Dubai Municipality broadens construction cooperation with Singapore

Dubai Municipality has signed a cooperation agreement with Singapore’s BCA International after a high-level visit focused on modern building methods, green construction, digital technologies and regulatory practices that could support Dubai’s expanding built environment.

The delegation, led by Director-General Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, concluded the official visit after meetings with government bodies, construction specialists and technology companies, alongside site inspections examining how Singapore applies advanced techniques across urban development and building projects.

The agreement with BCA International, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority, is intended to strengthen technical capabilities and knowledge exchange in green buildings and modern construction methods. It provides for training programmes, specialised site visits and exchanges on construction policies and industry practices.

Dubai Municipality said the arrangement would also explore stronger links between Singaporean companies and strategic development projects in Dubai, while supporting assessments of projects and buildings across the emirate.

Bin Ghalita said international cooperation and knowledge exchange were important to ensuring Dubai’s construction sector evolved alongside advances in technology, engineering and urban development. The municipality, he said, was examining practical applications that could inform its regulatory and operational approaches.

The visit placed particular emphasis on modular construction, artificial intelligence, automation, digital twins, sustainable infrastructure and smart-city technologies. Officials assessed how such systems are being used in Singapore and their potential relevance to construction efficiency, safety, quality control and sustainability in Dubai.

The delegation also participated in International Built Environment Week 2026, a Singapore industry gathering covering workforce capabilities, digital intelligence, construction technology and sustainability. Organisers said the event attracts more than 14,000 participants and visitors and over 1,300 experts and industry leaders.

The programme included a visit to BEX Asia, staged alongside International Built Environment Week, where the delegation reviewed construction products and technology solutions presented by international suppliers. The municipality said those engagements were used to identify applications that may improve future project delivery, inspection processes and the management of high-rise construction.

Meetings with the Building and Construction Authority and BCA International covered productivity, advanced building and inspection technologies, regulatory frameworks, construction cost management, sustainability and digital transformation. The Dubai team also examined Singapore’s use of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction, known as PPVC, as well as robotics, artificial intelligence and safety-monitoring systems.

PPVC involves completing substantial portions of building modules, including internal finishes, fixtures and fittings, before transporting them to a construction site for assembly. Dubai Municipality’s interest centred on the practical effects of such methods on delivery times, labour requirements, quality assurance, site safety and waste reduction.

The delegation visited projects undertaken by United Tec Construction that use modular building and PPVC systems, following the process from manufacturing and transport to on-site installation. Officials also inspected Avenue South Residence and other modular developments to examine how advanced and sustainable construction techniques operate in completed or active projects.

Another stop was the Asia-Pacific headquarters and research and innovation centre of Japan’s Kajima Corporation at Changi Business Park. Dubai Municipality said the facility functions as a living laboratory for technologies before wider deployment, including robotics, construction automation, digital systems, digital twins and smart-building management.

Singapore has been increasing investment in technology-led construction. Its Building and Construction Authority announced this month that S$112 million had been committed to built-environment research and innovation under the country’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 programme. It also introduced a refreshed Green Mark Version 7 framework aimed at making green-building certification more performance based and aligned with international standards.

The authority has separately been advancing measures intended to raise construction productivity, including greater robotics adoption and a whole-of-government virtual inspection process designed to shorten approval timelines for Temporary Occupation Permits and Certificates of Statutory Completion.

For Dubai Municipality, the Singapore visit extended beyond construction sites to wider urban-management tools. The delegation examined the use of advanced technologies in urban planning, infrastructure management and sustainable city policies, including digital twin applications that can support planning and public-service decisions.