DUBAI, UAE, 9 August 2022: As the Middle East’s digital transformation advances at an accelerated pace, smart buildings – which underpin the success of these initiatives by enabling seamless delivery of digital services – have become a focal point of investment, AESG said through a Press release. The consultancy, engineering and advisory firm was speaking on the occasion of becoming an enabler for developers, building owners and facilities managers in achieving WiredScore and SmartScore certifications. The firm claimed it is among the first firms in the Middle East with accredited professionals to guide aspirants to the certifications.

Globally, the digital transformation market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.9% between 2021 and 2026, reaching USD121.6 billion, AESG said, adding that it wants to play a key role in supporting the momentum.

The two globally recognised certifications have been developed to create technologically advanced buildings with world-class, uninterrupted connectivity that helps advance functionalities, such as collaborative working, health and well-being, safety, security and sustainability, and supports the incorporation of future innovations, AESG said. These benefits translate to the ability to attract and retain tenants and increase rental value, with studies showing that the WiredScore certification increases a property’s rental value by an average of five per cent, AESG said.

“Work and living spaces have fundamentally changed in recent decades and high-quality, uninterrupted connectivity is now as vital to occupants as running water,” said Saeed Al Abbar, CEO, AESG. “In fact, quality of digital connectivity places second only to location among the top criteria tenants look for when moving to a new office. Smart buildings are fundamentally shifting the real-estate market, forcing building owners and landlords to re-evaluate functionalities ranging from user productivity and well-being to environmental impact. These stakeholders must now recognise that advanced, sustainable digital infrastructure is the foundation of the ongoing revolution to make buildings smarter and thereby enable a more collaborative, innovative, and dynamic future.”

According to AESG, two of its professionals – Rohan Chandavarkar, Associate Digital Delivery and Mark Derbyshire, Commissioning Manager – have been comprehensively trained under the WiredScore and SmartScore accreditation programmes. They will now work closely with AESG’s clients to understand, improve and communicate the user functionalities and technological foundations of their buildings to deliver exceptional user experience, drive cost-efficiencies, meet high standards of sustainability and future-proof buildings, the firm said.

AESG said it estimates the typical certification period for WiredScore and SmartScore to be between three and four weeks. Following certification, the firm, together with WiredScore, will help promote the building by defining a bespoke leasing and marketing strategy that includes information, such as tenant engagement guides, building fact sheets and building roadmaps that will help the client provide training to leasing teams, brokers and project managers, it said.

During the initial launch phase, AESG will primarily target commercial buildings – both existing and in development – in the UAE. Building on this success, the firm intends to subsequently expand the offering to the rest of the GCC region, United Kingdom and Singapore in due course, it said.