AI-powered innovations drive sustainability in cities

Through AI-powered innovations, we are defining sustainable infrastructure especially cities with the aim of harmonise growth with environmental preservation. To make this clear, Dubai Municipality has made green building standards mandatory for all new buildings and the UAE is now one of the region’s leaders in certification activity — over 2,000 LEED projects are registered/certified in the country.

In an interview with Gulf Today, Javad Mahmoodi, CEO and Founder of Kotook Tech, a Dubai-based innovation and AI research company redefined the connection between real estate and environmental responsibility leaders.

Mahmoodi is one of the many visionary leaders who play a key role in driving sustainability from concept to concrete action.

His influence extends into environmental activism, where he continues to promote awareness through digital content and educational platforms.

Mahmoodi also mentioned that “the regional market for green buildings is large and growing: the GCC green-buildings market was estimated at $39.7 billion in 2025 (projected to grow 11% CAGR to 2030). This shows strong investor interest.”

Shedding light on the current status, he pointed “major Dubai developers publish concrete sustainability commitments and operational results — for example Emaar reports renewable capacity and waste-segregation metrics in its sustainability reporting, and Sobha publishes ESG targets and high GRESB scores (eg, score 91). These corporate reports show developers are investing in energy, waste and reporting systems. It demonstrate that investors/developers in Dubai are actively investing in greener infrastructure — the activity is substantial and accelerating, though implementation quality and retrofit rates vary by developer and project,” he said.

“Sustainability is not merely a professional pursuit, it’s a lifelong journey towards building ecosystems where innovation and responsibility coexist,” he said and clarified that his vision continues to inspire others to believe that a sustainable world is not just achievable, it’s already in motion.

With a deep-rooted passion for technology and sustainability, Mahmoodi’s journey began long before Kotook’s inception.

Having served as the Mayor of a World Wetland City and a UNESCO Learning City, he gained invaluable insight into how cities can harmonise growth with environmental preservation. His expertise as a certified management consultant and system designer — with over 15 years of experience — equipped him with the tools to merge structured management frameworks with real-world sustainability impact.

Responding a question, he said, “we are through different mediums, working hard to promote awareness through digital content and educational platforms.”

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter