Bee’ah, the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, has announced that its new Sharjah-based headquarters is set to become the first fully-integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) office building in the UAE and MENA region, and one of the smartest in the world, upon its opening in Q4/2019.
The announcement was made onTuesday, 23rdApril in Redmond, Washington, on the sidelines of an agreement between executives from Bee’ah, Microsoft Corp., Johnson Controls and Evoteq.
As part of the agreement, the new Bee’ah headquarters will be equipped with a sweeping array of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart building solutions powered by Microsoft, adding another milestone to Bee’ah’s digital transformation journey; which has grown in breadth and magnitude over the last few years, ever since the company diversified its vision to focus on both sustainability and technology as the pillars of the modern economy.
“Environmental sustainability and digital technologies are mutually inclusive pillars in driving an economy of the future and are deeply ingrained in everything we do at Bee’ah,” said HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Bee’ah’s Group CEO.
Al Huraimel added, “Our new HQ will be the first building in the UAE and MENA region, and one of the first in the world, to have full integration with AI to support new seamless experiences for optimization of efficiencies, performance and functionality. Our office of the future will manifest our commitment to the continual advancement of our valued staff body, and AI solutions will provide new avenues of employee development and operational convenience. We look forward to the gradual rollout of AI-powered smart building solutions at other Bee’ah offices and locations across the UAE.”
Using its Digital Vault offering and extended capabilities built on Microsoft Azure, Johnson Controls will work with Microsoft to outfit the new building with intelligent edge systems, devices and software designed to optimize energy efficiency, make the best use of available space and help the building’s occupants be more productive through a virtual AI persona. Evoteq, Bee’ah’s digital venture, will serve as the technical project management partner for this unique project, deploying integrated solutions and enhanced digital capabilities for greater operational output.
From digital workspaces to smart back-office integration, and from smart lobby-visitor management to smart security, employees and visitors at Bee’ah’s new headquarters will experience a diverse range of cutting-edge AI features through multiple touchpoints across various functions including HR, customer care, procurement, administration, and multiple building management systems.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, Bee’ah’s futuristic new headquarters will be fully-powered by renewable energy and optimised for the sustainable use of resources to have zero net energy consumption and achieve a LEED platinum certification — the highest recognition awarded to green buildings. Under the agreement, Johnson Controls will deploy a technical infrastructure for the building capable of monitoring its entire environment virtually with Microsoft Azure Digital Twins and IoT technologies. The solution will enable Bee’ah to analyze volumes of data to optimize building operations and drive efficiency.
As Bee’ah’s exclusive cloud provider, Microsoft will also optimize the experience of the building for people through technology and solutions powered by Microsoft Azure. Intelligent concierge capabilities will engage visitors and employees to help locate available meeting spaces, book appointments, give directions, hail rides and support day-to-day tasks. These AI-powered personal concierge services will be the first in the Middle East designed specifically for building occupants.
