The Future of Our Built Environment Is Already Standing

Marc Lynch, Vice Chair, CIBSE MENA & Associate, Cundall

Across the MENA region, we are approaching a defining moment for the built environment. While much of the conversation in recent decades has centred on ambitious new developments and remarkable growth, the next chapter of our industry’s impact may well depend on how we transform the buildings that already exist.

Many buildings delivered during periods of rapid urban expansion are now entering mid- to end-of-life. Across the UAE and the wider region, owners and operators face ageing MEP systems, rising operational costs, evolving occupier expectations and increasing pressure to improve environmental performance. In the UAE alone, around half of the city’s building stock is between 25 and 40 years old, representing both a significant challenge and an extraordinary opportunity.

At the same time, the policy landscape is changing. The UAE’s Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 signals a shift towards greater accountability for emissions reduction, reporting and climate resilience. Across the region, governments are strengthening net zero ambitions, ESG requirements and sustainability frameworks, creating both momentum and necessity for action.

Yet retrofit should not be viewed solely through the lens of compliance or carbon reduction. At its heart, it is about unlocking value. It is about extending the life of existing assets, improving the places where people live and work, strengthening resilience, and ensuring buildings remain fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world. The most successful organisations increasingly recognise that sustainability and commercial performance are not competing priorities; they are fundamentally connected.

Around the world, refurbishment and retrofit have already been proven as some of the fastest and most cost-effective routes to reducing emissions from the built environment. Here in MENA, we have an opportunity to accelerate that transition while responding to the unique climatic, operational and economic challenges of our region.

The UAE already offers a compelling example. Al Maryah Tower in Abu Dhabi was once at risk of becoming a stranded asset. Through one of the region’s most ambitious retrofit programmes, the building underwent a complete transformation, including a major HVAC overhaul, upgraded fresh air systems and extensive building services improvements.

Recognised as the CIBSE MENA Retrofit Project of the Year 2025, it demonstrates what can be achieved when vision, engineering expertise and long-term thinking come together. More importantly, it provides a scalable model for how existing buildings can be repositioned for a low-carbon future while protecting and enhancing asset value.

Retrofit is no longer a niche discipline or a future consideration. It is one of the most important challenges—and opportunities—facing our profession today.

The buildings that define our cities are already standing. Our task is to ensure they remain relevant, resilient and fit for a low-carbon future.

I encourage everyone across our industry to share knowledge, champion success stories and embrace the innovation needed to accelerate this transition. The future of our built environment depends not only on what we build next, but on what we choose to do with what we already have.