How Contech & PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate and allowing economic diversification

A recent Deloitte report cited the Middle East real estate market is projected to expand by up to 111% in the next five years.  

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa was joined by Anas Bataw and Prakash Senghani, Co-Founder and CEO at Navatech Group. They discuss the vast opportunities for innovation and growth through technology in the Middle East, the geographical advantage that has put the MENA region at the forefront of smart technology adoption and urban development, and the huge appetite for digitalisation that the guests have seen in the last few years.  

Tune in to hear about examples of some of the technologies being used in the Middle East that are leading the way in revolutionising MENA real estate, as well as some of the challenges that come alongside this diversification. If you are interested in learning more about how construction technology and PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate, this episode is not one to miss! 

 

Companies Mentioned 

• Deloitte 

• Watheeq PropTech Venture 

• Fifth Wall  

• NEOM 

• Red Sea Project 

• Mace 

• Amar 

• MIRA 

• ROSHN 

• PwC 

• Balfour Beatty 

• WSP 

• AECOM  

• JLL 

• Technology Innovation Institute (TII) 

• WakeCap 

• WorkPanda  

• Procurified 

• Modular 

• Aldar 

 

 

Episode Highlights 

• The huge appetite for digitalisation in the middle east  

• Prakash’s journey from the corporate world into building his own start-up   

• Anas’ experience in the COP28 committee and the push to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions  

• The growth areas that Prakash has seen within construction over the past five years and what we should be watching out for in the future   

• Prakash talks us through some of the stand-out technologies being used in the Middle East  

• The Middle East’s geographical advantage and its wide talent pool 

• Anas explains how having a clear strategy is so important  

 

Key Takeaways 

• The pros are that you’re involved in large projects and that there’s a push towards technologies and innovations, and people really want to challenge the current status of what we have – Anas 

• I wanted to use artificial intelligence and particularly chatbots to help do things in construction, and one of those things was safety – Prakash    

• The complexion of the people working in the construction industry is going to change massively – Anas 

• Changing something is always more difficult than planning for the way that you want it in the first place - Prakash 

  

 

About Our Host  

Louisa Dickins  

Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  

To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast’ where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.