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How PropTech Helps UAE Builders Control Costs and Complexity

24 Sep 2025 • 4 min read

Anna Fischer

Construction Content Writer

The UAE’s construction sector is recognized for its ambitious projects and rapid delivery. However, it faces mounting pressures: rising costs, labor shortages, tighter timelines, and growing demands for sustainability.

Global studies show that large construction projects typically take 20% longer to finish and exceed their budgets by up to 80%.^[?] Construction cost escalation is forecasted to be 5.0 percent through 2025 in major markets, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.^[?]

These pressures can quickly lead to budget blowouts and strained relationships between owners and contractors.

New digital tools and methods are helping companies address these risks. By streamlining workflows, reducing waste, and improving oversight, technology can significantly lower costs and speed up delivery. One area showing strong results is the adoption of property and construction technology (PropTech), which integrates tools such as AI, robotics, 3D printing, and drones into everyday project management.

AI as a Predictive Engine

Rather than being an add-on, AI is now used to anticipate and prevent problems before they occur. Algorithms can flag weather or supply chain disruptions, adjust schedules automatically, and give managers real-time data on progress and costs — all critical in an environment where overruns are common.

Automating On-Site Work

Robotics is reducing the physical toll on labor and improving precision on-site. Semi-automated machines like Jaibot assist with overhead drilling; Schindler’s R.I.S.E system installs elevators; and the WEIBUILD plastering robot accelerates and standardizes plastering tasks. These examples show how automation is starting to address bottlenecks in high-rise construction.

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Building Differently with 3D Printing

Under Dubai’s 3D Printing Strategy, a quarter of all new buildings are targeted to be constructed using 3D printing by 2030.^[?] This technology can reduce construction costs by up to 90% and labor requirements by up to 70%. It can also create a more sustainable, less waste-intensive building process.

Better Oversight from the Air

Drones have become an integral part of construction in the UAE, capturing high-resolution aerial images and precise topographic data to quickly assess sites. Their ability to map land with such accuracy speeds up early project phases and helps teams detect discrepancies before they escalate.

By automating many manual checks that are time-consuming or hazardous, drones make inspections faster and safer. As their use grows, they enable quicker decision-making, improve site safety, and give managers far better oversight of complex projects.

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Smarter Workforce Management

Artificial intelligence is also transforming how companies recruit and manage staff. Intelligent platforms can scan thousands of CVs, match candidates to specific project needs, and even predict their performance in a given role.

Faster hiring and smarter resource allocation are especially valuable for projects with tight deadlines. At the same time, real-time productivity tracking gives managers insights to optimize labor use across multiple sites.

Moving Toward a More Predictable Industry

These technologies, collectively known as PropTech, are not an end in themselves but tools to solve long-standing problems of cost, time, and quality in construction. With nearly 200 PropTech firms now operating in the UAE and government initiatives supporting new startups, the ecosystem is maturing rapidly.

The ongoing shift focuses less on celebrating new gadgets and more on reducing risk and improving outcomes. For owners, contractors, and workers alike, the promise is a construction industry where budgets are clearer, schedules are more reliable, and sustainability goals are within reach.

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Anna Fischer

Construction Content Writer

Anna has background in IT companies and has written numerous articles on technology topics.

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