Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 02 October 2023: Dubai Land Department (DLD) through the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) announced the launch of ‘Munaqasat’ service, designed to regulate tendering processes for all matters related to services and maintenance for the jointly owned property (JOP) sector. This new service will enhance transparency in the sector and ensure top-quality services at competitive prices.

This move supports the ongoing transformation of the real estate sector and is in alignment with Dubai Land Department’s strategy to provide proactive real estate services through an integrated digital infrastructure.

Munaqasat, which is part of the ‘Mollak’ system, contributes to the comprehensive management of jointly owned property (JOP) in Dubai, facilitating and simplifying the tendering process, and establishes a direct link between jointly owned property companies and service providers. These processes are under the complete supervision and regulation of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, ensuring the prompt delivery of required services and the timely payment of associated fees.

The fully digitised Munaqasat service is in line with Dubai’s Digital Strategy, and enhances the provision of accurate budgets for service fees and maintenance work, in addition to elevating the quality of these services. This, in turn, encourages healthy competition among suppliers and fosters transparency between owners’ committees, owners and service providers, ultimately enhancing the overall satisfaction of residential communities.

Enhancing Operational Efficiency and Proactive Service Delivery

HE Eng. Marwan bin Ghalita, CEO of Real Estate Regulatory Agency at RERA, emphasised that the launch of Munaqasat builds on Dubai Land Department’s continuous efforts to bolster the readiness and sustainability of the real estate sector. It also fosters effective stakeholder partnerships, improving operational efficiency and providing proactive, citizen-centric services. He stated: “The jointly owned property (JOP) sector holds great significance in Dubai and contributes to the development of the broader real estate sector. It underscores our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and meeting the needs of investors and residents alike. Providing an integrated service for organising and regulating tenders related to maintenance services will foster a healthy and transparent environment in the real estate market. This, in turn, will promote the competition necessary to deliver the highest quality service standards.”

Mohammed bin Hammad, Director of the Jointly Owned Property Department, explained that Munaqasat requires jointly owned property companies to submit all tenders through the platform following the submission of their 2024 budgets on the system.  The deadline for submitting the 2024 budgets is October 2023. A specialised technical team then submits tasks, assess firms, and offers recommendations, then a finance team reviews the technical aspects and sets prices for each necessary service. The average of the technical and financial scores determine the final tender selection.

Subsequently, tenders are initiated, allowing service providers to participate via the new service. These providers can register as suppliers, granting them access to all relevant tenders based on their registered activities. This approach enhances transparency and curbs any unethical practices.

Beyond its initial offerings for jointly owned property companies and service providers, Munaqasat will include additional features by 2024 that will allow property owners to evaluate the performance of service providers. Additionally, owners’ committees will have access to view presented tenders, further enhancing transparency and engagement in the real estate sector through the platform.