Many delegates headed to Masdar City to visit the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA), the first building to receive the highest sustainability rating in the UAE. This program, titled “High-Performance Buildings Taking Center Stage,” was kindly hosted and organized by Masdar.
Attendees of the “High-Performance Buildings Taking Center Stage” program traveled in style with Masdar City’s driverless personal rapid transit system.
Delegates toured the beautiful and sustainable Masdar City at the start of the second day of the Abu Dhabi Program, which featured off-site tours, presentations and discussions at various prominent developments around the emirate.
Delegates stop to view a scale model of Masdar City and learn about the city’s sustainable master plan
During the tour of Masdar City, delegates pass under the roof of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, which is made of 252 façade casements, that open and close to provide the building with natural ventilation. 
Delegates arrive at the Louvre Abu Dhabi for the “Culture at the Megascale” Off-Site Program, kindly hosted by Louvre Abu Dhabi and sponsored by BuroHappold Engineering. 
“Culture at the Megascale” Off-Site Program attendees gather in the Louvre Abu Dhabi to hear presentations centered around engineering the largest art museum on the Arabian Peninsula.
Delegates tour the Louvre Abu Dhabi and admire the geometric design of the museum’s dome.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, which calls itself “A Museum City in the Sea”, is comprised of 55 detached buildings and is accessible by both land and sea.
The dome that covers the Louvre Abu Dhabi features a geometric design that forms 7,850 stars of various sizes and shapes, which allow light to shine into the space in interesting patterns.
Not only did delegates have an opportunity to admire the architectural design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, but they also got to appreciate the beautiful art exhibited in the space.
A view of The Gate Shams Abu Dhabi, a three-tower residential complex linked by an arcing skybridge, from Sky Tower, the venue for the Abu Dhabi Off-Site “Creating a New Urban Gateway.”
Beshoy Girgis, Vice President Development, Aldar Properties, delivers the presentation “High-Rise: Real Estate Developer Perspective.”
Prodipto Ghosh, Senior Associate Director, CallisonRTKL, delivers a presentation to the “Creating a New Urban Gateway” session during the Abu Dhabi Off-Site at Sky Tower.
Delegates discuss lessons learned from the development, design and management teams of the 135-hectare Shams Abu Dhabi mixed-use project.  
Participants in the Abu Dhabi Off-Site located at Sky Tower at the Gate Shams Abu Dhabi development were met with a plentiful breakfast spread of fruit, sandwiches and pastries. 
Attendees and presenters of the Abu Dhabi Off-Site “Creating a New Urban Gateway” at Sky Tower gather for a group photo after the session concludes.
Delegates gather before their tour of Abu Dhabi Global Market Square during Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi Program, the final day of the 2018 Middle East Conference.
A detail shot of Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, which is part of the Financial Free Zone of Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi’s burgeoning new Commercial Business District.
An exterior shot of Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, which delegates toured as part of the Abu Dhabi Off-Site Program “Financial Free Zone as Polycenter.”
Hamed Vahidi, CEO, PS-Co., chairs the session “Middle East Cities: Placemaking.”
Christopher Fannin, Managing Director, INSITE Landscape Architects, provides his perspective on crafting Abu Dhabi’s open space.
Mohamed Al-Dah, Director, Webb Yates and Esther Engineers, describes the challenges of placemaking in Abu Dhabi.
Nasser Turk, Regional Manager Middle East & Africa, WATG, delivers the presentation “An Urban Community From the Ground Up.”
Delegates took advantage of the opportunity to question the presenters in “Middle East Cities: Placemaking," part of the Abu Dhabi Program.
Teresa Boake, Professor, University of Waterloo, directs a question to presenters during the Q&A portion of Session 3: “Middle East Cities: Placemaking.”
Peyman A. Nejad, Founder, President & CEO, PAN Partners, offers a question to “Middle East Cities: Placemaking” presenters.
Presenters and Chair from Session 3: “Middle East Cities: Placemaking” from left to right: Christopher Fannin, Managing Director, INSITE Landscape Architects; Session Chair Hamed Vahidi, CEO, PS-Co.Mohamed Al-Dah, Director, Webb Yates and Esther EngineersNasser Turk, Regional Manager Middle East & Africa, WATG.
Attendees of the Abu Dhabi program enjoy a buffet lunch at the Jumeirah Hotel at Etihad Towers, kindly sponsored by PS-Co.
Abu Dhabi Program attendees exchange ideas and contact information at the lunch session of Day 6.
Two delegates engage in intense conversation at the 2018 Middle East Conference Day 6 lunch.
Delegates share a meal and their impressions of the conference from the perspective of the middle of the final day. Clockwise from rear: CTBUH Chairman Steve Watts, Partner, alinea Consulting; Temoor Ahmad, Associate Principal, Grimshaw Architects; CTBUH Chief Executive Officer Antony Wood; CTBUH Vertical Transportation Working Group Chair Robin Cheeseright, Director, D2E International VT Consultants Ltd.; Nasser Turk, Regional Manager, MEA, WATG.
Craig Plumb, Head of Research, JLL, offers the property agent’s perspective on the question “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
Eric Parry, Founder and Principal, Eric Parry Architects, posits a question to the panelists as he chairs the session “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
Joseph Burns, Managing Principal, Thornton Tomasetti, provides his views to the panel discussion “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
CTBUH Chairman Steve Watts, Partner, alinea Consulting, listens as his colleagues discuss the cities of the future in the session, “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
Barry Lee, Director of Design, DBI, enlivens the panel discussion “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?” with his thoughts.
CTBUH Chief Executive Officer Antony Wood discusses the future of sustainable development in his answer to the question “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
CTBUH Canada Chapter Secretary Mark Garland, President, LCL Builds, asks a question during the final session of the Abu Dhabi Program, “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?”
The “Cities 2050: Where Will We Be?” panel closed out the 2018 Conference with insights about the near future. From left to right: CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood; Eric Parry, Founder and Principal, Eric Parry Architects; Craig Plumb, Head of Research, JLL; Joseph Burns, Managing Principal, Thornton Tomasetti; Barry Lee, Director of Design, DBI
Antony Wood, Chief Executive Officer, CTBUH (left) receives a commemorative plaque from Mohamad Al-Dah, Director, Webb Yates Esther Engineering Services (right).
As the CTBUH 2018 Middle East Conference draws to a close, Fawaz Alharbi, Senior Head of Master Planning, Jeddah Economic Company, shakes hands with a colleague as delegates say their final goodbyes before departing from Abu Dhabi.
After six days of enriching presentations, tours and networking, delegates depart the CTBUH Middle East 2018 Conference and reflect on all they learned. See you in 2019 for the next two CTBUH premier events: the Tall+Urban Innovation Conference in Shenzhen and the 10th World Congress in Chicago!