Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) and Hub71 have signed a deal to connect technology startups with real estate sector challenges, creating a framework for potential pilots and closer engagement with the emirate’s property regulator.
With the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at LIVEX 2026, the Liveability and Investment Exhibition which took place from September 29 to October 1, 2026, at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi, the deal will run for an initial two years, covering startup referrals, solution validation, business opportunities and knowledge sharing.
For technology founders, its potential value lies in access to clearly defined problems and the stakeholders who understand them.
Working with a sector regulator could help startups establish whether their products address an operational need, and what would be required for adoption.
Under the agreement, ADREC will identify real estate sector challenges and work with Hub71 to connect relevant startups with opportunities to test and validate their solutions through ADREC, Hub71 Open Route For Startups To Test Real Estate Technology potential pilots.
ADREC, an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, will also refer startups from its network to Hub71’s programmes and contribute sector expertise to its selection process.
That involvement could help bring commercial and regulatory requirements into discussions earlier, allowing founders to refine products around the needs of the market they intend to serve.
“Technology is central to how Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector grows and stays competitive.
“Our work with Hub71 connects the real estate and technology sectors. It gives us access to the startups and talent that can help address real priorities, from how the market is regulated to how people buy, sell, and manage property,” said director General of ADREC, Rashed Al Omaira.
The scope places the agreement across several parts of the property market, rather than limiting it to a single technology or service. However, the announcement does not identify specific startup participants, technologies or pilot projects.
For businesses assessing the opportunity, those details will matter. A pilot can demonstrate that a product works in a defined setting; wider adoption also requires decisions about integration, operating costs, data access and responsibility for maintaining the service.
The announcement does not specify pilot budgets, procurement arrangements, deployment timelines or how successful trials would progress into commercial contracts.
Chief executive officer of Hub71, Ahmad Ali Alwan said engagement with government and sector stakeholders would help startups test their technologies against practical use cases.
“By working directly with sector and government stakeholders, startups can test their technologies against practical use cases, deepen their understanding of the sector’s priorities, and refine solutions with a clearer path to adoption,” Alwan said.
The collaboration also covers joint events, workshops and mentorship. ADREC can contribute expertise to Hub71 activities and introduce specialists from its network to support knowledge transfer.
These activities could help founders understand the requirements of operating in a regulated property market, while giving ADREC greater visibility into emerging products and technical capabilities.
The next measure of progress will be the challenges selected, the startups brought in and the outcomes of any trials.
For property businesses and their customers, the practical value will depend on whether those solutions improve how services work, reduce administrative effort or make transactions easier to complete.
Photo caption: Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO Hub71
