What projects and initiatives have DAMAC envisaged for 2024 to continue creating communities that foster a strong sense of belonging?

We anticipate a busy year in 2024, a continuation of what we experienced in 2023 with record-breaking sales in the UAE. In just two weeks of this year, we launched an apartment range in our third master development, DAMAC Lagoons, which was sold out hours after the launch. We also unveiled Altitude, a luxury tower to come up in Dubai’s bustling Business Bay in January, and The Sapphire, the third in our Safa series in February.

We look forward to adding more interesting and exclusive projects to our portfolio as the year proceeds. Another highly anticipated project launch is the first phase of our third master community taking shape next to our flagship community, DAMAC Hills. Once ready, DAMAC Lagoons will offer residents a treat of the Mediterranean in the heart of Dubai, at our expansive 45 million square feet project.

Please give us an overview of the best practices for Health and Safety, crisis management as well as service excellence that have helped DAMAC build trust in its clientele.

At DAMAC, customer satisfaction is at the heart of our real estate operations. In our ongoing commitment to enhance the customer experience, we introduced the DAMAC Client Happiness Centre in the final quarter of last year. Situated within the newly opened DAMAC Mall in DAMAC Hills, this centre is designed to offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to our clients’ needs.

Our dedication to customer satisfaction and happiness remains central to our business ethos, and we are acutely attuned to our customers’ emotions. The introduction of the Client Happiness Centre with extended operating hours underscores our unwavering commitment and broadens our service offerings.

The Happiness Centre continues to provide clients with a diverse array of services, including assistance with payments, service charges, property resale inquiries, and other customer-related matters, all conveniently located under one roof. Furthermore, recognising the unique needs of our elite clientele, DAMAC has established a dedicated Happiness Centre for elite clients within DAMAC Mall.

LOAMS has won two prestigious awards at the International Real Estate Community Management Summit (IRECMS) in 2022. DAMAC was awarded Gold for the Best Crisis Management Initiative of the Year and Silver for the Happiest Residential Community of the Year. The Awards are the result of our team’s commitment to ensuring the safety, security, happiness, and satisfaction of our customers, an ethos that DAMAC is deeply rooted in.

What are some of the initiatives for reducing carbon footprint in communities managed by DAMAC’s Luxury Owners Association Management Services company?

We pride ourselves on adhering to global best practices and standards, as demonstrated by our comprehensive sustainable development policies. Our sustainable practices are action-driven strategies aimed at minimising our environmental footprint.

This includes enhancing energy efficiency and conservation, promoting environmental consciousness, and implementing wide-ranging eco-friendly initiatives. These extend to on-site practices, including deploying recycling and sustainable irrigation systems, energy recovery ventilation, and PV solar systems.

In addition, we are working on plans to install electric vehicle chargers across current and upcoming projects such as DAMAC Hills and DAMAC Hills 2 in collaboration with DEWA, use LED solar lighting for streets, as well as water recycling system that uses water-processed at a STP (sewage treatment plant) for irrigating the community’s landscapes at DAMAC Hills 2 and include other technologies such as energy recovery ventilation, solar water heaters and the use of PV solar systems in our latest projects. 

A testimony to our commitment has been attaining the LEED platinum pre-certification for our DAMAC Lagoons community and joining as a proud participant of the United Nations Global Compact initiative — a voluntary leadership platform for developing responsible business practices. In addition, the collaboration with e& to introduce Charge&Go electric vehicle charging stations underscores DAMAC’s alignment with our ESG objectives.

How is technology serving as an enabler in providing customer excellence and operational efficiency?

At DAMAC Properties, we have long been leveraging cutting-edge technology and systems to optimise our operations and, ultimately, our end product. We invest heavily in digital platforms that allow us to engage with current and potential customers alike, where they are. Meanwhile, our robust CRM system provides us with a holistic, 360- degree view of each customer to provide personalised service that exceeds expectations.

We have a series of apps to further streamline our connections with our agents, employees, and those who have purchased or rented a DAMAC property. These apps provide tailored services and information to our different segments, encompassing a diverse range of topics that are relevant to that segment.

For agents on-the-go, it gives them real-time information to help their own customers. For employees, it reduces bureaucracy and allows them to engage with the broad range of services as well as initiatives we offer. Finally, for customers, the DAMAC Living app lets them pay fees, raise service requests, and stay up to date with what’s happening in their tower or community.

Behind the scenes, we utilise smart building technology to help us manage project timelines, reduce waste and stay true to our environmental promises. We also apply analytics to all operating metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.

By continuously integrating the latest technology into our business, we can deliver seamless customer experiences while boosting productivity. This innovation-focused approach sets us apart in the real estate industry and enables us to maintain our leadership position. It is worth noting that we are not just leveraging but creating technology today to anticipate the needs of our customers tomorrow and streamline our processes today.

What features are DAMAC offering to cater to the luxury property buyers in the UAE market?

We believe that ‘Live the Luxury’ is more than a motto, it’s a pledge we make to our customers. DAMAC Properties offers exclusive features that appeal to high-end buyers in the region, across different interest groups and stages of life. In several of our properties, we also have amenities that are hard to find anywhere else, from inland beach clubs to tropical sky forests and more. Our portfolio of iconic branded properties will be situated in sought-after locations such as Dubai Marina, Dubai Canal, Dubai Harbour, Business Bay and Downtown Dubai including Safa One de GRISOGONO, Safa Two de GRISOGONO, Cavalli Tower, Chic and Elegance towers, DAMAC Casa and so on.

However, the services we offer begin even before handover. We offer a complimentary fly-in and hotel service to potential buyers from around the world, as well as dedicated sales centres for elite customers. And of course, our units always use premium finishes, bespoke details and highly considered and innovative designs to create an unmatched living experience.