Schneider Electric has reached a significant milestone in sustainability with its new Dubai office, The NEST, achieving carbon neutrality just three months after opening. The state-of-the-art facility highlights the company’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and showcases the integration of advanced energy management and smart building technologies.

The opening of The NEST in May also marked the launch of Schneider Electric’s Impact Buildings Program, designed to advance sustainability in commercial real estate using the company’s EcoStruxure™ solutions suite. The program allows visitors to experience firsthand technologies including Building Operation, Power Monitoring Expert, Building Data Platform, and Planon, demonstrating smart building operations at work.

“By embedding our own technologies, we have cut energy consumption by 37% this year, while aiming to achieve emissions reduction of +700 tCO2e/year by 2026, proving that a net-zero future is a tangible reality. We are proud to have created a vibrant workspace that directly aligns with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and serves as a blueprint for a more sustainable future,” said Amel Chadli, President, Gulf Cluster, at Schneider Electric.

Chadli added: “The NEST is more than just a new building; it’s a testament to the power of partnership. Our own employees named this building, giving it a true sense of ownership from day one. In collaboration with local partners like Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) and the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), we’ve brought this vision to life.”

The NEST has been designed around four key pillars:

• Sustainable: The building targets an emissions reduction of +700 tCO2e/year, equivalent to the annual energy use of 82 UAE homes, and aims for 47% onsite renewable energy, moving toward LEED Platinum certification.
  
• People-centric: Focused on employee well-being, it offers a healthy indoor environment with daylight harvesting, smart meeting rooms, and innovation-focused visitor experiences, targeting the WELL Equity Rating.
  
• Resilient: Equipped with a microgrid, digital twin simulations for operational efficiency, a cybersecure edge data centre, and predictive maintenance capabilities.
  
• Efficient: The adaptive workplace employs AI for HVAC, maintenance, and operational optimisation, aiming for 50% energy and water savings while automating facility management workflows.
  

With buildings responsible for up to 37% of global carbon emissions, The NEST demonstrates how technology can significantly improve sustainability in the built environment. Schneider Electric has embedded digital monitoring and automation throughout the facility, optimising electricity and water efficiency and advancing its ‘Electricity 4.0’ vision for smart, future-ready buildings.

Located at Dubai Silicon Oasis’s Technology Hub, The NEST spans 10,000 square metres and accommodates over 1,000 employees. The office recently earned Platinum SmartScore certification from WiredScore for digital connectivity and smart technology, reflecting its alignment with the UAE Net Zero Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The building achieved perfect scores across User Functionality, Technological Foundation, and Innovation, and is under assessment for WELL and LEED ID+C Platinum certifications.

Walid Sheta, Zone President, Middle East and Africa, at Schneider Electric, said: “With The NEST, we are showcasing how digitalization and electrification can significantly enhance sustainability within the built environment. This hub is a living example of how Schneider Electric is supporting our partners and customers across the Middle East and Africa to lead the way in energy efficiency, operational excellence, and climate action.”

He added: “This building reflects our belief that people are at the heart of sustainability. Together with the Innovation Hub and Training Center, it empowers the energy aspirations of the Middle East and Africa. It’s where we’re shaping the future of smart infrastructure, empowering local talent, and driving the digital transformation of energy systems.”

The Dubai Innovation Hub, the first of its kind in the Gulf, joins Schneider Electric’s network of over 100 hubs worldwide. The experiential centre highlights technologies such as digital twins, smart building systems, and AI-ready prefabricated data centres. Visitors can also explore the AVEVA Unified Operations Center, which integrates real-time data to enhance energy and industrial operations.

The NEST serves as a hub for innovation and talent development, featuring a dedicated Training Center, 360 workstations, 90 meeting rooms, and a modular amphitheatre. Integrated technologies monitor occupancy, temperature, and air quality, automatically delivering a comfortable environment while minimising resource consumption.

Schneider Electric has operated in the UAE for over 35 years, employing more than 1,200 people across the Gulf. Globally, the company has 150,000 employees and is actively driving decarbonisation across supply chains, with 33% of strategic suppliers transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency. We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.

We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.