2026 | The Year Ahead

Words by Andrew Bereza, Thursday 15 January 2026

BSBG Senior Partner Andrew Bereza provides his annual thoughts as to what lies ahead for the industry in the next 12 months.

At the start of 2026, the global construction and design market feels broadly familiar. The overall trajectory remains similar to last year, although conditions are slightly more challenging in certain regions. Saudi Arabia continues to push forward at pace, albeit with greater scrutiny on delivery and cost, the UAE remains resilient and active, and the UK market shows little fundamental change. Against this backdrop, clarity, capability and consistency are more important than ever.

For BSBG, the year ahead looks very strong. We enter 2026 with a robust pipeline, committed clients and a number of major projects moving into key delivery stages. As many will know, there are reports of key industry players facing difficult decisions and challenging environments as we begin 2026. This serves as a reminder that the market, while most certainly active, is becoming more selective. For us, this reinforces the importance of maintaining agility, investing in talent and continuing to focus on disciplined growth, our long-term relationships with our clients and projects with genuine momentum.

The UAE

The UAE continues to demonstrate its strength as a mature and stable development market. Confidence remains high, underpinned by infrastructure investment, population growth and sustained demand across residential, hospitality and mixed-use sectors. Importantly, projects are continuing to move forward, with clients focused on quality, delivery and long-term value.

BSBG is currently active across multiple emirates, with a particularly strong pipeline in Abu Dhabi. We are pleased to be progressing several significant residential delivery projects announced last year, including The St Regis Residences in Abu Dhabi, alongside Eltiera Heights, Eltiera Views, Ellington Cove, and Modon’s Nawayef Views. These schemes reflect the continued appetite for well-considered, high-quality residential developments across the UAE, and our growing role as a trusted delivery partner in the market.

Elsewhere, our stable of projects across the UAE continues to develop steadily. Many projects are now moving into more advanced stages, and we expect to see tangible progress across a number of sites during 2026. This steady flow of activity reinforces the UAE’s position as one of the most reliable markets globally for well-structured development.

While the market may be slightly more measured than in previous years, the fundamentals remain strong. For BSBG, the UAE continues to be a key market where confidence, opportunity and delivery align.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia remains one of the most active construction markets in the world. The scale of ambition is unchanged, but there is greater focus on sequencing, procurement and delivery realism. This is a natural evolution of a market moving from rapid expansion into a more structured delivery phase.

Our major clients in the Kingdom continue to demonstrate significant momentum. At Qiddiya, the recent opening of Six Flags is hugely significant, and construction on Qiddiya Performing Arts Centre, which overlooks the theme park, has achieved some significant milestones in recent months, which we will be communicating later this year. The project is of exceptional scale and complexity, and as it progresses through key stages in 2026, it exemplifies the level of technical integration and leadership required to deliver Saudi Arabia’s next generation of cultural assets. Our ability to operate confidently at this level reflects the depth of expertise across BSBG’s architectural, structural and delivery teams.

Additionally, the terrific construction progress made on the Amansamar resort in Wadi Safar, and the forthcoming opening of the Royal Diriyah Golf Clubhouse, a project we have delivered for DGCL, show real progress is happening on the ground. These milestone projects are critical not just symbolically, but operationally, as plans transition from vision to functioning destinations.

Maintaining momentum in the Kingdom will require careful planning, realistic programmes and experienced teams. These are areas where BSBG is well positioned, and we remain focused on supporting our clients through disciplined, deliverable solutions rather than short-term optimism.

The United Kingdom

The UK market enters 2026 with ongoing discussion around planning reform and housing delivery. For now, conditions on the ground remain steady rather than transformative, as borrowing costs, viability pressures and extended decision-making timelines continue to shape the pace of activity.

But as always, London remains resilient, and it remains a hugely important market for us. Our studio continues to grow in capability, and we have a number of residential and hospitality projects progressing through design and pre-delivery stages. Client engagement remains consistent, and while the market may not be accelerating rapidly, it is stable and predictable, an important quality in the current global context.

For BSBG, the UK provides balance within our wider international portfolio, offering long-term opportunity and a platform for design excellence alongside our Middle Eastern markets.

In Summary

For the year ahead, we see the wider market picture as nuanced. Some regions are softer year-on-year, others remain strong. However, for BSBG, the outlook is positive. We begin the year with strong momentum, trusted client relationships and a portfolio of projects that are actively moving forward.

Our focus remains clear: designing excellence, delivering to the standards we set, supporting our clients through changing market conditions, and continuing to invest in our people and expertise. In an environment where certainty is increasingly valued, we are confident in our ability to navigate the year ahead and build on the progress we have made.

I would like to thank our teams, clients and partners for their continued commitment and collaboration, and I look forward to another year of measured growth, delivery and shared success.

Andrew Bereza

Senior Partner

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