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Glossary
Energy standards and regulation

What is Estidama Pearl?

Definition

Estidama Pearl is Abu Dhabi's Pearl Rating System, which scores buildings, villas and communities from one to five Pearls on sustainability during design and construction.

Projects that need a rating

Per Abu Dhabi City Municipality, privately funded projects must achieve at least one Pearl and government-funded projects at least two Pearls, and meeting the minimum is needed to obtain a building permit. Developers, architects, MEP engineers and Pearl Qualified Professionals work with the system from concept design through construction.

Water data after occupancy

Pearl credits reward lower water demand and metering, and many Abu Dhabi buildings reuse treated water. Aqueduct's water twin shows reuse flow, RO recovery and STP efficiency, and the balance equation flags unaccounted loss per line, so an owner can see whether the design stage water reduction holds in operation. The rating itself stays with the project team and the assessor.

Questions

Estidama Pearl: common questions

Estidama Pearl is the green building rating that Abu Dhabi's planning authorities apply at permit stage. It assesses design and construction against credits for water, energy, materials, livability and integrated development, and the Pearl count decides whether a project meets its minimum. Aqueduct's view is on the Estidama Pearl compliance page.

Estidama is Abu Dhabi's wider sustainability program. The Pearl Rating System is the tool that applies it to individual buildings, villas and communities. In practice the two names are used together, but only the Pearl Rating System produces a score that a permit or a tender can require.

No. Pearls are earned at design and construction, so measured consumption after occupancy is the only way to see operating performance. Owners who want proof that a water saving design holds in use pair the rating with metered data and leak detection on each line.

Both are mandatory green building systems in the UAE, but they belong to different emirates. Estidama Pearl applies in Abu Dhabi, while Al Sa'fat applies to new buildings in Dubai. A developer with projects in both prepares separate submissions under separate rules.

See Aqueduct on your own facility.

Bring a site, a utility bill or a question. We will show you where the loss is.

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