Sympathy for the devils

This week represents a bit of a treat for the CW team.

Often ensconced in our top secret Dubai HQ with only our monitors for company, for the past two days we've been at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi for our very own Construction Week Building Sustainability into the Middle East conference.

It has been a great success so far – genuine optimism, real ideas, authentic discussion, absolute moves forward. Clichéd though it may sound, if you've not been here then you've really missed out. Although we have tried to keep you updated on all major news, that's no substitute to being involved in the lively debate.

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But, with an afternoon of the conference remaining, I'm struck by a strange, uncomfortable, almost creepy emotion – one that I never, ever thought I'd experience. I actually feel sorry for real estate developers! Honestly.

You see, as Estidama top dog Greg Acker said during the training day yesterday, now's the time for contemplation, for introducing new technologies and best practices. And, correctly, Abu Dhabi's authorities are reacting by introducing stringent environmental standards and guidelines.

But they haven't introduced them yet.

Developers are waiting for Abu Dhabi building codes covering construction regulations; they're waiting for development codes controlling zoning and density; they're waiting for Estidama's own guidelines...and they're soon to be hit by the perfect storm.

There's goodwill out there and the desire to operate according to world-leading best practice guidelines, but there's also frustration that they're yet to be given any clue as to what those guideline will be.

So, come on Abu Dhabi! Let's give the development teams the controls and regulations that they're waiting for; then I can get back to distrusting developers and lazily characterising them all as money-grabbing power-hungry tyrants...a much more familiar place to be, a bit like Construction Week's Dubai HQ which we'll all return to tomorrow.

 

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