New Dubai construction consultancy promises results

Despite the well-documented credit crunch, Connect Consult, a newly-launched Dubai-based construction consultancy, is promising “real solutions and real returns” to clients looking to safeguard their projects.

Given the lack of confidence in the current global market, projects that can provide a high level of contractor expertise in the earliest stages are more likely to save developers money later on. Moreover, projects that have been postponed or stalled may well benefit from third-party expert analysis, the company says.

“Developer clients are talking to us about providing turnaround solutions, where a project is marginal in terms of profitability. Or they are considering a total change of focus and want to explore a commercial development rather than a residential one,” says Chris Heath, head of development consultancy.

Owing to its partners’ 75 years of collective experience in property development, design, construction and management, as well as its strategic alliance with UAE-based recruiter Connect Middle East, Connect Consult is promising myriad solutions to the region’s scores of flailing projects.

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By supporting developers and contractors in the delivery of cost effective, high-quality projects through customised consultancy services, Connect Consult aims to return what it considers lost values to the building industry of the Middle East.

“A number of organisations in the region have thrived during the boom years having delivered little more than poor quality and mediocrity,” explains Paul Reeder, managing partner of Connect Consult. “The businesses that survive and ultimately prosper will be those that consistently deliver reputation-enhancing levels of service and quality in all that they do.” 

In a move considered crucial to long-term profitability and positive market perception, the company recommends eco-friendly construction to many of its clients despite the higher initial investment that often accompanies it.

“Green design and construction can be introduced without breaking the bank,” says Reeder. “Developers, for example, can increase the chance of securing a large multinational occupier for office space when they can demonstrate that the building in question has strong green credentials.”

Heath adds: “There is a school of thought emerging within the international property investment world that building green buildings is the way to go for developers in protecting and enhancing asset values.”   

While Connect Consult has chosen Dubai as its regional headquarters, it is not restricting itself to Dubai-based projects or clients. In fact, having launched within the last two months, the firm is already in talks with potential clients in Abu Dhabi and Qatar.