KUWAIT CITY, April 30: Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya continues to set the standard for responsible tourism and hospitality in the Middle East by becoming the first and only hotel in Kuwait to achieve Platinum certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). One of the industry’s most prestigious accolades in the drive towards a greener future, LEED is the world’s most widely recognised and independently verified green building rating system.

The certification marks both the Hotel and the 140,000-square-metre (1.5-million-square-foot) Burj Alshaya complex in which it is located as only one of two buildings in the country to have received the LEED Platinum certification – the highest of LEED’s three-tier levels after Silver and Gold. Burj Alshaya also includes the head office of Alshaya Group and offices for many of Kuwait’s prestigious businesses.

Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya is one of the most striking hotels in the world: a sleek, avant-garde address with a distinctly modern vision of Middle Eastern design that has been devoted to sustainable practices since it opened its doors in the summer of 2017. Innovative on-site sustainability initiatives that contributed to its Platinum LEED certification include on-site water bottling, extensive recycling, AI-driven waste management, the elimination of single-use plastics and Styrofoam, energy consumption tracking and carbon footprint measurement. In addition, the Hotel offers complimentary e-charging stations for guests’ electric vehicles and uses eco-friendly key cards instead of plastic alternatives while its first e-limousine is due to cruise into use in 2024.

“LEED Platinum certification highlights the importance that both Alshaya group and Four Seasons alike place on the environment and sustainability,” comments Martin Kipping, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya. “It represents the efforts of everyone involved with the hotel and its environment and is also a recognition of the willingness of our guests to work with us in creating a greener future.”

LEED-certified green buildings are better buildings Since its inception in 1998, the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification has emerged as a globally recognised symbol of sustainability achievement, supported by an entire industry of committed organisations and individuals paving the way for market transformation. LEED has a holistic approach, considering all the critical elements that work together to create the most sustainable building possible. The certification aims to create better buildings that mitigate global climate change, enhance human health, protect water resources, enhance biodiversity, promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles, and improve community quality of life.

Community at the core Beyond its sustainable design features and water-saving initiatives, the team at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya practices responsible hospitality through community initiatives; 2023’s events included funfilled family events at the Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice (BACCH) and a beach clean-up that saw the Hotel’s ‘Four Seasons For Good’ team restore the local beach to a pristine condition.