• Global logistics real estate developer seeking to expand warehousing footprint across UAE with high-specification, , compliant, and sustainable logistics infrastructure.
• Understand market demand, regulatory requirements, and design standards to support scalable, ESG-aligned logistics asset development in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
• Conducted market study, developed warehouse design guide, benchmarked construction costs, and mapped regulatory processes for logistics developments in both emirates.
• Delivered investment-ready insights, regional design models, ESG roadmap, and approval pathways to guide informed development planning and execution across UAE.

Our client is a leading global developer of logistics and industrial real estate, renowned for delivering high-specification warehouse assets across key emerging and developed markets. With a growing portfolio in Asia, Europe, and North America, the client is now expanding into the Middle East—specifically the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—with ambitions to establish a new generation of sustainable, compliant, and operationally efficient logistics facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

As the client explored market entry, they faced a complex environment shaped by rapid infrastructure development, shifting land-use priorities, evolving sustainability standards, and fragmented regulatory processes. Navigating the dual-emirate landscape required more than a conventional feasibility study; it demanded deep market intelligence, regional design fluency, and clear insight into legislative timelines and authority expectations. The lack of a standardised roadmap for warehouse development in the UAE posed a material risk to project delivery, investment timing, and long-term asset performance.

In response, the client engaged our team to lead a strategic design and market analysis engagement, aiming to de-risk investment and accelerate decision-making. The objective was clear: deliver a comprehensive warehouse development blueprint rooted in real-world market demand, benchmarked construction norms, and regulatory precision—while aligning with the client’s long-term ESG and operational goals.

Through our advisory, the client sought clarity on the competitive landscape, region-specific warehouse typologies, procurement risks, and approval workflows. Ultimately, the goal was to enable informed, confident development planning in a high-growth logistics corridor, supporting scalable deployment across the UAE.

Here are four key takeaways that are important for organisation to consider:

1. Localised market insights are criticalwhen entering new logistics regions with differing regulatory frameworks and development dynamics.
2. Design standards must align with regional conditions, including climatic, operational, and authority-specific requirements.
3. Early mapping of approval workflowshelps reduce project delays and improves permitting confidence across jurisdictions.
4. Benchmarking construction costs and procurement modelsensures more accurate budgeting and contractor alignment.
5. Embedding ESG principles from the outsetstrengthens long-term asset value and regulatory compliance in modern logistics developments.