QNA
The iconic Al Janoub Stadium, one of the eight stadiums for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, was awarded a gold standard Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) certification for operational performance by the Gulf Organization for Research & Development (GORD), making it the first FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadium to be awarded all three GSAS certifications.
Previously, the stadium received certifications for sustainable design and green construction practices.
The ceremony of handing over the prestigious certificate was attended by representatives from the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), FIFA, GORD and Mosanada Facilities Management Services.
Speaking during the ceremony, SC Deputy Director General Technical Services Eng. Ghanim Al Kuwari said that while reaching new sustainability benchmarks for stadium design and construction, the skills, abilities, processes and resources in the facility management and building operations sector in Qatar have been developed to ensure that venues are as sustainable as can be, adding that detailed training sessions throughout the certification process have been held to ensure the achievement of the best possible outcome for the building and for the team working there who operate the venue on an ongoing basis.
For her part, SC Sustainability Director Eng. Bodour Al Meer said that this certification is evidence of the efforts to deliver on the commitments of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Sustainability Strategy, adding that Qatar is proud to be the first FIFA World Cup host country that is conducting these detailed assessments of the stadiums operations.
Founding Chairman at GORD Dr. Yousef Alhorr said that Al Janoub Stadium is the first-ever project to achieve all three certifications with such high ratings a four-star certification for design and build, an A* certification for construction management, and now a gold one for operations. He added that the project has gone through due diligence all the way from preparation and design through to the construction and post-occupancy phase. This would not have been possible without the keen interest and commitment of the SC and FIFA. By integrating sustainability with sports, they have created awareness at the grassroots level and GORD is proud to be part of this iconic project, he said, adding that together, we are aiming to build a community that will champion sustainable practices in building operations and facility management.
In the same context, FIFA's Head of Sustainability & Environment Federico Addiechi said that obtaining a green building certification for the operations of the stadiums was a voluntary move by Qatar, which was embraced from the very beginning, adding that they believe that this is not only a great standard to be applied across all Qatar 2022 stadiums, but also for other stadiums in future FIFA World Cups.
The operations certification scheme serves as a follow up to assessments made during the design and construction stages. It assesses actual energy and water consumption in the stadium, waste management practices, indoor air quality, satisfaction of building users, as well as facility management practices in place.
GSAS is the MENA regions first green building certification system that assesses and guides projects on how they reduce their environmental footprint during the design, construction and operation stages.