On theme with this year’s focus on sustainability in the UAE, AstraZeneca has announced plans to construct sustainable offices at Dubai Science Park, a member of TECOM Group PJSC. Set to open in Q3 2023, the move is part of the biopharmaceutical giant’s global green agenda and in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and the Year of Sustainability.
The new office design, construction, and materials will meet platinum standards in Leadership in Energy, and Environmental Design (LEED) set out by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Green Building Classification System is one of the most widely used worldwide and a marker of healthy, efficient, and carbon-saving buildings.
Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Science Park, part of TECOM Group, said, “Health and sustainability go hand-in-hand. We cannot improve our collective well-being without putting the planet’s health first. Such foresight is what puts AstraZeneca among the world’s leading biopharmaceutical firms. They champion sustainability in healthcare, and their new offices in Dubai Science Park will add another benchmark for the industry. AstraZeneca can amplify their green efforts while promoting excellence in healthcare and research by joining our community of global and regional businesses across the health, energy and environment sectors.”
Sameh El Fangary, GCC and Pakistan Cluster President – AstraZeneca, added, “Everyone involved in the delivery of healthcare has a role to play in addressing the global threat of climate change. Our new green offices will help us expand our local footprint in the UAE and demonstrate our support for the government’s ambition to drive and accelerate sustainable development in healthcare, aligning with the We the UAE 2031 vision. We are taking bold action, guided by our ‘Ambition Zero Carbon’ strategy, to reduce our environmental footprint and inspire continued collaboration globally and in the region.”
Promoting sustainable healthcare
This year puts great focus on sustainability. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, designated 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ leading up to the highly anticipated COP28 conference, to be held in Dubai later this year. The new offices represent AstraZeneca’s commitment to the UAE Sustainability Goals and its global ‘Ambition Zero Carbon’ strategy, which aims to eliminate carbon emissions from its global operations by 2025.
AstraZeneca is a champion of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force – a public-private partnership committed to accelerating the delivery of net zero healthcare systems. The company recently held its first multilateral engagement on health and climate at COP27, bringing together members of the SMI, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Commonwealth Secretariat to announce new joint action to accelerate net zero healthcare in three areas: supply chains, patient care pathways, and clinical trials.
Dubai Science Park is part of TECOM Group’s business district portfolio, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, and Dubai Design District (d3) and Dubai Industrial City.