As the Dubai 2040, Urban Master Plan is well underway. CMtoday sheds light on one of the iconic freehold green communities - Jumeirah Golf Estates. In an interview with Adel Michael Gasan, the Community Manager for Jumeirah Golf Estates reveals the different approaches and initiatives they have taken to ensure that the property stays in its best state.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Can you tell us a bit about the Jumeirah Golf Estates?

Adel: Jumeirah Golf Estates offers unparalleled luxury and leisure facilities amidst two internationally-acclaimed championship golf courses. Set across 1,119 hectares of the lush green landscape we have some of the largest and most luxurious properties in the region.

Our homes surround two championship golf courses designed by Greg Norman and have a range of different styles and layouts depending on the resident’s tastes. The villas are separated into over sixteen separate districts.

As host of the annual DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Golf Estates is one of the most iconic freehold communities in the world.

Q: How different is this community managed, when compared to other properties?

Adel: Jumeirah Golf Estate is by far one of the largest and greenest communities in the UAE. Its abundance of sprawling landscape and lakes creates its unique mini-ecosystem making it cooler than other communities in the emirate. To ensure that our landscaping is always at a superlative standard we have a team of experts and specialists ensuring that every aspect of our community operations and our resident’s expectations are taken into consideration.

In a region so famous for its desert landscapes, Jumeirah Golf Estates stands out as a unique freehold oasis. Our location and diverse landscaping attract over 40 species of migratory birds, who are drawn to our lush temperate climate, naturally maintained lakes, and micro-environment.

Wherever possible we like to use nature to support our operations, this can be seen in our use of fish in our lakes to control insects, various landscaping positioned to control wind and provide shade to our community.

Q: What kind of challenges do you face while maintaining this facility?

Adel: The UAE summer weather can result in soaring temperatures, sunlight, and dry conditions, which can quickly result in landscape concerns. This is where our experience comes in, our large trees throughout the community help shade and protect the lower (and more fragile) landscaping.

Managing and controlling water usage (TSE and Natural reserves) during times of high temperatures in a community as landscaped as ours is essential.

Q: What are some of the sustainable measures taken towards the longevity of the community.

Adel: We have implemented many sustainable measures to ensure the longevity of the community. A key one is our energy-saving initiatives. These have been piloted to convert the metal halide into sustainable energy LED’s on our Master Community Ring Road. We also see energy savings through the alternation cycles of VFDs in irrigation pumping stations. And by converting the four electric generators to DEWA permanent power at the Jumeirah Golf Estates Head Office. We have also implemented a sustainable recycling process for the waste generated in our community. And by the end of Q2 this year, we do plan to increase and enhance our recycling stations throughout each community district. We also work closely towards ensuring the community plants and tree nurseries are nurtured.  

Q: Amidst the pandemic, what are some of the safety measures put into place to ensure the safety of the residents/occupants.

Adel: The safety of our residents and staff is always a top priority for Jumeirah Golf Estates.

During the global pandemic, we have increased community disinfecting and sanitization. We conduct a thorough cleaning of the facilities and amenities. We have also enhanced the digital and online operations to 100% of resident services such as; permit applications, service fee payments, owner meetings, NOC’s, access permits, and modification reviews.

Our Security and Community Management Team are available 24/7 via our central communications channels.

In addition, the Jumeirah Golf Estates Community Management Team has all been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.

Q: What can we expect next at the Jumeirah Golf Estates?

Adel: Jumeirah Golf Estates is currently reviewing the possibility of utilizing a mid-scale Solar photovoltaic power generation facility at our Community Retail Centre ‘Centro Al Andalus’ including battery storage and accompanying infrastructure.

The Solar panels which would be placed on the rooftop of the Retail Centre would generate DC power and then convert it into AC power through advanced solar inverters.

The generated solar energy would be fed into the electricity grid for credits from DEWA or could be stored in a multi-battery storage system within our Retail Centre facility.

Some of the expected advantages of these initiatives would be a reduction in carbon emission, a reduction of HVAC load/power consumption, the ability to store power in reserves for emergencies, and community cost saving on utility bills.