Abu dhabi: Dubai PropTech Hub, an initiative of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and Innovo Group have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate construction innovation across the UAE and the wider Global South.
According to Emirates News Agency, the agreement was signed at DIFC by Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Innovation Hub, and Simon Penney, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Innovo, in the presence of Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, and Bishoy Azmy, Chief Executive Officer of Innovo. The partnership will leverage Innovo's ongoing construction projects and engineering expertise, along with Dubai PropTech Hub's capabilities, to enhance cost efficiency, speed, and delivery certainty through technology.
The UAE construction sector, which contributes approximately 9.2 percent to the GDP, is a key focus of Dubai PropTech Hub's PropTech 2033 report. Launched in 2025 as part of the DIFC Innovation Hub, Dubai PropTech Hub aims to support over 200 PropTech start-ups and attract more than US$300 million in investment by 2030, providing licensing options, dedicated workspaces, and support programs for companies from concept to commercialization.
Innovo will offer its portfolio of live projects to start-ups and innovators, allowing new solutions to be tested and validated in real-world environments before wider deployment. Half of the participants in Dubai PropTech Hub's inaugural Global Landing Pad program focus on pre-construction and construction, with Innovo's project access supporting the testing and scaling of technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, digital twins, automation, sustainable materials, and new construction methodologies.
The partnership also aims to extend PropTech solutions developed in the UAE across Innovo's footprint in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, fostering technology-enabled construction models in rapidly urbanizing and growing markets.
Arif Amiri emphasized that the Dubai PropTech Hub serves as a regional platform where innovation meets industry at scale, with Innovo's involvement enhancing the movement of PropTech solutions from concept to live construction environments. Bishoy Azmy remarked that the construction industry is at a critical innovation juncture, and Innovo's collaboration with Dubai PropTech Hub reinforces its commitment to reimagining construction and providing start-ups with necessary environments and expertise for success.
The partnership sets a framework for developing and deploying construction technologies that enhance productivity, safety, quality, and sustainability, while strengthening Dubai's position as a hub for PropTech and construction innovation.