Al Jalila Foundation, which leads the giving mission of Dubai Health, has signed a new agreement with Positive Zero, the Middle East’s leading provider of sustainable and decentralized power infrastructure, to drastically reduce its carbon emissions and energy costs in line with the UAE Net Zero Strategy 2050.
The ‘decarbonization-as-a-service’ MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) is the first of its kind in the UAE healthcare sector to cover all aspects of clean energy, including on-site power generation, energy efficiency, and clean mobility. The agreement was signed by representatives at a ceremony at Al Jalila Foundation.
The partnership includes the development of a five-year sustainability roadmap, which will determine the most suitable ways to decarbonize across the foundation’s premises through fully financed solutions that can achieve up to 50% in cost savings and cut carbon emissions by 70%.
Positive Zero will analyze existing operations, enhance efficiency, optimize energy consumption through cooling-as-a-service (a service-based model for affordable and efficient cooling), and provide clean mobility solutions such as fleet electrification and EV charging infrastructure at the Al Jalila Foundation Headquarters.
This aligns with the recent update from the Dubai government that the public and private sectors should improve and enhance their energy consumption and efficiency, as outlined in the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2050.
The agreement follows a successful pilot scheme at Al Jalila Foundation, which included the installation of a solar rooftop and car park, delivered and implemented by Positive Zero’s distributed solar energy and power generation business, SirajPower. These systems were successfully commissioned in December 2023 and are currently operated and maintained through a 20-year solar lease agreement, reducing over 3100 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
On the occasion of the signing ceremony, Dr. Amer Al Zarooni, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation said, “We are one of the first non-profit organizations in the region taking serious steps towards sustainability. As a result of installing the solar rooftop and carport systems, we have enhanced our clean energy operations and seen a significant drop in our electricity bills.
"Today, we are signing a long-term decarbonization plan with Positive Zero that will realize even more environmental and economic benefits. We look forward to our continued partnership and supporting Dubai Health’s wider sustainability goals.”
David Auriau, Co-Founder and CEO of Positive Zero said, “Our inaugural project with Al Jalila Foundation demonstrated that delivering distributed solar generation with no upfront investment can quickly deliver significant savings and reduced carbon emissions.
"By adding energy efficiency and clean mobility solutions, the foundation will further accelerate their sustainability targets and the country’s Net Zero mission.”
Positive Zero will continue to work closely alongside Al Jalila Foundation in exploring ways to generate greater energy savings and benefits through its integrated platform and complete Decarbonization-as-a-Service.