When news turns uncertain, the instinct is to pause.  Many investors in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are taking more time to assess risk before committing capital, and that care is wise.  Right now, one thing every investor can control is the quality of the next decision.

Middle East Consultant magazine invited our VP - Operations, Hamed Aljufairi, to share how Compass reads this moment in its October 2026 issue.  Ask most people where the biggest risk on a project sits and they will point to cost.  Hamed points to the schedule.

“For capital funds, time is everything.  They want to build as quickly as possible so that they can generate a return on investment,” he says.  That makes a pause the ideal moment for groundwork.  With clear information ready, the next step is quicker and safer whenever it comes.

Compass has grown its offering around that idea.  A sound decision needs better information before you commit, and a closer watch once you build.  This year Compass added a service for each, giving clients one partner from first decision to finished asset.  GIS Consultancy brings geospatial intelligence to the earliest choices, so investors commit with a clear picture of the site and how the asset will perform over its life.  Construction Supervision protects that decision on site, so the quality agreed at design stage is the quality handed over.

Hamed sees private investors spending more time on risk, particularly where supply chains could slow a project.  On some packages already in construction, material prices have climbed by 20 to 25%.  Compass now works with clients earlier in the development cycle, identifying that exposure and planning alternative procurement and supply routes before capital is committed.  That groundwork means an investor is ready the moment the time is right.

In the past, clients leaned on programme management and PMC services for a high level view of progress.  With more projects and new contractors entering the market, they now want the same control over quality on site.

“You also need to manage quality and make sure that the design intent established during the design stages is delivered on site,” Hamed explains.  His advice is to build construction supervision into the delivery model alongside project and cost management from day one.

Behind that sit early warning indicators and a dashboard clients can check 24/7. “Our role is to alert the client as early as possible if there are any issues affecting these programmes and projects,” he says.  Compass is also in discussion with clients about inspector helmets fitted with cameras that link to the drawings and the model, flagging an issue the moment it appears.

“Geospatial is about data,” Hamed says.  That data can inform every choice about a site, from the first question of whether to develop it right through to operations.

The value carries on long after handover.  Hamed sees strong demand in Saudi Arabia for BIM LOD 700 models on assets completed over the last 5 to 10 years.  Linked to a dynamic digital twin, those models keep a live record of warranties and defects for the life of the asset.  Machine learning drawn from comparable projects then sharpens each new decision.

Read Hamed's full interiew in Middle East Consultant magazine here.

FAQs

How is construction in Saudi Arabia and the UAE changing?

Investors are looking harder at risk and return before committing capital, and clients now want the same control over quality on site that they already have over programme and cost. Data and digital tools are increasingly how both are managed.

What is construction supervision?

Construction supervision is independent quality assurance and quality control on site.  Compass supervises delivery on behalf of the client so the building handed over matches the design intent agreed at the start.

What does GIS consultancy offer real estate investors?

GIS consultancy turns geospatial data into decision support.  Compass uses it to guide site selection and development planning, and to build BIM and digital twin records that help owners manage an asset across its life.

Why is the schedule the biggest risk for investment funds?

For capital funds, return on investment starts when the asset becomes operational.  Compass looks for ways to shorten the programme while protecting quality, so the asset starts earning sooner.