Building a hospital is one of the most resource-intensive undertakings in construction. Hospitals rank among the highest in energy and water consumption, using significantly more resources per square meter than offices, schools, or retail spaces. At Kingdom Health, we believe that fact comes with a responsibility, not just to manage, but to address from the very beginning.
The Kingdom Health campus, comprising Kingdom University Hospital, Kingdom University of Health Sciences, and the Research Institute, is being built with sustainability embedded into every layer of its design and construction. This is not a feature, but a founding and guiding principle.
As we mark World Environment Day, we want to share what that commitment looks like in practice, on the ground, right now.
ENERGY
Designed to consume less from the first blueprint
The campus design minimizes energy demand before activating any system. Building orientation, façade shading, and the positioning of structures relative to one another have all been modelled against Jordan's specific climate, maximizing natural shade, minimizing heat gain, and reducing the energy needed to cool and ventilate the buildings throughout the year. The campus is planned to include a solar energy system installed on car park canopies, generating electricity directly from sunlight and contributing to the campus energy supply. The heating and cooling systems are designed to recover and reuse heat that would otherwise be lost, reducing overall energy demand from the grid over the long term.
Sustainability at Kingdom Health is not a feature of the building. It is a governing principle that is documented, committed to, and measurable.
WATER
Jordan is one of the most water-scarce nations in the world. This is why every design decision has been made with conservation as a priority.
Low-flow fixtures are specified throughout all buildings. A greywater treatment system on campus collects, treats, and recycles greywater for irrigation, reducing demand on drinking water supplies.
Landscaping has been designed around native and adaptive plant species that require significantly less irrigation, supported by a fully automated drip irrigation system that minimizes evaporation and runoff.
MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION
Sustainability does not begin when a building opens. At the Kingdom Health construction site, it is already a daily practice. Waste is separated before it leaves the site, suppliers are asked to reduce packaging, and leftover pieces from construction work are set aside for reuse rather than disposal. New materials are delivered only as needed and kept clean and dry until installation, reducing both waste and damage.
The materials themselves have been carefully selected. Every product brought onto the site is specified to release minimal chemical emissions, protecting the health of the people building the campus today and those who will occupy it in the future. Responsible sourcing and the environmental footprint of materials across their full lifecycle are part of how procurement decisions are made.
The Kingdom Health campus is being developed with sustainability integrated at every stage of the project, recognizing the interconnected relationship between environmental responsibility, human wellbeing, and operational efficiency. By embedding these principles into the foundation of the campus, we are seeking to create an environment that supports high-quality healthcare, education, and research.
"We are building a campus that will serve patients, train physicians, and produce research for decades to come. How it is built matters as much as what it will do."
- Fadi Abu Sneineh, Chief Operating Officer