Green Building Rating Systems: Estidama, Mostadam and LEED

Projects often lose rating points and money for avoidable reasons. The target rating is set without checking which credits suit the site, climate and budget. Energy and water strategies are decided before the rating requirements are understood. Contractors are not told what evidence they must collect, and submittals are assembled at the end from incomplete records. Teams working across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, or on international-brand projects, must also manage different systems with different logic and documentation.

This programme compares the three systems and then follows a project through their shared stages. It moves through five areas: how each rating system is structured and administered, integrated design strategies for energy and water in a hot, arid climate, materials, indoor environment and site credits, construction-phase compliance and documentation, and operations, performance verification and the business case.

Built on recognised practice. The programme references the Estidama Pearl Rating System used in Abu Dhabi, Mostadam, Saudi Arabia's green building rating system, and LEED from the U.S. Green Building Council, including the move from LEED v4 and v4.1 to LEED v5. It also refers to supporting standards commonly cited by these systems, such as ASHRAE 90.1 for energy performance and ASHRAE 62.1 for ventilation, and to whole-life carbon and life-cycle assessment principles.

Decisions this programme improves. Which rating system and target level fit the project and the client's obligations; which credits to pursue and which to drop; when design decisions must be made to secure credits; how to assign credit responsibilities across the design and construction team; and how to judge whether a green feature adds value over the building's life.

How it is delivered. Twenty hours across five sessions, built around one running case: a mixed-use development that must meet an Estidama Pearl requirement for one plot, a Mostadam target for a Saudi project and a LEED target requested by an international tenant. Participants build a credit strategy, a responsibility matrix and a documentation plan, and compare the three systems side by side.

In-house option. For organisations, the programme can be tailored to your own project portfolio, the rating systems you use most and your design and construction procedures, and delivered for design, project management and facilities teams together.

Who Should Attend

Design professionals: architects, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers and sustainability consultants

Project managers: owner, developer and consultant project managers responsible for green building targets

Contractors: construction managers, site engineers and quality and environmental officers who deliver credit evidence

Developers and owners: development managers and asset managers setting sustainability requirements

Facility managers responsible for building operation and operational ratings

Objectives

Explain the structure, categories, rating levels and assessment stages of Estidama, Mostadam and LEED

Compare the three systems and identify where one design strategy supports credits in more than one system

Select a realistic target rating and credit strategy based on site, climate, budget and client requirements

Apply passive and active design strategies that reduce energy and water demand in a hot, arid climate

Evaluate materials, indoor environmental quality and site credits for cost and practicality

Prepare a credit responsibility matrix covering designers, contractors and owners

Plan construction-phase evidence collection, including waste, materials and commissioning records

Review documentation for completeness before submission to the assessing body

Assess the life-cycle cost and carbon implications of green building features

Explain how operational performance is measured and maintained after handover

Course Outline

Three Systems Compared: Structure, Administration and Rating Levels

Why rating systems matter: planning requirements, tenders, investors and tenants
Estidama and the Pearl Rating System: categories, required credits and design and construction stages
Mostadam: rating systems, categories, assessment process and link to national sustainability goals
LEED: rating system families, prerequisites, credits and award levels; key changes in LEED v5
Side-by-side comparison: scope, emphasis, documentation and assessment route
Choosing a system and target level for a project

Energy and Water: Design Strategies for a Hot, Arid Climate

Integrated design process and early design workshops
Passive design: orientation, shading, envelope, glazing and thermal mass
Efficient cooling systems, controls and energy modelling principles
Reference standards for energy performance and ventilation
Renewable energy options on site
Indoor and outdoor water efficiency, landscape water and water reuse
Metering and monitoring strategies

Materials, Indoor Environment and Site

Responsible sourcing, recycled content and regional materials
Life-cycle assessment and embodied carbon in material choices
Indoor air quality, low-emitting materials and thermal comfort
Daylight, views and acoustic comfort
Site selection, heat island mitigation, transport and connectivity
Cost-effective credit selection: quick wins and costly credits

Delivering Credits: Construction Compliance and Documentation

Credit responsibility matrix for designers, contractors and owners
Specifications and tender documents that carry rating requirements
Construction waste management and site environmental controls
Material submittals and evidence collection on site
Commissioning and its role in all three systems
Assembling and checking submissions; responding to reviewer comments

Operations, Performance and the Business Case

From design rating to operational performance: closing the performance gap
Rating systems for existing buildings and operations
Measurement and verification, energy dashboards and digital building tools
Life-cycle costing and value of green features to owners and tenants
Whole-life carbon and net-zero building trends
Action plan: improving rating outcomes on your next project

Competencies

Estidama, Mostadam and LEED structure and comparison

Target rating selection and credit strategy

Passive and active design for hot, arid climates

Energy and water efficiency credits

Materials, indoor environment and site credits

Credit responsibility and documentation planning

Construction-phase compliance and evidence collection

Life-cycle cost and embodied carbon assessment

Operational performance and measurement

Cairo

Access Elite Academy’s complete training portfolio in Cairo. As one of the region’s largest business and institutional centers, the city provides a strong setting for organizations and professionals seeking expert-led learning, with upcoming scheduled courses and other programs available on request. Cairo is one of Elite Academy’s international training destinations and gives organizations and professionals access to our complete portfolio of training programs across all disciplines. As one of the region’s largest business and institutional centers, the city offers a professional setting for focused learning. Participants can choose from upcoming scheduled courses in Cairo or request any other program from the Elite Academy portfolio to be arranged in the city, subject to scheduling and delivery requirements. Browse the upcoming schedule below or explore our training areas to identify the program that best matches your organization’s development priorities or your own professional goals.