AI integration, local manufacturing capacity, and supply chain restructuring are set to reshape how construction projects are delivered across the UAE over the next decade, according to senior infrastructure executives who gathered at a Dubai industry forum.
The Construction The Way Forward conference, organized by the Indian Business & Professional Council’s Real Asset & Built Environment Focus Group and co-hosted by ESPA Group, brought together leaders from construction, engineering, real estate, manufacturing, banking and technology. Their focus was practical: how will the sector actually execute major projects through 2035, and what operational strategies will determine whether the UAE sustains its infrastructure momentum amid global uncertainty.
Local manufacturing has moved from policy aspiration to active delivery lever. Rising shipping costs and geopolitical volatility have pushed developers toward domestic sourcing, accelerating execution of the government’s “Make it in the Emirates” agenda. AbdelRhman Obaid, Group CEO of MAHY Khoory Group, noted that products carrying the “Made in the UAE” label have gained international recognition for quality across infrastructure, technology, furniture and consumer products. Kommineni Mahender, Executive Director of BILT (ABM Group), put it plainly: “Projects don’t move because of the market; they move because of people. The UAE market remains fundamentally strong, and recent challenges have strengthened confidence in local manufacturing.” The practical implication is direct. Supply chain resilience now functions as a timeline and cost-control mechanism, not merely a sourcing preference.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is being embedded into project delivery systems at the procurement stage. Wael Mansour, CEO of Royal Advance Electromechanical and Trojan Construction Group, identified materials procurement as the sector’s largest cost driver, accounting for nearly 70 percent of project expenses. AI-powered procurement systems, combined with Building Information Modelling, digital twins and modular construction methods, are already changing how projects move from planning to completion. “The future of MEP has already started,” Mansour said. “Buildings are becoming smarter during construction, and modular systems will redefine how we deliver projects.” The UAE’s development of one of the region’s largest 5-gigawatt data centres signals the technological foundation these operational shifts will require.
Demand is also shifting toward data centre infrastructure and digitally enabled facilities. Subraya Kalkura, Managing Director of John R. Harris & Partners, pointed to AI-powered simulation and BIM as tools that reduce design iteration cycles and improve resource allocation during construction, while aligning output with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 targets. “Technology allows us to simulate how buildings will perform before they are built. AI will become one of our strongest tools for delivering more sustainable infrastructure,” Kalkura said.
Dr. Rajeev Neelivethil, Convener of the RABE Focus Group and Managing Director for MENA and APAC at ESPA Group, framed resilience as a deliberate operational posture rather than a reactive one. “Resilience is no longer a response; it is a strategy. The UAE sits at the centre of global trade and innovation, and the future of construction will be built through collaboration, digital transformation and sustainable leadership,” he said.
Governance and contractual standardization surfaced as a separate operational requirement. Forum participants called for stronger governance frameworks, more consistent contract terms and improved payment practices to reduce project friction across the construction ecosystem. These are not aspirational requests. Inconsistent contract terms and delayed payments remain among the most persistent bottlenecks slowing execution on the ground.
Executives cited visionary leadership, sustained investment in major projects, political stability and digital transformation as the foundations underpinning continued delivery capability. Whether the governance and payment reforms participants called for will materialize at the pace the sector’s ambitions demand is the question that will define the next phase of UAE construction delivery.