Dubai Holding Real Estate (DHRE) is factoring Dubai’s 2035 outlook into its product design and development decisions, with the emirate’s 2040 master plan providing a framework for how the city will evolve, according to Chief Executive Officer Khalid al Malik.
Speaking at RISE Summit 2026, al Malik said the city’s development plans were influencing how the company approaches its projects, with the requirements of people forming part of Dubai’s planning direction.
Dubai 2040 master plan offers insight into city’s 2035 outlook
When asked what Dubai would look like in 2035, al Malik said the city’s 2040 master plan provided an indication of the changes expected over the coming years. “Dubai [has] a master plan 2040,” he said. “That gives you, when you read it, an indication of how [Dubai will] look in 2035.”
Al Malik said understanding the city’s direction was part of the company’s approach to development, with planning decisions taking into account how Dubai is expected to evolve. Dubai Holding Real Estate incorporates 2035 vision into development decisions
Explaining how the company’s approach aligns with the emirate’s plans, al Malik said the outlook for 2035 was already being considered when designing products and assessing developments.
“I’m going to mention a lot of stuff that actually [has] been taken into consideration with us in the design of our products and how we buy developments,” he said. “We look in 2035,” he added, linking the company’s planning considerations to the direction set out in the Dubai 2040 master plan.
Dubai’s development plans focus on meeting people’s needs
Al Malik also outlined the role of people in Dubai’s development plans, describing a vision centred on creating a metropolis where residents’ requirements are addressed across the city.
“It’s really about you making” a metropolis centred on people, he said, where “the requirements of the people are all met … across the city”.
His remarks highlighted how Dubai’s 2040 master plan serves as a reference point for decisions being made ahead of 2035, including those related to product design and development acquisitions.
The discussion at RISE Summit 2026 focused on Dubai’s development trajectory and how the city’s approach to planning could offer lessons in urban development.
