Dubai’s under scrutiny over sustainability fears

Dubai’s “crazy buildings” have come under scrutiny this week, with their long-term maintenance and sustainability being questioned by a Dubai-based real estate executive. “I can say there are a lot of crazy buildings, and probably you are seeing them every day,” Marwan Bin Ghulaita, the CEO of Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority said at an industry conference on Sunday, according to Arabian Business. “From outside, they look fantastic and amazing, but whenever you go inside, you do not know. It is a different story. This is what the engineers and investors have been telling me.” A six-year boom that turned sand dunes into a glittering metropolis, creating the world’s tallest building and its biggest shopping mall reached its peak in 2007. But an economic slump followed, and despite reports of unfinished buildings and many project plans having to be abandoned, the Emirate is slowly beginning to regain real estate strength. But Ghulaita says a main concern now is the quality of the buildings, particularly the projects that are being restarted after the financial downturn. “Now we are completing whatever we started in 2005, so it is time to start operating those businesses and generate a lot of income and make sure that those buildings are maintained and are sustainable,” said Ghulaita. “We have started implementing new standards to tell the developer that, before you start your design and construction, involve the facility management (FM) company from the beginning. This is the way forward from now on.” The FM sector provides planning and control for real estate companies to ensure their activity and development is being monitored. Ghulaita called on the FM industry to help advance an agenda of responsibility and accountability, the business news website reported. “You are the experts who will help this industry move forward, because this is not the time to go back. This is the time to fix,” Ghulaita said.