Sustainable City outside of Dubai Aims to Become Solar-Powered Oasis in the Desert

Sustainable City aims to be a “net-zero” settlement, producing all the energy it needs from renewable sources on site. Located outside of Dubai city center it will become a solar-powered green oasis in the desert.

First opened to residents in 2016, the private settlement on the outskirts of Dubai is designed to use as little energy and water as possible.

“The Sustainable City is a living laboratory for testing future technologies and solutions,” said Karim El-Jisr, head of SEE Institute, the research arm of the city’s developer, Diamond Developers.

Low-carbon projects like Dubai’s Sustainable City are useful testing grounds for cities looking to go green, said Abdulla Al Basti, the head of Dubai’s executive council.

In September, the UAE pledged that by 2030 all new buildings will produce no more emissions than they can absorb, and all existing buildings will meet that goal by 2050. 

Emma Stewart, who leads the World Resources Institute’s urban efficiency and climate program added, “If a group of desert emirates can find a way to go green, it could prove a powerful example to other cities. If this can be done in a desert environment that is difficult for humans to inhabit… it can be done everywhere.”