During the time of Handing Over of the Project the designated representative of DCL, participating as a member of the Taking Over Committee formulated by the DM, will inspect visually all the parts and aspects of the fully or substantially completed Project and will submit the inspection Report containing the important comments as observed..World Housing Congress 2007:Affordable Quality Housing 1 July-5 July 2007 st thMalaysia “Planning Sustainable Mega Projects in UAE ” Prof. Mufid A. Samarai Lina M. Qudah Director of Central Laboratories Acting Director University of Sharjah Dubai Accreditation Centre Sharjah, UAE Dubai Municipality [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT Environment issues are getting attention worldwide. These issues include not only updating the rules and regulations that enforce sustainable development, but also the economic incentives to incorporate sustainable development designs. The news media began to publicize environmental concerns nationally, and the resulting public awareness spurred major legislation, which empowered planners to incorporate ecological values. Although accurate figures are hard to come by, it has been estimated that world is spending about US$ 5.0 trillion in construction. When it is borne in mind that around 50% of the expenditure in the construction industry is spent on repair, maintenance and remediation then it is evident that even marginal savings could result in the release of substantial funds for new developments. In the Gulf countries the durability of structures is less due to the severe climate conditions, fast construction and lack of strict quality control regulations. Municipalities and Urban Planning bodies should take active role in enhancing and implementing codes of practice and standards that are adaptable to the region to enhance the life expectancy of construction stock. UAE has come a long way in a short space of time, and with the advent of the master-planned city, the luxury living advocated by developers in the region may have some substance to back it up. Dubai, which continues to be the centre of construction activities, has experienced an increase in real estate investment from $3 billion in 2000 to $50 billion now. And in its bid to become a Middle East transport hub, construction has started on Dubai World Central Airport which is set to become the largest in the world, eclipsing the current record holder Atlanta by 50%, and eventually accommodating 120 million people and 12 million tones of cargo each year. The Burj Dubai, at 800 meters which will be tallest building in the world when completed, a Business Bay that will be the size of Tokyo’s Ginza and New York’s Manhattan. The world largest waterfront development, a $5 billion tourist hot spot Dubai land , an underwater hotel project and of course the longest driverless metro in the world. As of last April, there was almost $300 billion worth of projects underway in the UAE, according to a recently published report. This paper will touch on the role the building industry plays in preserving the environment and why planners and government bodies should be aware of the resources available and how to utilize them fully. The role of municipalities in preserving the 1building stock and extending its life scale expectancy will be elaborated. It will touch on the major projects in UAE and challenges facing the construction of high-rise towers and mega projects. KEY WORDS: sustainability, environment, urban planning, high-rise towers, quality control and laboratory accreditation. BIOGRAPHY: Mufid A. Samarai is a professor of civil engineering, Collage of Engineering at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and director of The Central Laboratories. He obtained his Ph.D. from University Collage London in 1976, and has been engaged in teaching, research and consulting work. He was involved in the repair of over 100 structures and bridges in Iraq, Jordan and UAE. A former vice-president of CIB (Holland) and Bureau member of RILEM (France). His research interests include quality control, low cost housing, non-destructive testing, durability, energy conservation, damage assessment and repair of structures. He has over 140 publications a book and 4 registered patents. Lina M. Qudah is the Acting director of the Dubai Accreditation Center (DAC) at Dubai Municipality, United Arab Emirates and the head of the Accreditation Decisions Section at DAC. She holds a Master Degree in Quality Management which she obtained from the University of Wollongong in 2004, and has been engaged in assessments of and training in quality management systems. She was involved in the assessment and accreditation of over 50 testing laboratories and inspection bodies in the field of construction materials in Jordan and UAE. She is the vice chair of the DAC Technical Committee for the Accreditation of Laboratories and the DAC Technical Committee for the Accreditation of Inspection Bodies. She is also a member of the Accreditation Committee (AIC) of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and a member of the Joint Development Support Committee (JDSC) of ILAC and IAF (International Accreditation Forum). She has 4 publications in quality management and accreditation. 2World Housing Congress 2007:Affordable Quality Housing 1 July-5 July 2007 st thMalaysia "Planning Sustainable Mega Projects in UAE: Dubai a Case Study" Prof. Mufid A. Samarai Lina M. Qudah Director of Central Laboratories Acting Director University of Sharjah Dubai Accreditation Centre Sharjah, UAE bai Municipality [email protected] [email protected] 1- INTRODUCTION City building has always served human ends, whether of the governments that have vision or of the ordinary people that want to create something that they dreamed and wished to locate their homes in. The shapes of the cities are mirrors of people’s ambition and of the civilizations that created them. So were the cities in UAE being an environmental revolution changing the desert into a garden with a superb architectural layout of greens and buildings. Four basic groups of values have influenced planning decisions and the political systems. Their impacts were not equal