Proptech & Real Estate

Bio: Ali Sajwani oversees day-to-day operations at global property developer DAMAC Properties. He holds a BA from the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he majored in economics. As Managing Director of Operations at DAMAC, Ali oversees several key functions that are critical to the company’s growth, expansion, and long-term strategy. A true believer in the power of technology, Ali has developed the company’s technology roadmap to enable and accelerate future growth. He led digital transformation within the organization to implement a data-driven decision-making process with a re-mapped customer journey for a customer-first approach. Ali also founded Melrose Capital, where he invests across various sectors with a specialized focus on deep tech frontiers with an eye on strategic business investments and technology.

1. What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting construction tech lately?

Technology is and has always been a tool for businesses to enhance our performance, productivity, processes, systems, and services. With technology evolving faster than ever before, it is becoming increasingly essential for us to adapt and reinvent ourselves with agility. Adoption of the latest technology like Digital Twin, Immersive 6D-&D BIM management, construction robotics, real-time project management, blockchain-based smart contracts, green communities, and buildings are some of the trends impacting construction tech.

2. What keeps you up at night regarding some major predicaments in construction tech?

Again, we strongly believe that technology has been playing a key role in the real estate sector. As such, we adopt the latest tech, down-the-line change management for the company, and experienced professionals with end-to-end know-how to implement and show tangible benefits.

3. Can you tell us about the latest project that you have been working on, and what are some of the technological and process elements that you leveraged to make the project successful?

At DAMAC, we are implementing a state-of-the-art cloud-based PMIS (Project Management Information System) platform, which will cover the end-to-end construction management cycle right from Feasibility and Design, tender management, construction contract management, project management, QA, and handover to the Payment cycle.

We are using a multi-tenet private cloud for our document management. The whole PMIS process is being fully integrated with our ERP, GIS, and sales systems. This digitization of the construction lifecycle will also provide a single source of truth for Construction Management reporting & real time progress monitoring for the company

4. What are some of the technological trends which excite you for the future of construction tech?

As an innovative company, we are always looking at new ways to improve our processes on all fronts. Having optimized and humanized our data sets, we are now looking for new ways to utilize these data sets using advanced analytics and AI. Right now, the industry is catching up to emerging technologies. The biggest disruption could be the metaverse, where companies could use the BIM and upload their models for an immersive experience through avatars leading to a better understanding of what finished products would look like, Facilities Management, gamification, upselling, etc. This will change the way we view the construction industry.

Apart from the above, smart city development, smart contracts, Digital Twins, and 3D printing are some of the main technologies which can be game-changer for the future of Construction Tech.

5. Tell us more about the DAMAC expansion plan.

DAMAC has recently closed the acquisition of the land in the upscale Miami neighborhood of Surfside for $120 million, where it plans to build an ultra-luxurious project.   

To date, DAMAC Properties has delivered over 42,000 homes and has over 28,000 in development with projects in 15 cities around the world, including Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Beirut, Amman, Doha, Baghdad, Maldives, Toronto, Miami, and London. To manage these 40,000 homes, DAMAC Properties established its own management facilities company which is ISO 9001 certified.