Aldar has announced it will become the first developer in the Middle East and North Africa region to implement hydrogen-based steel rebar in a development project. Supplied by EMSTEEL Group, one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the region, the steel will significantly reduce carbon emissions during the construction of Abu Dhabi’s first net zero carbon mosque in Sustainable City Yas Island.
The mosque, with a 1,595 sqm floor area and capacity for over 850 worshippers, aims to achieve LEED Zero Carbon certification, reaching net zero carbon emissions in production and energy use through clean energy deployment, low carbon materials- including hydrogen-based steel produced via low-emissions processes.
The partnership between Aldar and EMSTEEL aims to champion innovation within the sector and accelerate the industrial transition towards sustainable construction. It will create demand for sustainable materials in the region, generating mutual value by recirculating the benefits within the UAE economy as part of the National In-Country Value (ICV) programme.
Steel is the second largest contributor to embodied carbon in the sector, following concrete, accounting for up to 20 per cent of a building’s total emissions. The manufacturing of hydrogen steel has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95 per cent compared with conventional steel production.
The partnership was inaugurated during Make It In The Emirates 2025– an event dedicated to UAE’s rapidly expanding industrial and manufacturing sectors – in the presence of Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Aldar, and Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group Chief Executive Officer at EMSTEEL.
Salwa Al Maflahi, Executive Director, Sustainability and Community Outreach at Aldar, said: “The low emissions hydrogen-based rebar is more than a material innovation—it’s a catalyst for reshaping our industry. As we transition to low-carbon construction, green steel enables us to reduce embodied carbon at scale, without compromising structural integrity or design ambition. Our partnership with EMSTEEL marks a bold step forward in accelerating the decarbonisation of our supply chain and delivering on our net zero ambitions. This is a game changer for sustainable real estate development.”
