Following the success of COP21, the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference held in Paris in December 2015, the sustainability industry in the Middle East is set to gain prominence through 2016. In light of these developments, the Alabbar Energy & Sustainability Group (AESG) expects to further extend its regional footprint by playing a pivotal role in providing sustainability consultancy services to leading government and enterprise institutions, particularly in the Oil & Gas sector, across the GCC.

An emerging trend in the Middle East has been the growing interest of the Oil & Gas sector in sustainability. “As the Oil & Gas sector is one of the industry’s most closely associated with climate change, the industry globally is taking a leadership role in energy management strategies.  AESG has been working closely with this sector and implemented a number of projects for the oil and gas operating companies in Abu Dhabi which seek to maximise energy efficiency,” said Al Abbar. The market’s positive reception to AESG’s offerings has prompted the company to establish a new office in Abu Dhabi in 2016 that will focus specifically on the Oil & Gas sector.

The need for green building and sustainable development has seen steady increase in the Middle East in recent years and local governments have been playing an active role in establishing frameworks and initiatives in this regard. For example, the UAE government is eager to position the country as a global leading ‘Green Economy’ and to implement green growth initiatives such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy.

“The world is transitioning to a low carbon economy and the recent COP21 deal provides further impetus to this movement. As countries and enterprises accelerate their efforts towards sustainability, given our core focus on sustainability services, we believe we are uniquely positioned to help our clients, both in the private and public sectors, implement the measures necessary to deliver on this unique deal,” said Saeed Al Abbar, Director at AESG.

AESG is well positioned to address these market demands having invested heavily in the build-up of its capabilities and resources through 2015. In particular, the service lines of Energy Management, Environmental Consultancy, Commissioning Management and Government Advisory have been instrumental in helping to fuel the company’s growth. In addition, AESG also doubled its employee count and tripled its office space, while managing to simultaneously grow its year-on-year revenues by over 80 per cent. Al Abbar also commented that this is a “reflection of the region’s growing need for expertly delivered consultancy services.”

AESG has established a track record as one of the most reputed sustainability consultancies in the region. Some of its key achievements in 2015 include its successful completion of landmark projects in the region including four Pearl certified IRENA Headquarters in Masdar City, as well as a number of LEED Gold and LEED Platinum projects in Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar. The company was also awarded major commissioning management contracts, including Al Maryah Central Abu Dhabi and The Opus in Business Bay and has also undertaken strategic projects on behalf of government departments. These efforts, coupled with AESG’s diversification of its services, focus on quality, and market-wide reputation for the delivery of prestigious project led to it being named the ‘Middle East Specialist Consultant of the Year’ at the Middle East Consultant Awards.