Business & Finance Club - DOHA: The expansion programme for Education City is setting an example with a number of sustainable projects, its solar energy project being the most ambitious in the Middle East.

The expansion project aims to accommodate more than 100,000 students, teachers and other faculty and will be completed by 2016. The expansion aims to accommodate the increasing number of students, who at present represent some 45 countries.

Solar energy is being used to heat water and cool a number of buildings and apartments in Education City, resulting in big savings in electricity use. The irrigation system at Education City is controlled by solar power.

“Education City will be the first to use solar energy on this scale in the region. Today, at least 10 to 50 percent of the energy used in Education City is derived from solar energy and we aim to increase this to 70 percent,” said Mohammed Al Malki, Director of Operations and Facilities, Qatar Foundation.