Dany Safi, managing director of Tabreed  the National Central Cooling Company  has been elected to the board of directors of the International District Energy Association (Idea), becoming the first Arab to be recognised in such a manner in the association’s 94-year history.

A not-for-profit trade association founded in 1909, Idea is governed by a 20-member board of directors and fosters the success of its members by providing a forum for district energy professionals to exchange information on a regular and timely basis.

“I feel that my election to the Idea board is a reflection both of Tabreed’s premier position in the region and its increasing significance to the global district cooling industry,” said Safi.
“Tabreed’s recent expansion into Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as a number of regional development opportunities, has led to increased regional and international focus on the company’ operations.  Its leadership in district cooling technology in the Middle East - a region ideally geared for this ecologically sound cooling solution - is unparalleled,” a Tabreed statement said.

“As an organisation, our mission is to foster the success of our members as leaders in providing reliable, economical, efficient and environmentally sound district energy services,” said Joel Greene, chairman of Idea.  “Our board members are instrumental in realising that mission - their unique expertise in their respective fields makes them valuable assets not only to us, but also to the industry as a whole.”

Idea represents over 900 members in the district heating and cooling industries from 20 countries across the globe.  Association members operate district energy systems owned by utilities, municipalities, hospitals, military bases and airports around the world.  The association holds a conference and trade show each June in communities that have district heating or cooling systems.

Tabreed has offered district cooling as a utility in the UAE for over five years, pioneering energy-efficient gas-fired and electric-powered district cooling solutions in the UAE and across the region.  The leading district cooling service provider in the Middle East, Tabreed offers customers an integrated energy system devised to help them optimise their energy usage and reduce power and maintenance costs.