Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) has been awarded a LEED ND Stage 2 Platinum certification, becoming the largest mixed-use financial center in the world to achieve the highest possible accreditation.
LEED is an internationally recognised designation that indicates a building or community was designed and built to be environmentally friendly in an aim to promote a higher quality of life. This certification confirms KAFD as a global centre for excellence in sustainability at every level – from its green building credentials to its robust public transport facilities and walkable infrastructure.
KAFD has sustainability built into the core of its infrastructure. Its energy-efficient building initiatives include: district cooling plants that help reduce energy consumption required for cooling; use of LED streetlights instead of conventional lighting; and installation of renewable energy sources such as solar panels in several of its towers.
KAFD is also equipped with a site-wide automated waste collection system that collects and segregates recyclable waste, eliminating the use of garbage trucks on KAFD streets and thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
To encourage walkability, KAFD’s innovative design includes the Wadi, a shaded pedestrian walkway that sits 5.5 meters below street level to provide a naturally cooler air flow. Additionally, most of KAFD’s internal access roads are paved with concrete that has a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) value – reducing the “heat island effect” and supporting cooler temperatures throughout the development.