ConstructionTaryn ParisTue 06 Oct 26
Arada Exports Roberts Co to the Gulf as Vertical Integration Expands
Global developer Arada is expanding Roberts Co into the United Arab Emirates, taking the Australian Tier 1 builder it acquired last year into the Middle East as part of its Arada Industries vertical.
Roberts Co has established a UAE presence, with a head office team already in place.
Its first project will be Phase 2 of the Arada Central Business District, a commercial hub within Aljada, Arada’s $14 billion mixed-use megaproject in Sharjah.
Roberts Co is also providing preconstruction services on several Arada projects in Dubai and Sharjah ahead of getting to work on site.
Arada said the move enabled it to embed construction expertise at the design and development stage, which it argued would lift efficiency and cut costs.
Group chief executive Ahmed Alkhoshaibi said Arada would “import skills and innovation from elsewhere in the world”.
He said Roberts Co would complement, not replace, the contractor relationships Arada had built across its UAE projects.
“Our door remains firmly open to the best the market has to offer,” he said.
Roberts Co chief executive George Kostas described the UAE as an “extraordinary opportunity” to do projects of significant scale.
He said the company had established its core team and confirmed its first project.
The expansion is the latest step in Arada’s vertical integration strategy. The group has already brought construction, cranes, MEP and smart technology in-house under the Arada Industries banner.
Arada said the vertical integration provided greater control over quality, program and cost, which it described as particularly valuable in the current construction environment.
Arada entered Australia in 2024 and has built a pipeline of more than 5000 homes.
It acquired Roberts Co in 2025.
In August, Arada confirmed that Roberts Co would build its $2-billion Broadbeach project on the Gold Coast.
Roberts Co was founded in 2017 and works across health, education, commercial, residential, hospitality, industrial, life sciences and defence.
Arada said it had projects valued at $67 billion under development across the UAE, the UK and Australia, and had delivered more than 17,500 homes to date.
