with district cooling technology in any
climatic challenges.
‘Bigger, Better, More’
The year 2005 was arguably the most
exciting period of property investment
and development in the history of the
countries forming the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC): the UAE, Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The
GCC spent $150 billion on development
in late 2005, with the UAE, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait primarily
accounting for this major growth spurt.
Many regional projects, breathtaking
in their enormity and vision, are acting
as magnets to the international real
estate industry. Within the UAE alone,
these developments include the $1.6 billion Dubai Festival City; the $2.5 billion
Dubai airport expansion; Dubai's stunning man-made Palm Islands, which will
join the Great Wall of China as one of
man’s few accomplishments that can be
seen from space; Burj Dubai, the world's
tallest tower; Abu Dhabi airport expansions and beachfront developments such
as the $54 million Al Raha Beach project;
and the new Central Market and Shams
project set to redefine Abu Dhabi’s skyline.
Maybe one of the best indications of
the scale of development in this part of
the world is that Guinness World Records
had come to the region so regularly in
the past three years due to all the ‘bigger,
better, more’ growth that the organization finally established permanent representation here.
As the region evolves on fast forward,
another massive project taking shape in
the UAE is the fully integrated Dubai Metro
public transportation system for which
Tabreed, the National Central Cooling
Company PJSC, has recently been awarded
a contract in excess of $800 million. The
…upon completion, the cooling
load will peak at 350,000 tons.
project will comprise 43 metro stations
that will initially require a cooling load
of 36,000 tons of refrigeration; upon
completion, the cooling load will peak
at 350,000 tons.
Tabreed Expands
Tabreed, which started the UAE’s
first district cooling system in 1999, has
About Tabreed
History: Tabreed, the National Central Cooling Company PJSC, was established
with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Offset Group in 1998.
‘Tabreed’ means ‘cooling’ in Arabic.
Offices: Main office in the UAE. Subsidiary companies based in Qatar, Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia.
Systems: In UAE – more than 24 systems either in operation or under construction, plus more than 10 projects in design or planning stages. In Qatar –
two systems under construction to serve the Pearl of the Gulf developments. In
Bahrain – one system under construction, three others in planning stage.
Revenue: 285,500,000 UAE dirhams ($77.6 million) for the first 9 months of
fiscal 2005, reflecting a revenue growth of 98 percent that resulted in a 160
percent increase in net profit over the same period of 2004.
Recognition: In 2005 Tabreed earned two IDEA District Energy Space Awards
for system growth in the Beyond North America category: the Gold Medal for
Most Total Square Footage Committed/Recommitted ( 10,899,204 sq ft) and the
Gold Medal for Most Buildings Committed/Recommitted ( 1,100 buildings).
responded to the region’s incredible
development by quickly expanding its
presence in Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi
Arabia. The similarity of climate and
cooling methods used in the GCC region
facilitates Tabreed’s application of cooling technologies throughout the area.
Qatar Cool, Tabreed’s first subsidiary, was established in 2002 and has
two district cooling systemsunder construction that should be completed by
mid-2006. to serve Qatar’s Pearl of the
Gulf, a 400-hectare (more than 988-acre)
man-made island off the coast of Doha’s
West Bay Lagoon. Designed to be a complete residential and leisure island, the
Pearl of the Gulf will offer a range of different precincts with outstanding services, hotels, restaurants and residential
quarters, and a mosaic of different recreational facilities. The island will have
strong local, regional and international
appeal with property ownership open to
foreigners.
When completed the island will be a
global community of around 30,000 residents as well as a destination for local
and international visitors. Island construction began in April 2004 with first
occupancy planned for September 2006.
Overall development costs are estimated
at $2.5 billion. District cooling will be
available throughout the island; a total of
52,000 tons of refrigeration will be
required when the island is fully occupied.
Tabreed Bahrain, established in
October 2004, is currently developing
four systems in the following areas: Al
Seef, Juffair, Busateen and the Diplomatic
Area,where it will serve the new Bahrain
World Trade Centre. Although Bahrain
currently relies mainly on window-type
air conditioners, it has recently been
moving toward modern district cooling
systems, especially in larger and more
complex projects.
Tabreed Saudi, established in July
2005 in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, is preparing to establish various district cooling
schemes across the kingdom.
Each of these subsidiaries has its own
well-established territory and personnel
but can always rely on the support of
mother company Tabreed, which drives
the business and training operations.
Meeting Demands
Power generation is central to the
governments strategy for making the
Gulf countries the preferred location for
business and industry. The fast-paced,
innovative nature of development in the
Middle East requires equally innovative
cooling solutions that can meet government standards for energy efficiency and
are suited for the region’s world-leading,
record-breaking projects.
In 2001, District Energy highlighted
how Tabreed was pioneering the concept
of district cooling in the Middle East.
Cooling has always been a focal point of
life in the Gulf, and district cooling, which
