A call to real estate developers

Real estate projects are booming throughout the country. Everyday we observe the launch of a new real estate project that is unique in a certain way.

The uniqueness is underlined in many aspects such as the core theme of the project, the architectural brilliance in the construction of the project, the distinguished financing tools and the additional promotions such as raffles of luxury cars and apartments. Nevertheless, it seems that the developers are out of new ideas thus they are imitating each other.

This fierce competition made the market competitors imitate some of the successful achievements of pioneers in the real estate field. Some examples of imitations are granting foreigners permanent residence visas, allying with a famous international brand in a specific project development and providing almost the same type of facilities in all of the projects such as gymnasium, children's daycare, internet wireless connection, swimming pools, medical clinics, restaurants, plazas, business centres and the like.

Consumers of real estate projects have a growing concern about the quality of people inhabiting the projects in terms of their backgrounds and health status. That is because residents of a specific project would most probably share all of the facilities available for their use in addition to the probability of engaging with each other for a reason or another. This is a valid concern specially that we are facing a rapid increase in crime rates and infectious diseases.

Concern

In order to meet the concern of this segment, real estate developers should set a minimum educational and health requirements for potential tenants. The developers could benchmark their new projects with those requirements to deliver an innovative atmosphere for customers. Such projects would be an idealistic destination for families who would like to consider our country as their permanent homes as they are aware of the quality of life awaiting them.

Some parties would consider the implementation of those requirements as a type of discrimination against other interested people in such projects.

It should not be viewed in a negative manner as the requirements should be minimal. The education requirements should only test basic literacy levels and the health requirements should only test major infectious diseases.

This suggestion would benefit the government more than any other party as the implementation of those requirements would assure the deliverance of a global community that is composed of people with certain education and health standards.

The real estate developers would benefit also from the implementation of those requirements as they would serve a new market segment and would be considered pioneers in doing so.

Finally, individuals and families looking forward to live within such kind of community would benefit from the introduction of such projects.

Hanan Esmail Al Sahlawi is an Emirati columnist based in Abu Dhabi.