Construction leaders in the Middle East were today urged to invest in renewable resources by the head of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chief executive of DEWA, asked delegates at the Design Summit, held as part of The Big 5 construction show, to look to clean energy sources.

Al Tayer, delivering the keynote address of the summit, referenced the key role that the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals will play in addressing the energy challenges over the next 15 years, according to the event organiser.

Other speakers at the event included Chris Seymour, head of markets at Arcadis Middle East, and Abdulla Rafia, assistant director general of planning and engineering at Dubai Municipality, who spoke about shaping Dubai’s green building revolution.

Lorenzo Pallotta, project director for the Expo Milano 2015, spoke of the importance of flexibility in the Expo planning process.

“From start to finish, flexibility will be the key to a successful expo in Dubai. Planners will need to consider how to bring an abstract theme to life for a wide public audience, as well as planning for the post-expo transition that must take into account now, the changing expectations and markets of the future,” Pallotta said, according to a statement by event organisers.