Century Tower handed over its final keys in February, eight weeks ahead of schedule. The 23-storey residential building in Business Bay stands as an outlier in a market where delays have become the norm and construction costs continue their relentless climb.
Most developers are bleeding money from the other direction.
AMBS Real Estate Development, which built the 210-unit tower with fäm Properties as master agent, demonstrated what happens when construction starts immediately rather than waiting for sales to close. By the time Century Tower launched in June 2024, building work was already well advanced—an unusual approach that proved prescient as material costs surged through 2025.
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, argues that speed has become survival. “Developers who have launched projects, whether fully sold or partially sold, must recognise that the market pricing they relied on two or three years ago, or even one year ago, is no longer relevant. Construction costs have increased and are still rising,” he said.
The numbers bear that out. Turner & Townsend’s 2025 report revealed that construction materials now represent roughly 60% of baseline costs across the UAE. Concrete prices climbed. So did MEP systems, plastics, timber and structural steel. Each month of delay translates directly into higher expenses that developers must absorb or pass along to increasingly sceptical buyers.
“The longer that construction is delayed, the higher the cost the developer has to absorb, and the primary driver, inflation, is forecast to continue rising over the coming years,” Al Msaddi added. “Developers must do their homework, select proven contractors, secure materials early, and build realistic timelines into their financial models from day one.”
Supply chain disruptions have compounded the pressure. Developers across Dubai have started bulk-buying materials to cut lead times and lock in prices before the next increase arrives. It’s a defensive strategy born from watching costs spiral beyond initial budgets.
Yet demand for off-plan properties hasn’t wavered. DXBinteract data from January showed that first sales from developers reached 12,106 transactions worth AED52bn, dwarfing the 5,362 resales valued at AED20.5bn. Buyers still want new construction—they just want it delivered on time.
That’s where the calculation has shifted. Investors and end users who once focused primarily on location and amenities now scrutinise track records. They want to know when their income-generating asset, or their home, will actually materialise. Marketing renders matter less than delivery history.
Century Tower sold over 90% of its apartments on launch day, a response Al Msaddi attributes partly to the visible progress already made on site. Buyers could see steel and concrete, not just promises.
“This response to property launches has generally become much more considered in recent years, as investors and end users take more time and care to analyse projects, and do their own market research,” Al Msaddi observed. “Buyers look beyond the marketing renders and location promises. They want to see that the developer has a trusted reputation for quality construction and timely delivery. This is another sign of market maturity. Early completions help alleviate common concerns about off-plan projects, and reinforce buyer confidence in those who deliver on their promises.”
The tower’s design targeted what fäm Properties identified as a gap in Business Bay’s Golden Triangle: residences with specifications that matched what buyers actually wanted rather than what developers assumed they wanted. The firm conducted market research and analysis before finalising layouts and finishes.
But the broader question facing Dubai’s property sector isn’t about design or location. It’s about whether developers can finish what they start before inflation devours their margins. Century Tower finished early in an environment where finishing at all, on budget, has become the exception.
For those who launched projects two or three years ago based on cost projections that no longer apply, the arithmetic has turned hostile. Material suppliers continue to raise prices. Labour costs edge upward. Every month that passes before completion adds another line item to the expense ledger.
The developers who started building immediately, who secured materials early, who picked contractors with proven delivery records—they’re handing over keys. The others are recalculating budgets and explaining delays to buyers who have grown less forgiving with each missed deadline.
Whether the market’s appetite for off-plan properties can withstand a wave of cost-driven delays remains an open question. What’s clear from Century Tower’s February handover is that the developers who treat time as their most valuable asset, rather than just another variable, are the ones avoiding the squeeze.