UAE hospitality groups unite to tackle environmental challenges

Dubai: The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has unveiled a new alliance, the Emirates Hospitality Sustainability Alliance (EHSA), uniting UAE hospitality organisations to tackle environmental issues and enhance sustainability efforts. The alliance was inaugurated on August 31 at Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, gathering hospitality leaders, sustainability experts, industry stakeholders, and partners.

The EEG statement highlighted the alliance's purpose to facilitate knowledge sharing, exchange best practices, and address common environmental priorities.

The initiative aims to tackle pressing environmental challenges faced by the hospitality sector, including energy and water consumption, waste, food waste, procurement, supply chains, and resource efficiency. Dr. Habiba Al Marashi, co-founder and chairperson of EEG, emphasized the importance of collaboration in driving meaningful change.

"Today represents much more than the launch of a new Alliance. It marks the beginning of a collective journey for the UAE hospitality sector," she stated. "Sustainability cannot remain an aspiration or a collection of isolated initiatives."

Looking ahead, EEG plans to develop a sustainability standard specific to the hospitality sector as part of the alliance's agenda. The initiative also focuses on knowledge exchange, capability building, and collaboration between organisations confronting similar environmental challenges. EEG seeks to engage various stakeholders beyond hotels and hospitality groups, such as government entities, suppliers, service providers, sustainability professionals, environmental organisations, academia, and other relevant stakeholders across the hospitality value chain.

Hospitality businesses significantly impact resource use and waste generation, especially in a tourism and hospitality-driven economy like the UAE. The alliance aims to ensure that sustainability practices become integral to day-to-day operations, decision-making, and organisational culture rather than isolated projects. Dr. Al Marashi emphasised that the true impact of the alliance will be measured by its measurable environmental improvements, such as partnerships created, practices improved, resources conserved, waste prevented, and environmental impact achieved. August 31, 2026, marks the starting point for the alliance's work and not its culmination.