Agility, a supply chain services, infrastructure and innovation company, announced that a warehouse at its Agility Logistics Park complex in Riyadh is the first building in Saudi Arabia as well as the first warehouse in the GCC to receive EDGE Advanced certification as a green building.
EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) is the global standard for energy-efficient buildings, a certification system overseen by the International Finance Corp. (IFC), an arm of the World Bank. Basic certification requires a minimum projected reduction of 20% energy use, water use and “embodied energy” in materials as benchmarked against a standard local building.
Agility received EDGE Advanced certification for a warehouse at its 870,000 SQM Riyadh park. EDGE Advanced buildings are “zero-carbon ready” structures that are at least 40% more energy efficient than others in the market.
“Agility is determined to lead the way in development of modern, energy-efficient logistics infrastructure. We want to help drive Saudi growth, generate jobs, conserve resources and be an example for others in the area of sustainability,” said Michel Saab, CEO of Agility Logistics Parks/Global Operations.
Agility Logistics Parks are secure, connected, 24/7 complexes with Grade A, international-standard warehouses designed with advanced engineering and sustainability features. In addition to its Riyadh complex, Agility Logistics Parks operates a 200,000 SQM facility in Dammam and recently announced plans to invest SAR 611 billion (USD 163 million) to build a 576,000 SQM warehouse park near Jeddah.
Tenants at Agility Logistics Parks include international and local businesses in the retail, consumer goods, technology, automotive, energy and e-commerce sectors.
In October, Saudi Arabia announced details of a comprehensive strategy intended to position the country as a global logistics center. Saudi Arabia’s Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (GSCRI) aims to attract $11 billion in fresh investment in its first two years and to enhance the country’s role as a vital supply chain crossroads through development of logistics and industrial infrastructure, economic cities, and green energy, innovation and manufacturing.
“We believe Agility has an important role to play in helping the Kingdom achieve its ambition to be a key link in global supply chains and to meet the goals outlined in its broader Vision 2030 plan,” Saab said.