Mostadam Green Building Rating System
Mostadam aims to create a better built environment in Saudi Arabia. The rating system includes a set of sustainability technical requirements that projects must implement and integrate to be awarded the certificate, which acknowledges their efforts and distinguishes them from conventional developments.
Mostadam is projected to have a big impact on the region. After all, more than 5,200 construction projects are currently ongoing in Saudi Arabia at a value of USD 819 billion. These projects account for approximately 35% of the total value of active projects across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Overview Of Mostadam
Mostadam is a green building rating system developed by the Ministry of Housing of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and administered by Sustainable Building.
This building rating system is created for Saudi Arabia’s local climate and environmental characteristics. It supports the Saudi economy and employment.
Additionally, it’s designed to comply with existing legislation. Mostadam aligns with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Building Code (SgBC).
Vision 2030 emphasizes three priority areas, which are at the core of Mostadam as a rating system:
- Water
- Energy
- Human Health & Comfort
Among others, Mostadam helps to increase energy efficiency, encourage the use of renewable energy, increase water efficiency and the use of recycled water, and increase overall awareness of sustainability.
A growing number of companies are starting to think of sustainability as a tool for improving profitability. It’s estimated that by 2030, at least $12 trillion of yearly market opportunities will be linked to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. (2)(3) To achieve this, companies use frameworks like Mostadam.
The Benefits Of Mostadam
Mostadam specifically works to promote energy and water conservation, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction practices.
Vision 2030 prioritizes three areas – Ambitious Nation, Vibrant Society, and Thriving Economy. These priority areas focus on several benefits:
- Protecting vital resources.
- Using resources with consideration for future generations.
- Healthy living.
- An empowering society.
- Achieving environmental sustainability.
- Developing cities.
- Increasing the energy sector’s competitiveness.
- Improving the renewable energy market.
As a national rating system, it also helps create jobs and contributes to the GDP.
Mostadam Rating Systems
The system consists of three rating systems:
Mostadam applies to single and multi-residential buildings of all sizes. Multi-residential buildings can also include mixed-use developments, as long as the residential component is 90% of the GFA. Sustainable Building makes case-by-case decisions for projects that do not comply with these requirements.
An Individual Dwelling must be three stories or lower. Multi-residential buildings are four stories or higher.
Mostadam for Residential Buildings does not apply to:
- Temporary developments with a planned existence of fewer than 2 years
- University halls of residence
- Hotel-type serviced accommodation
- Residential care homes
- Guest worker accommodation
Mostadam for Communities applies to new and existing residential, commercial, and mixed-use communities.
Mostadam for Communities requires that Residential Communities make up over 50% of the total GFA. More than 50% of Mixed-Use Communities must be used for non-residential use. Overall, at least 25% of the project’s total GFA must be residential. The size of a project can range from 0.2km²-1km².
This rating system does not apply to industrial developments and labor camps.
Mostadam for Commercial Buildings applies to commercial developments, including offices, retail, hospitals, warehouses, government buildings, and mosques.
Mostadam can be applied to various different scopes of development as per the below:
- The skeleton or shell of a building
- Core and shell
- Fit-out
- Full scope
And each rating system has two components:
This component applies to new developments. The credits cover the planning, design, and construction stages. Some credits act as a bridge between Design + Construction and Operations + Existing.
Operations + Existing applies to newly constructed developments or already occupied older developments. It was developed to assess the increase in quality of life and operational efficiency of the project.
Mostadam Credits
The different Mostadam rating levels for Design + Construction and Operations + Existing (except for Commercial Design + Construction) are:
- Mostadam Green (≥ 20 points)
- Mostadam Bronze (≥ 35 points)
- Mostadam Silver (≥ 50 points)
- Mostadam Gold (≥65 points)
- Mostadam Diamond (≥ 80 points)
Mostadam for Residential Buildings and Communities consist of a maximum of 100 points available for each project. The project score is a sum of all of the points achieved through credits.
Commercial Design + Construction levels are the same, but points are awarded differently.
Commercial D+C Rating Levels and Applicability of Points
| Shell only | Core and Shell | Fit-Out | Full Scope | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Points Available | 35 | 130 | 100 | 130 |
| Mostadam Green | ≥ 10 | ≥ 25 | ≥ 20 | ≥ 25 |
| Mostadam Bronze | ≥ 15 | ≥ 45 | ≥ 35 | ≥ 45 |
| Mostadam Silver | ≥ 20 | ≥ 65 | ≥ 50 | ≥ 65 |
| Mostadam Gold | ≥ 25 | ≥ 85 | ≥ 65 | ≥ 85 |
| Mostadam Diamond | ≥ 30 | ≥ 105 | ≥ 80 | ≥ 105 |
Core keystone credits are mandatory for all projects in all building types
These keystone credits ensure that Saudi Arabia’s priority areas are addressed. Projects that achieve these credits earn a rating level of Mostadam Green.
There are keystone credits in each of the following categories:
- Site Sustainability
- Transportation and Connectivity
- Region and Culture
- Energy
- Water
- Health & Comfort
- Policies, Management, and Maintenance
- Materials & Waste
- Education & Innovation
Mostadam Certification Processes
Mostadam certification processes for Design + Construction
- Appoint Mostadam AP.
- Register the project with Sustainable Building and choose the target level.
- Appoint other professionals required to implement the rating system.
- Gather evidence for the Design Stage Submission.
- Submit for the Design Stage after completing the design stage.
- Design Rating Compliance Letter.
- Gather evidence for Construction Stage Submission.
- Complete site visits.
- Submit for Construction Stage after completion of the construction stage.
- Construction Rating Certificate.
Mostadam certification processes for Operations + Existing
- Appoint Mostadam AP.
- Register the project with Sustainable Building and choose the target level.
- Create policies for 6 months. Implement policies for 6 months.
- Gather evidence for Operation Stage submission or Recertification.
- Complete site visits.
- Submit for Operation Stage after the monitoring period or Recertification.
- Retain O+E Status every 5 years through Recertification.
What previous participants are saying about Mostadam trainings
“Very informative and helpful for someone who has no knowledge about Mostadam. The training answers a lot of questions.”
Nada Salem,
Sustainability Professional, UAE
Mostadam Accredited Professional
Mostadam Accredited Professional (Mostadam AP) is an industry professional ready to support and monitor projects seeking Mostadam certification.
The requirements for a Mostadam AP are to:
- Have a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or a relevant field.
- Complete Mostadam AP training courses in any element of Mostadam rating system.
- Pass the exam administered by Sustainable Building or Saudi Real Estate Institute (SREI) (24 out of 40 questions must be answered correctly).
- Undertake Continued Professional Development (CPD), which is the process of maintaining and enhancing knowledge, skills, and experience beyond the initial training and certification.
Mostadam APs are responsible for:
- Being a point of contact for the project team and to coordinate to provide any additional information if needed.
- Project registration, documentation submission, and coordination with Mostadam Assessor for all technical discussions related to the project.
- Understanding the Mostadam credits requirements and providing the project team with guidance and support.
- Supporting the project team when defining a Sustainability Action Plan.
- Reviewing documentation and evidence prior to submission to Sustainable Building.
- Submitting Credit Clarification Inquiries (CCIs) to Sustainable Building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostadam is a green building rating system developed by the Ministry of Housing with the ultimate goal of improving the built environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mostadam is administered by Sustainable Building, a program under the Ministry of Housing that provides three main services:
- Construction Quality Inspection
- Existing Building Inspection
- Building Sustainability Assessments.
Mostadam is the program name of the third service offered by Sustainable Building.
Mostadam applies to a wide range of typologies and is comprehensive in its application from design to operations.
The following are the typologies applicable for certification:
- Residential Building (Single and Multi-family)
- Community Development (Masterplanning)
- Offices / Governmental Buildings
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Educational Institutions
- Hospitality
- Warehouses
- Mosques
- Mostadam does not apply to industrial developments and temporary buildings.
Sustainable Building, the administrator of Mostadam Green Building rating system, is a governmental initiative established by the Ministry of Housing.
Mostadam is a voluntary rating system that aims to support projects in achieving the sustainable goals defined in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. As the only national rating system for Saudi Arabia, there is understandably a huge interest in Mostadam across the industry, which will invariably lead many projects to adopt Mostadam as their sustainability policy of choice.
Mostadam is a national green building rating system developed by Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia. Mostadam is aligned with Vision 2030 in achieving the nation’s sustainability-related goals. Also, Mostadam is the only rating system developed by Saudi Arabia, available in both English and Arabic.
Certification starts with appointing a Mostadam AP (Accredited Professional) who is a qualified engineer with certification from the Saudi Real Estate Institute. The process will then require the Mostadam AP to register the project in the Sustainable Building Portal and all following activities will be clarified by the appointed project Mostadam Assessor, who is responsible for the review and confirmation of compliance of your project on behalf of Sustainable Building.
Any professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or any relevant fields that relate to Sustainability of the Built Environment can become a Mostadam Accredited Professional (AP).
You need to register on the Saudi Real Estate Institute website for any of the upcoming courses and pass the short exam that follows the delivery of the course in order to receive your qualification. More details can be found by clicking this link.
Mostadam AP courses are currently available in Arabic and English. Please check the course offering on the SREI website to understand the language of delivery.
All Mostadam manuals are available for download on the Sustainable Building website in both English and Arabic.
Link to Mostadam manuals
Fees are calculated based on the Built-Up Area and the number of buildings. Please contact Sustainable Building to get the necessary information.
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