Three markets, three sets of rules
These markets are often grouped together, but their rules differ. Bahrain has a mandatory green building code under its Benayat permitting system. Oman has launched the national Roznah rating, starting with government buildings, and a new building code is reported to become mandatory by 2030. In Kuwait we have not found a rating mandate currently enforced, though the national energy conservation code applies. Confirm the current position for your project with the relevant authority.
On top of those rules, LEED is the most widely recognised international benchmark and fits most investors, occupiers and portfolios. GSAS is the alternative when GCC-wide regional alignment or government expectations favour it.
The practical route to a credible rating
Set the target and credit strategy before the design locks, feed the requirements into the design, keep an evidence trail as the design evolves, and verify the build through material submittals and audits. The discipline is the same as in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and only the destination differs.
What certification returns
A rating gives international tenants and investors a recognised signal of performance and supports the asset's environmental, social and governance reporting. A project-specific business case at concept stage is the honest way to size the return.
Working across borders
Green-building coordination is naturally cross-border: documentation, calculations and stakeholders are managed at a distance, with on-site audit and verification wherever the project needs it.
Sources & references
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