The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that Al Rayyan Mosque in Hatta has become the first place of worship in the world to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Zero Carbon certification from the US Green Buildings Council.
The mosque achieved the certification by offsetting 175 per cent of its carbon emissions per year, which allows it to contribute to environmental recovery.
The 2025 certification is the third world record for the mosque in energy leadership and environmental design.
Al Rayyan Mosque in Hatta becomes world’s first place of worship to receive LEED Zero Carbon certification
In 2021, it became the first mosque in the world to receive LEED Platinum certification under LEED v4, scoring 83 points for its design. In 2024, it earned LEED Zero Energy certification by producing 150 per cent of its energy needs through solar photovoltaic panels and returning the surplus to the grid.
The cloud base monitoring system’s PV panels have a capacity of 158kWp.
The mosque was built to international standards to ensure no leakage of air, water or heat. The glass and facade reduce air conditioning demand and carbon emissions, while the use of daylight reduces energy consumption.
Roofing and non-roofing materials were selected based on their Solar Reflectance Index to reduce the heat island effect. Water heaters are solar powered.
The mosque spans 1,050 square metres and can accommodate more than 600 worshippers. It has a 25-metre minaret, car and bike parking, facilities for People of Determination, a green charger station, solar panels and a water treatment unit for irrigation and cleaning.
DEWA installed air purification systems and used recycled construction materials to ensure a healthy indoor environment.
DEWA’s Al Rayyan Mosque sets third world record for environmental design
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, expressed his pride in this new global achievement, highlighting how it reinforces DEWA’s leadership in sustainable building design, supports the UAE’s and Dubai’s strategic vision for urban sustainability and advances national and global goals to achieve net zero by 2050.
“Under the wise directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we work to reach a greener future. At DEWA, we are proud to translate this vision into reality – advancing climate action, sustainable urban development and the UAE’s journey towards net zero. Al Rayyan Mosque contributes to creating a positive and sustainable impact on the environment, making it a model for sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings worldwide,” Al Tayer said in a statement.
“Our efforts align with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the comprehensive and sustainable development plan in Hatta. We are keen to fulfil all our economic, social and environmental commitments, and to support efforts to make Dubai an advanced and sustainable future city that relies on the latest technologies to preserve natural resources, enhance electricity and water efficiency, and improve quality of life. DEWA is among the first organisations in Dubai to adopt the concept of green buildings. Today, we have 10 green buildings with an LEED rating and are committed to increasing the number of sustainable buildings that take into account environmental aspects in their design and are powered by clean and renewable energy,” he added.
The certification advances national and global goals to achieve net zero by 2050.
