The UAE leads the way in cost-effective construction for sustainable and healthy schools, driving the GCC’s $50bn education project pipeline, industry experts have stated.
Across the GCC, public and private educational organisations are pouring $50bn in investment into more than 500 educational projects.
With the world’s largest international school market, the UAE alone is adding more than 200 schools and 300,000 students by 2020, according to a recent report by Alpen Capital.
Santosh Raj Pillai, sales and export manager for the Middle East and Africa at global education construction consultancy, Hunter Douglas, said: “The UAE demonstrates global best practices in using sustainable architecture methods to renovate existing schools and to build new schools on time and on budget.
“With the latest construction materials, GCC schools can better foster a productive learning environment for both educators and students.”
In the region, Hunter Douglas Architectural is exchanging best practices from recently renovating the school building of Helicon VMBO Den Bosch in the Netherlands.
The renovation replaced closely packed spaces with open areas, fluorescent LED lighting, and added new green façade panels with living plants.