How Contech & PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate and allowing economic diversification, with Anas Bataw and Prakash Senghani

A recent Deloitte report cited the Middle East real estate market is projected to expand by up to 111% in the next five years.  

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa was joined by Anas Bataw and Prakash Senghani, Co-Founder and CEO at Navatech Group. They discuss the vast opportunities for innovation and growth through technology in the Middle East, the geographical advantage that has put the MENA region at the forefront of smart technology adoption and urban development, and the huge appetite for digitalisation that the guests have seen in the last few years.  

Tune in to hear about examples of some of the technologies being used in the Middle East that are leading the way in revolutionising MENA real estate, as well as some of the challenges that come alongside this diversification. If you are interested in learning more about how construction technology and PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate, this episode is not one to miss! 

Companies Mentioned 

• Deloitte 
• Watheeq PropTech Venture 
• Fifth Wall  
• NEOM 
• Red Sea Project 
• Mace 
• Amar 
• MIRA 
• ROSHN 
• PwC 
• Balfour Beatty 
• WSP 
• AECOM  
• JLL 
• Technology Innovation Institute (TII) 
• WakeCap 
• WorkPanda  
• Procurified 
• Modular 
• Aldar 

Shoutouts 

• Terrence Burrows, CCO at PropTech Connect 
• Matthew Maltzoff, CEO at PropTech Connect 
• William Newton, President & Managing Director at WiredScore 

Episode Highlights 

• The huge appetite for digitalisation in the middle east  
• Prakash’s journey from the corporate world into building his own start-up   
• Anas’ experience in the COP28 committee and the push to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions  
• The growth areas that Prakash has seen within construction over the past five years and what we should be watching out for in the future   
• Prakash talks us through some of the stand-out technologies being used in the Middle East  
• The Middle East’s geographical advantage and its wide talent pool 
• Anas explains how having a clear strategy is so important  

Key Takeaways 

• The pros are that you’re involved in large projects and that there’s a push towards technologies and innovations, and people really want to challenge the current status of what we have – Anas 
• I wanted to use artificial intelligence and particularly chatbots to help do things in construction, and one of those things was safety – Prakash    
• The complexion of the people working in the construction industry is going to change massively – Anas 
• Changing something is always more difficult than planning for the way that you want it in the first place – Prakash 

About our guests 

Anas Bataw  

Playing a vital role driving Innovations and Technology in MENA, Singapore and UK, contributing to the development and delivery of National and Organisational strategies, standards and initiatives.  

Anas has led the establishment of impactful innovation programmes and the implementation of large-scale solutions with unique leadership in building business cases, ecosystem development and value realisation.   

Awarded the global innovations leader in 2022, Technology Strategist of the Year in 2020 and Best contribution to global innovations by Singapore government in 2019 along with many other esteemed awards.  

Anas also contributes to Task Groups and Committees driving Innovations, Technology and Sustainability. As well as academic contributions at esteemed universities and publishers.  

Prakash Senghani 

Prakash is considered a visionary force in the world of construction technology, with an illustrious career that spans over a decade. With a passion for innovation, he has led transformative projects with top-tier organisations and consulting firms worldwide, revolutionising the industry with innovative digital solutions.    

Prakash’s journey took a bold turn a few years ago, when he embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure. Co-founding Navatech Group, a dynamic company dedicated to transforming the construction technology sector, he brought together pragmatism and passion to create something extraordinary. Navatech Group not only offers excellent consulting services but has also crafted a suite of groundbreaking SaaS products that leverage the power of AI to elevate construction organisations to new heights.  

Equipped with a profound understanding of construction technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), 3D Printing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Prakash has made an indelible mark on construction sites across the globe. His expertise has led to unprecedented savings in resources, time, and, most importantly, improvements in safety and risk management.  

Prakash’s ambition for creating meaningful impact does not stop with Navatech Group. He is also an active angel investor, using his expertise and capital to guide and nurture promising and innovative startups. As a mentor and board advisor, he shares his profound insights and experience, driving innovation and fostering growth in the industry.  

Learn more about Prakash’s journey and ventures, connect with him on his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-senghani/  

Navatech Group  

Navatech is a group of highly skilled individuals each with their own unique offerings and experience in several industries around the globe, coming together with a core purpose of creating a portfolio of digital products for low tech industries. The highly passionate core team at Navatech Group has technology driven innovation at the heart of their solutions to transform high risk industries. The vision is to digitise high risk industries with artificial intelligence enabled solutions.  

About Our Host  

Louisa Dickins  

Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  

To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast’ where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.