Sustainability
/ ESG Strategy

1.5. Ensure water conservation standards and guidelines during the planning and design of all projects to govern the sustainable management of water resources across UAQ operations and services through an integrative design process in accordance with the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) specifications and LEED standards.

1.6. Ensure energy conservation standards and guidelines, and the use of smart solutions during the planning and design of all projects to govern the sustainable management of energy resources across UAQ operations and services through an integrative design process exceeding SASO specifications and LEED standards.

1.7. Monitor operational water and energy efficiency through building energy management systems (BMS) and post-construction water and energy monitoring directly with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and the National Water Company (NWC).

1.8. Ensure procedures are in place to govern the measurement, monitoring, disclosure, and assurance of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and performance from all UAQ development projects in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030 through the adoption and implementation of sustainable innovative technologies, investing in new energy sources, improving energy efficiency, monitoring carbon footprint and carbon offset associated with UAQ projects, and continuously improve processes to reduce emissions from development projects. This will allow UAQ to manage climate risks and opportunities, and embrace UAQ’s low-carbon plans and targets.

1.9. Achieve net zero, a balance between emissions produced and removed from the atmosphere, and contribute to national net zero carbon targets by 2060 as part of Saudi Vision 2030’s Saudi Green Initiative to accelerate the national green energy transition and mitigate the impacts of climate change; and the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) to address the unique circumstances in the MENA region.

1.10. Address the risks and opportunities posed by climate change and adaptation measures to ensure business continuity and sustainable growth through driving down energy and carbon impacts. UAQ shall take measures to reduce environmental impacts across the full life cycle of buildings and operations in collaboration with all departments and partners. The Risk Management department is responsible for conducting climate change assessments annually with the ESG team.

1.11. Commit to conducting comprehensive Health Impact Assessments (HIA) for all projects and renovations. This includes integrating multiple aspects of occupant health and wellbeing into UAQ’s planning and design processes.

1.12. Ensure a safe and healthy working environment through the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of UAQ’s stakeholders, including contractors and surrounding communities, and effective risk management strategies, robust processes, and mitigation plans to reduce negative impacts throughout the project lifecycle.

1.13. UAQ’s Health & Safety Department shall set H&S performance goals and core value metrics, incorporate all applicable local and national H&S regulations and legal requirements, and align with national and international standards such as Environmental Management System (EMS) or EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

1.14. Ensure the safety of occupants, assets, and building structures post-construction during regular operation and emergencies including fire safety, structural integrity, evacuation procedures, and compliance with national regulatory standards.

1.15. Ensure that building materials sourced by UAQ are sourced responsibly and selected based on minimum defined requirements including environmental impact, high quality, product performance, cost-effectiveness, compliance with national and industry standards, and alignment with UAQ development projects and corporate goals.

1.16. Prioritize local materials that have publicly available health and life-cycle information and declarations conforming to international standards, and are associated with positive health and environmental impacts, when available in the local market.

1.17. Consider the environmental and health attributes of construction materials during the design of development projects to reduce the overall life cycle emissions and the on-site health and safety of personnel and future occupants. This ensures UAQ is able to manage health and environmental risks associated with building material supply chains, and assists with conserving resources, reducing waste, and limiting the impact of new buildings.

1.18. UAQ shall assess, design, monitor, and report on levels of pollutants and efforts to protect air quality and to minimize light and noise pollution from its development projects to the surrounding community in accordance with the Saudi Environmental Law and regulations imposed by MEWA and the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC).

1.19. Align procurement activities with national standards and UAQ’s commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic efficiency by integrating sustainability principles into its supply chain to reduce the environmental impact from development projects and create long-term value for all stakeholders.

2.5. Focus on human capital development to promote talent and manage the performance of employees through learning & development actions and objectives that provide opportunities for employees to grow their competencies, and be rewarded for their performance.

2.6. Empower UAQ employees by enhancing their skills, knowledge, and capabilities to develop, attract, and retain talents.

2.7. Foster a safe organizational culture that promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment, aligned with the needs of the employees and the organization. Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion is embedded in the recruitment process and is aligned with HR Policies to provide equal opportunities to applicants and foster a positive, thriving workplace.

2.8. UAQ endeavors to provide a high level indoor environmental quality in its offices and development projects through implementing proper metered air conditioning, acoustic insulation designs, adequate daylight designs, tight insulation to improved air quality, access to views and daylight.

3.5. Foster resilience and ensure effective implementation of an entity-level business continuity management system that covers all UAQ development projects to safeguard UAQ stakeholders, operations, and reputation.

3.6. Set up an ESG intelligence tool that will guide the oversight function, and provide the structure to implement UAQ’s ESG Policy. The tool shall aim to define the integration and governance of ESG topics at each level of the organizational structure, establish the reporting channels on all ESG material issues, and facilitate ESG public disclosure on material issues and strategic position to its stakeholders. The tool will serve as a market intelligence and benchmarking tool against global best practices and for continuous monitoring of ESG material issues across the company.

3.7. Draft and adopt an ESG internal monitoring tool to support UAQ in adhering to global ethical business standards in managing its day to day activities. The tool will allow UAQ to have the right control channels to manage and govern ESG risks that arise from its business activities, such as privacy, cybersecurity, fraud, money laundering, and corruption. The tool will promote compliance to ESG governance excellence within UAQ’s operations and activities and monitor ESG performance metrics periodically.

3.8. Focus on ESG external reporting to support UAQ’s ESG disclosures and engagement with its stakeholders and improve visibility to local, regional, and international investors. The ESG reporting shall align with Saudi sustainability standards, GRI, and IFRS.

3.9. Create annual ESG external reports to support UAQ’s ESG disclosures and engagement with stakeholders. The external reports shall ensure transparency and alignment with global and local disclosure standards, and meet the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

3.10. Ensure a formal clear, transparent, and actionable approach to addressing and resolving concerns by any of UAQ stakeholders, including employees, vendors, investors, and the community to communicate grievances.

3.11. Contractors and suppliers are required to provide details on their ESG practices during the vendor registration process for prequalification assessment, including business ethics, environmental standards, and health and wellbeing.

4.5. Internal and external collaborations with relevant stakeholders to maximize benefits and to efficiently and effectively implement ESG initiatives