UAE construction sector set to grow 6-10% in 2020: survey

The UAE construction sector remains optimistic, with 53 percent of the KPMG’s global construction survey takers expecting six to 10 percent growth next year.

Industry leaders surveyed in the UAE are optimistic about growth prospects, and are confident that technology and governance are likely to play a significant role in the construction sector in the next five years, the survey found.

However, professionals remain divided over whether companies in the UAE are delivering projects on time and within budget, with time (44 percent) and cost (44 percent) overruns ranking as the top hurdles facing capital construction projects.

These concerns are being addressed as the industry adopts methodologies to link governance to project outcomes.

“The construction sector is the lifeblood of the UAE economy and it is very encouraging to see that the industry is expecting single to double digit growth this year. As the pace of disruption accelerates, leaders will have to consider implementing a three-pronged approach to rationalize governance and controls, optimize human performance and innovate with technology, to become more future-ready,” said Sidharth Mehta, partner, head of building, construction & real estate, KPMG Lower Gulf.

 According to KPMG’s global findings, the use of robots in the field, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and intelligent tools and equipment will continue to automate many of the less complex and high-risk tasks at the job site, leading to a leaner, more specialized and digitally enabled workforce.

Looking ahead, the survey found over 80 percent of UAE industry leaders felt that digital modular fabrication will be widely implemented within the next ten years, followed by intelligent construction equipment (56 percent) and robots (25 percent).   

“Construction companies that continue to invest in people and implement a technology-enabled strategic road map will be well positioned to face industry disruption and improve their capital and program performance, putting them on the fast-paced track to growth”, said Mehta.