American Society of Refrigeration, Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to develop the 3rd generation of district cooling plants.

The partnership is one of the key outputs of Empower's strategic roadmap to enhance the Organization's and the UAE's global leadership in district cooling.

In addition to implementing state-of-the-art integrated infrastructure, Empower seeks to put forward sustainable ideas, solutions and future plans to enable decision makers to forge effective policies and strategies for smart and sustainable cities.