Dubai Municipality And Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment Sign MoU To Enhance Flexible Housing Solutions For Citizens

Dubai Municipality and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance housing solutions for Emirati citizens. This agreement aims to streamline homebuilding processes, making it easier for citizens to construct their homes efficiently. The collaboration focuses on simplifying procedures, improving government integration, and developing regulatory models that enhance housing service quality.

The MoU was signed at GITEX Global 2025 by Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, and Mohammed Al Shehhi, Acting CEO of MBRHE. Both parties are committed to advancing construction and housing services while creating innovative solutions tailored to citizens' needs. The agreement also aims to offer diverse housing options with minimal costs and administrative burdens.

Under this partnership, both entities will work together to design and update standardised housing models. These models will be categorised into predefined types approved in advance to speed up the licensing process for private housing projects. This cooperation seeks to improve citizens' experiences by promoting joint integration, streamlining procedures, and unifying communication channels.

The collaboration covers all project stages—from design preparation and contractor listings to execution supervision—ensuring clarity of roles and efficiency. Mariam Al Muhairi, CEO of the Building Regulation and Permits Agency at Dubai Municipality, stated: "Our partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment supports Dubai Municipality’s vision of achieving government integration and providing a comprehensive, sustainable housing ecosystem."

Al Muhairi added that their priority is creating an inclusive, sustainable housing environment with innovative solutions that guarantee stability and dignity for citizens. This initiative aligns with the Dubai Social Agenda 33 objectives, aiming for an ideal city offering the best living experience and accessible housing services.

Dhallal Bin Quraish Al Falasi, Assistant CEO of the Corporate Support Sector at MBRHE, remarked: "This memorandum reflects the Establishment’s vision to strengthen government partnerships aimed at advancing the public housing system." He emphasised the importance of smart solutions enabling citizens to build homes according to high standards.

Streamlined Processes

Al Falasi highlighted that this cooperation aligns with Dubai's vision to enhance life quality by providing an integrated residential environment fostering family stability. By simplifying procedures and activating unified digital channels, they aim for a seamless customer experience. The partnership seeks to elevate housing services while supporting sustainable urban development goals.

The partnership also involves developing electronic integration mechanisms for data exchange. This includes sharing inspection results, licensing statuses, project progress reports, and contractor performance evaluations. Both parties will coordinate technical procedures related to MBRHE’s role as a project manager on behalf of homeowners.

Roles in Project Management

Dubai Municipality will define contractor requirements for private citizen projects and provide MBRHE with an updated list of qualified contractors. This ensures reliability in execution quality through pre-approved standardised models. The Municipality will also oversee construction supervision, conduct inspections, issue interim approvals, and ensure project readiness for final completion certification.

Meanwhile, MBRHE will coordinate with homeowners on design selection, tendering projects, awarding contracts, and appointing contractors. Acting as project manager under homeowner authorisation, MBRHE will monitor progress and ensure contract compliance while sharing performance evaluations with Dubai Municipality periodically.

This strategic partnership between Dubai Municipality and MBRHE aims to create a more efficient homebuilding journey for Emirati citizens by integrating processes across all stages of construction while supporting broader urban development goals in line with leadership directives.

With inputs from WAM