Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has been named project of the year at the MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2011.

The tower, which opened in January 2010, beat off competition from other regional projects, including Dubai metro, Ferrari experience on Yas Island, Kuwait National Library, Mesaieed A independent power project in Qatar, Oman’s Al-Ghubrah mobile water treatment plant, the GPIC carbon dioxide recovery project and Bapco refinery gas desulphurisation project.

A further 10 projects received awards during the MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2011 event that took place in Dubai on 22 March. More than 300 people attended the event.

• The Burj Khalifa also won the GCC Technal building project of the year.
• The GCC Oil & Gas project of the year was awarded to Bahrain’s Bapco refinery gas desulphurisation project.
  The $150m project removes sulphur from refinery process gases and eliminates contaminants from water produced in the refinery process. It can reduce emissions by 94 per cent, making a significant contribution to the region’s air quality.
• The GCC Leisure & Tourism project of the year was awarded to the UAE’s Ferrari experience on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
  This is the largest indoor theme park in the world and is the centrepiece of Yas Island, which also comprises the Yas Marina Formula 1 racetrack. The Ferrari experience was completed in three years and opened in September 2010.
• The GCC Power & Water project of the year was awarded to Qatar’s Mesaieed A independent power project. This $1.7bn project has the capacity to deliver 2,000MW of electricity to Qatar. The project was built with 38 subcontractors and 32 million hours of work in less than four years.
• The GCC Water Reuse project of the year was awarded to Al-Ghubrah mobile water treatment plant in Oman. It is the world’s largest mobile water treatment plant with the capacity to produce 5 million gallons a day of potable water using membrane technology. The project has been designed so that it can be dismantled and relocated to meet the long-term needs of Oman.
• The GCC Cadillac Transport project of the year was awarded to the Dubai metro, Red line. This is the first urban light railway line in the region and a project that has already served millions of Dubai residents and visitors.
• The GCC Social project of the year was awarded to the Kuwait National Library. The project uses glass sustainably to create an internal environment, where natural light is used to the maximum. It houses more than 1 million printed items.
• The GCC Sustainable project of the year was awarded to the carbon dioxide recovery project in Bahrain. It captures more than 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, it is making a major contribution to the region’s environment.
• The MEED award for Heritage was awarded to the UAE for the revitalisation of the old souq of Dubai. 
• The MEED award for Culture was awarded to the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi.