IPS 2026 opens in Dubai with robotics unveiling and a rush of deal-making

Dubai: Dubai’s property market opened its latest major industry showcase on Monday with developers unveiling new technology-led projects, buyers being offered fresh incentives, as the emirate’s real estate sector looks to sustain its momentum into the next phase of growth.

The 22nd edition of the International Property Show (IPS) opened at Dubai World Trade Centre and runs from September 7 to 9, bringing together more than 300 exhibitors and over 30,000 participants from around the world.

Among the opening day’s most striking launches was Tréppan Vision, an Dh700 million mixed-use development from Fakhruddin Properties that puts robotics at the centre of its residential proposition. The project is designed around  specialised robotic services, AI-enabled homes, wellness support and sustainability systems, with dedicated robots planned to operate on every floor. Speaking to Gulf News, Mr. Yousuf Fakhruddin, CEO and Managing Partner of Fakhruddin Properties Development LLC, explained why he sees robotics as inseparable from real estate today.

"I think the vision with Tréppan Vision is to provide an ecosystem that supports wellbeing, convenience, technology and sustainability. We feel that whatever is out there that supports these three concepts, we have to integrate into our ecosystem. By doing that, we provide a lot more support system with robotics than anyone else can, that's why the best thing we could do was add it to the next project, this new unveiling."

Pitching to buyers

Elsewhere on the floor, the Danube stand was drawing heavy crowds. Gulf News asked Mr. Rizwan Sajan, Founder and Chairman of Danube Group, why his stand was so busy on the day.

"We have come up with a very special offer during IPS," Sajan said. "We are offering a 10 per cent discount. That means if you pay 20 per cent, I will give you 10 per cent off. This is the reason many people want to buy."

Asked what sets Danube apart from other developers at the show, he pointed to the company's delivery record: "Danube is well established. Today, we have promised to deliver 11 projects in 11 months. This is not a small thing, we will do it. Anybody who wants to know, they will get it, and it looks good."

On buyer sentiment heading into the rest of the year, Sajan was direct: "This is the right time for people to buy from Danube."

A bigger IPS sets the stage

The Main Conference opened with remarks from Marwan Houry, Principal and Vice President of the Board of Directors at AE7, and Francesca Melcarne, a senior real estate and asset management executive, who served as hosts for the ceremony, followed by an opening video to mark the formal start of proceedings.

The centrepiece of the opening session was the Dubai Land Department's address, "From 2026 to 2033 — DLD Leadership on the 2033 KPIs and 2026 Pillars: Investor Outlooks, Financing and Governance," delivered by Majid Al Marri, CEO of the Corporate Support Sector at the Dubai Land Department, Ismail Al Hammadi, Dubai real estate expert and Dawood Al Shezawi, President of the IPS Congress.

Their remarks laid out Dubai's roadmap from the current cycle through to 2033, touching on investor outlooks, financing frameworks and governance, effectively framing the real estate sector as central to the Emirate's next phase of growth.

The takeaway from today

From the Dubai Land Department's 2033 roadmap on the main stage to Tréppan Vision's robotics on the show floor and Danube's delivery-driven pitch to buyers, the message across IPS's opening day was consistent. Whether the conversation was institutional capital or a walk-in buyer at a stand, it kept circling back to the same three ideas -wellbeing, technology and lifestyle, which was running through every corner of the event.