The UAE’s ascent to become the leading global real estate hub is set to get a major leg up with new-age tech ventures such as Magma gearing up to address the industry’s biggest challenges – data transparency and security, operational efficiency, and sustainability – going beyond the fad on quarter-to-quarter transaction volumes and values.
These data-driven platforms are looking at bringing about a real estate digital transformation across different high-value segments – premium properties, sustainable buildings, and tech-driven developments, targeting a $20 billion addressable market by 2026 in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.
The platforms’ high-tech solutions will enable the consolidation of crucial information about a building, including financials, 3D building specs, and a data reliability index, which will be easily accessible to all stakeholders – from property managers to service providers to buyers and rental seekers.
“Magma will provide the UAE and Middle East real estate market with a single, reliable source of property data that’s transparent, verified, and always up-to-date,” Matthieu Merchadou Melki, Co-founder and CEO of Magma, told Arabian Business.”
“By bringing all stakeholders together on one platform, we cut out data gaps, improve operational efficiency, and make it easier for everyone to make quick, informed decisions,” he said.
Melki said by targeting high-value and sustainability-focused segments, their company aims to lead the shift toward data-driven real estate across the region, fundamentally changing how the industry operates.
Significantly, the entry of the new breed of tech players comes at a time when data security is emerging as a major challenge for the traditionally operating real estate industry, especially the legacy companies.
New tech ventures to accelerate UAE, region’s move to data-driven property management
Industry players said the entry of these new sets of tech players come at a time when leading players in the UAE – as also in the wider region – are initiating steps to move from a ‘data-silos’ mode to a data-driven property management.
The move is part of developers’ initiatives to make their projects more appealing to overseas investors and to achieve higher marketability among international investors.
It also comes amidst the growing focus on sustainability in the region, with the projection of the MENA region’s green building market surpassing $300 billion by 2030.
“As more property managers, asset managers, and developers adopt data-driven platforms for sustainability and efficiency, we see Magma positioned to capture around 5-10 per cent of the UAE’s digital real estate transformation market over the next few years,” Melki said.
He said by 2026, they estimate Magma’s total addressable market in the UAE and the Middle East could reach around $20 billion.
“This breaks down into key areas such as commercial and mixed-use property developments – about $5 billion, sustainable developments – roughly $7 billion, digital real estate management solutions – around $3 billion, and green retrofitting and ESG-focused real estate – approximately $5 billion,” the top Magma executive said.
Industry experts said the technology by these new set of tech ventures supports a full spectrum of stakeholders, including property managers, asset managers, and developers.
It also enables effective oversight across the entire property lifecycle – from design and construction to ongoing maintenance and eventual sale – creating efficiencies and value at every stage, they said.
Revolutionising real estate data protection
Industry insiders said the initiatives on tech-driven property management assumes added significance in the region at a time when data security is emerging as a major concern of late.
They said there were instances when traditional systems were found to be vulnerable to breaches, besides being inconsistent with compliances.
“With blockchain’s cryptographic security and the auditability of digital twins – the company’s core technology to compile comprehensive property data – we can ensure property data is stored securely and meets regulatory standards,” Melki said.
“This is especially important in the UAE, where data security and privacy are top priorities,” he added.
Sector players said in traditional real estate, data tends to be scattered across various systems – like leasing software, maintenance logs, and financial records – that do not usually talk to each other.
This fragmentation leads to data silos, where an update in one system does not carry over to others, creating inefficiencies and often leading to errors.
Another big issue with traditional data management is the lack of consistent verification and quality control.
“Without these, you end up with outdated or unreliable data, which can lead to costly mistakes, delays, and a lack of transparency,” a senior executive with a city-based real estate consultancy, who wished anonymity, said.
The executive said the technologies of the new platforms are particularly suited for commercial and mixed-use properties, as well as large-scale residential developments.
Melki also said high-value commercial properties, which alone make up about 30 per cent of the UAE’s real estate market – and estimated at around $33 billion – are a key focus for their company.
“These properties often have complex data and operational needs, where transparency, sustainability, and efficiency are essential,” the Magma top executive said.
Industry insiders said the tech solutions offered by the platforms help property managers to simplify day-to-day operations, reduce costs, and support maintenance, while for investors, they bring a new level of transparency and security.
For tenants, the data-driven initiatives mean easy access to essential building information.
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