World’s first green mosque opens in Dubai

The world’s first eco-friendly mosque that abides by green building regulations opened on Friday in Dubai and it could kick start a wave of similar projects in the region.

The Khalifa Al Tajer Mosque cost an estimated Dh20 million (£3.2m) and hosted a capacity crowd of some 3,500 at its opening last week.

The mosque is located at the Port Saeed area in Dubai and covers more than 45,000 sq ft.

As part of the opening ceremony, Tayeb Al Rais, secretary-general of the government’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), addressed the attendees and said: “It is Dubai Municipality’s and the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities responsibility to guide donors who want to build mosques to follow green and eco-friendly standards, and this mosque could set an example of why it is a good move.”

The building is still waiting for official certification but was built to with the aim of achieving the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for according to the requirements of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

The mosque integrates the latest green technologies including an innovative new system that enables the water pressure to be adjustable and for used water to be recycled.

The exterior lighting poles of the mosque are fitted with solar panels, whilst the battery storage systems and water heaters are also powered by solar energy.

Energy-saving LED lights are used throughout the building, and are controlled by a sensor system that automatically switches them on or off as appropriate to conserve energy.

There is also a climate control system installed for regulating the air-conditioning units.