Urbanization is driving rapid growth of mechanical cooling around the world, much of it in hot climates. Adoption of minimum energyperformance standards can significantly reduce global growth of electricity demand associated with cooling. Performance standards aim tominimize equipment life-cycle cost by setting performance levels appropriate for a given climate. A typical UAE 8760-hour cooling loadprofile is developed. A component-based chiller model is validated by monitored data from a baseline chiller that meets the highest MEPScurrently in effect of SCOP=3.5 W/W. Performance maps are produced for a series of progressively higher performance chiller designs andLCC analysis is carried out using component costs and annual simulation results until the least life-cycle-cost design is found. A highperformance air-cooled chiller minimum performance level of SCOP>5.0 W/W is life-cycle cost-effective in UAE’s hot climate.