Green Globe announced certification of the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Hajar Tower Makkah in Saudi Arabia for its sustainability achievements.

The hotel’s certification is part of Mövenpick Hotels&Resorts’ program to establish a common and global approach to sustainability and certify all its properties worldwide by the end of 2012.

Mövenpick Hotel&Residences Hajar Tower Makkah managed to reduce energy consumption by 23 percent by installing a motion light system in the floors and changing all lights to LED lights, and uses 100 percent eco-friendly detergents and cleaning products for the laundry and housekeeping departments. In addition, the hotel has reduced water consumption by installing low-flow heads in all guest room sinks, and introduced organic dishes in lunch and dinner buffets. It is also HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certified for safety in food production.

General Manager of Mövenpick Hotel&Residences Hajar Tower, Omar Boujlid, said: “After more than a year of hard work, we are proud to have achieved 92 percent compliance against the Green Globe Standard for Sustainable Tourism and Travel. We want to be a positive role model of successful sustainability management for other organizations, especially in this holy city of Makkah. We have achieved the second highest Green Globe score that a hotel has reached in the Middle East so far. Our next mission is to become number one.”

Green Globe Certification’s CEO, Guido Bauer, said: “This incredible achievement of Mövenpick Hotel&Residences Hajar Tower Makkah is the result of investing in new equipment and most importantly a great team effort. Fifty team members from several departments form the ‘Green Team’ headed by the Director of Engineering, Tamer Fahmi. The hotel basically conducts a ‘self-audit’ on a monthly basis to constantly measure its performance and identify areas for improvement.”

Located in one of the tallest buildings in the world and overlooking the Grand Mosque, Mövenpick Hotel&Residences Hajar Tower Makkah is situated in an area visited all-year-round by Muslim tourists on pilgrimage. To raise awareness about the importance of sustainability, the hotel informs their guests through posters on the hotel premises and a recently-launched, in-house TV channel that shows the hotel’s sustainable procedures and how every single person can contribute to preserving the environment for future generations.

Mövenpick Hotels&Resorts is to become one of the largest hotel groups to commit to Green Globe Certification for all properties worldwide. Sixty-six percent of all properties are already certified, including all hotels in the Middle East and Europe.