How DMDC revolutionises industry with integrated design and manufacturing ecosystem
Raji Daou talks on DMDC’s unified design-to-manufacture ecosystem
What advantages does this integrated structure give your clients?
DMDC’s strength lies in its structure. With a workforce exceeding 1,000 professionals, the group operates across interior architecture, advanced manufacturing, contracting, and development within one coordinated ecosystem. This scale is not about volume, it is about control. Unlike fragmented models where responsibility shifts between consultants, contractors, and suppliers, DMDC functions as a single accountable platform. Design, fabrication, and execution teams align from the earliest stages of a project. For clients, this reduces risk, shortens decision cycles, and creates clarity. The result is consistency ― in timelines, quality, and communication ― across projects of varying complexity.
With design and execution housed under one umbrella, how do you balance creativity with buildability and commercial realities across projects of different scales?
A defining element of the group is STRATA, DMDC’s fully owned interior architecture practice operating as an independent design entity. This separation is deliberate. By structuring design as its own discipline rather than a subdivision of contracting, creative integrity is protected. STRATA develops spatial concepts and material strategies without being constrained by on-site logistics.
At the same time, because it operates within the broader DMDC ecosystem, cost intelligence and constructibility are embedded early in the process. This eliminates one of the industry’s most common pain points: the gap between vision and execution. Ideas are ambitious yet grounded. Design intent survives delivery.
How does your end-to-end capability impact timelines, cost efficiency, and quality assurance?
At the core of DMDC’s execution capability is DMDC Woodworks, a 30,000 square feet, fully owned joinery facility in Dubai Industrial City, equipped with advanced precision machinery.
In a market where custom fabrication is often outsourced, DMDC controls production schedules, quality inspection, and material sourcing internally. Lead times become predictable. Adjustments can be made without renegotiation chains. Quality control happens before installation, not after issues arise on site. For clients, this translates into fewer delays, stronger cost discipline, and a higher level of finish consistency.
DMDC Estates adds a development dimension to the group. How does having in-house design, manufacturing, and construction expertise influence the way you acquire, renovate, and reposition properties?
DMDC Estates benefits directly from the group’s integrated expertise. When evaluating acquisitions, projects are analysed not only from a development perspective, but through architectural, construction, and manufacturing lenses simultaneously. This multidimensional understanding allows for more accurate feasibility modelling, disciplined renovation budgeting, and intelligent repositioning strategies. Value is created deliberately rather than optimistically projected. Because design, production, and execution are aligned internally, turnaround times are shorter, and asset repositioning is more controlled.
With a team of more than 1,000 employees, what are your growth plans for the next five years?
The next phase is focused on institutional strength rather than uncontrolled expansion. DMDC intends to deepen specialisation within its divisions, continue investing in advanced manufacturing technologies, and selectively expand into high-value developments. Growth is measured not only by size, but by operational maturity, governance, and long-term positioning. In a market often driven by fragmentation and speed, DMDC’s strategy is structured integration; scale combined with accountability, creating stability for clients and partners alike.
For more information visit www.dmdc.ae
