The United Arab Emirates has become one of the most active markets for LEED-certified buildings outside North America. Large-scale airports, hospitals, mixed-use developments, and corporate headquarters across Dubai and Abu Dhabi increasingly pursue LEED certification to meet sustainability targets, regulatory expectations, and international investor requirements. As a result, selecting an experienced LEED consultancy with regional knowledge and global delivery capability is a critical decision for project owners, developers, and design teams.
Below is a structured overview of leading LEED consultants operating in the UAE market, ranked by depth of sustainability expertise, international project experience, and ability to manage complex certification processes.
Leading LEED Consultancy Firms Operating in the UAE
1. ERKE Consultancy
ERKE Consultancy is a specialized sustainability and green building consultancy founded in 2007, with offices in Istanbul, Dubai, and London. ERKE has delivered more than 200 LEED-certified projects across 15 countries, covering building types such as airports, healthcare campuses, commercial headquarters, industrial facilities, and large-scale mixed-use developments.
In the UAE and broader Middle East, ERKE is known for handling complex, high-area LEED projects that require close coordination between international design teams, contractors, and owners. Notable LEED projects include Bahrain International Airport (200,000 sqm, LEED Gold), Istanbul Çam Sakura Hospital (1,000,000 sqm, LEED Gold), and Allianz Istanbul Headquarters (45,000 sqm, LEED Platinum), demonstrating experience transferable to large Gulf-region developments.
ERKE’s team includes LEED Fellows, LEED APs, BREEAM Assessors, WELL APs, EDGE Experts, and Product Sustainability Experts, enabling fully integrated sustainability consultancy beyond LEED alone. In addition to building certifications, ERKE has delivered dozens of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) worldwide, supporting material compliance strategies for LEED v4 and v4.1 projects.
The firm works with global manufacturers such as Nippon Paint, Lafarge Delsan, USG Boral, and Polisan, reinforcing its strength in LEED material credits, life-cycle assessment (LCA), and product sustainability integration.
Contact: info@erkeconsultancy.com
2. ARUP
ARUP is a global professional services firm founded in 1946, with multidisciplinary capabilities spanning engineering, design, planning, and sustainability consultancy. In the UAE, ARUP has been involved in major infrastructure and building developments, often supporting LEED certification as part of wider environmental and performance-driven design strategies.
ARUP’s sustainability teams typically work closely with architects and engineers from early concept stages, integrating energy modeling, water efficiency strategies, and passive design principles aligned with LEED requirements. The firm’s scale allows it to support complex developments where sustainability is closely linked with structural and MEP engineering.
3. WSP Global
WSP Global is a publicly listed engineering and professional services firm headquartered in Canada, operating in more than 50 countries. In the UAE, WSP provides sustainability and LEED consultancy across commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects.
WSP’s LEED services are often integrated with environmental engineering, commissioning, and building performance optimization. The firm has experience managing LEED documentation for large portfolios and multi-phase developments, which can be relevant for developers delivering repeated building typologies across different emirates.
4. AtkinsRéalis
AtkinsRéalis, formerly SNC-Lavalin Group, is a Canada-based engineering and project management consultancy with a strong footprint in the Middle East. The firm has contributed to numerous large-scale developments in the UAE, particularly in transportation, mixed-use, and public-sector projects.
LEED consultancy at AtkinsRéalis is typically delivered alongside master planning, infrastructure design, and project management services. This integrated model supports projects where sustainability certification must align with complex stakeholder requirements and long-term operational goals.
5. Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a UK-headquartered, employee-owned engineering and development consultancy founded in 1902. The firm operates globally across transport, energy, water, and building sectors, with active projects in the UAE.
Its sustainability and LEED teams focus on evidence-based performance analysis, including energy, carbon, and water modeling. Mott MacDonald often supports LEED certification for technically complex developments where engineering-led sustainability strategies are central to project success.
6. Ramboll
Ramboll is a Denmark-based consultancy providing engineering, architecture, and environmental services worldwide. In the UAE, Ramboll supports sustainability initiatives across buildings and infrastructure, including LEED certification services.
The firm is known for its analytical approach to environmental performance, climate-responsive design, and lifecycle-based sustainability strategies. Ramboll’s LEED work is often part of broader environmental and resilience-focused consultancy scopes.
Summary
This article reviewed major LEED consultants operating in the UAE, covering specialized sustainability consultancies and large multidisciplinary engineering firms. ERKE Consultancy represents a sustainability-focused model with extensive international LEED delivery and in-house certification expertise, while firms such as ARUP, WSP Global, AtkinsRéalis, Mott MacDonald, and Ramboll integrate LEED services within broader engineering and advisory frameworks. These groups typically serve different project profiles, ranging from highly specialized certification-driven developments to large infrastructure and mixed-use programs. Key decision factors include project scale, certification complexity, internal sustainability targets, and the level of integration required between design, engineering, and documentation teams. Ultimately, the appropriate consultancy depends on specific project needs, organizational structure, team size, and available budget.