How Smart Materials Save Money and Improve Health

How do developers decide what actually goes inside a building?

In this episode of MERED Talks, our host Harley Jenner is joined by Yazan Al Khalidi, Chief Commercial Officer at MERED, and Anwar Nusseibeh, Chairman of The Nano Company, to explore the hidden layer of real estate development most buyers never see: materials, technology, and the partners behind them.

From nanomaterials to smart construction thinking, this conversation reveals how the choices made long before a building is completed can shape everything from sustainability to the health of the people who live inside.

🎧 Hit play to discover:

• How developers choose the right partners in a market full of suppliers

• Why innovation in construction isn’t about trends, but long-term value

• What is graphene and how it could transform modern buildings

• How materials affect everything from electricity costs to air quality

• What kind of innovations new generations will expect from the buildings they live in

🎥 Listen to the full episode to discover the invisible technologies shaping the future of real estate.

#MEREDTalks #MERED #RealEstatePodcast #ConstructionInnovation #SmartBuildings #DubaiRealEstate  #AbuDhabiRealEstate #LuxuryRealEstate #DubaiPodcast #UAEProperty

MERED website: https://mered.ae
MERED on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mered.ae/
MERED on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mered-ae/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What problems in traditional construction materials are you trying to solve?

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Does it help you uh save money? Does it help improve your life? Does it help improve your health? I think that innovation is very much needed over there. Our nanomaterial called graphene that reduces significantly your electricity costs.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 0:16

It is also anti-mould, anti-fungal, and fire retarded.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Once you have decided to work with an innovative supplier, how do you integrate that into a project?

SPEAKER_01 0:26

The first action is rejection because it's a lot of work. People don't like the change, right? I keep pushing, pushing, pushing.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

When we got into it, it was us and the government that was looking at graphene, nobody else.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

How does a decision made at the material stage affect someone living in a building five, ten years down the line?

SPEAKER_01 0:43

The only time innovation will be a risk is whenever you look at the innovations as a trend. Okay? Okay. Not a target.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

We're not just doing this for the sake of it looks good, right? Our coating helps our children breathe better air.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

What's the one thing you would like developers and buyers to understand about innovation in real estate today? Welcome back to the Merit Talks Podcast. I'm your host, Harley Jenner, and in every episode we go beyond property to explore how great people and bold ideas design the way we live, work, and connect. Today's episode takes us behind the scenes of real estate development to an area many people never see, but it's one that defines everything going forwards. I'm joined today by two people who shape what buildings are actually made of. The first to join us today is Yassan El-Khalidi. Yazan is Mered's chief commercial director. He has over 20 years of experience across the Middle East. He joined Merad one year ago from Kadir in Saudi Arabia. And today, Yazan is responsible for selecting partners and suppliers that meet MERAD's long-term vision for quality and innovation. Our second guest today is Anwanziba. Anwar brings a unique blend of global finance and entrepreneurship to the world of innovation and materials. His career includes senior leadership roles at Standard Chartered and Mabadala, and today he is the chairman at the Nano Company. He drives the development of advanced material solutions that improve performance, durability, and sustainability in construction. Thank you very much for joining me today on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

Thank you, Harley.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Today we will explore how developers find and choose the right partners, why materials matter more than most people realize, and how innovation at this stage impacts everything from cost efficiency to health and everyday lives. So I would like to start the first question to Yazen. So when you're looking for new suppliers for Merit, how do you do this? And what are your non-negotiables?

SPEAKER_01 2:43

If you look, you know, the market today, it is it is full of suppliers, it's full of contractors, it's full of everything. Look for the right partners. The right partners in in all means, in terms of what technology does they uh use, how honest are they in the market, you know, because what we have is reputation. Our reputation is how to deliver the things on time, on budget, and uh, you know, with the quality that we are promising people for. We are a luxury developers. So I I cannot go wrong. So if you look, I did a huge uh uh research in the market. This is when I start to go and visit the people and understand who's doing what, who's who's the right, let's say, partners. I don't ask them about how they're gonna build the project. I ask them about how can we work together to make you uh succeed and make money. Okay, this is what I care about. If you make money, I'm gonna make money. If you're gonna come here and just give me uh the lower price ever, you know, we will end up in the court. So actually, this is uh this is how how we do it. It's all about research and looking for the right resources.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Okay, great. And at what point does innovation become a risk and how do you manage that?

SPEAKER_01 3:58

You know, in the construction industry, if you look at the construction industry in general, um the the the innovations have not been super significant if you compare it to other uh to other uh technologies that we have in to other industries in general.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

And um this is something super sad, super sad. Like if you look here, just look at UAE, for example, how many billions have been signed the last year, right? With all of these billions, more than 130 billion, I believe, like of construction, like with all of these billions that have been signed, I think that innovation is very much needed over there. The only time innovation will be a risk is whenever you you you look at the innovations as uh a trend, okay? Okay, not a target. And we never want a trend. We don't want any trends in our, you know, like I can I can fill the apartment with with buttons and and face recognitions and sensors, but what does this mean? What does this mean for the person who uh gonna buy this property?

SPEAKER_00 4:59

And what's the trend today may not be a trend in a few years?

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Like walk around, not just in Dubai, in any city, and see what people are trying to claim. You know, they're trying to claim that we are the best, we are top, we're and then you go deep inside, dig inside how you are the best, and then they start pitching something which is only trendy, and we are not looking for anything, any trendy technology is not a technology that we're gonna use in merit. Okay, any real technology that's gonna bring value for the people who gonna buy from us, get this property, and after 15 years come and say I was super lucky to buy this one. They come to us because this is the technology that we're looking for.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Here for the long term, yeah. Yeah, so how did you come across the nano company and what made you stop and think this is worth taking a deeper look?

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Okay, this is um something interesting, I'll tell you. So I'll just make it super short, okay? Okay, so I have a friend, his name is Khaled. We worked together whenever he was 20 years old, 20 years old, and I was like working in the company. He came to me as a trainee, I trained him, we become very much a friend, you know. Like I was young, he was young, partying every night, having fun, all of these things. Yeah, it's very nice, and work as well. Like he learned a lot from me, I learned a lot from him, all of these things. Then I left and he left to another place. Okay, and then after 13 years, we met in Merit. Crazy, right? Crazy. So we're talking at one night, playing some PlayStation, doing some FIFA, you know. I'm trying to distract him so I can win. So I'm trying to distract him, go, go, go, go, go, go. And then he told me, like, um, so I open the subject of of work, you know, man, like, you know, how about all of these HVAC things and all of these things coming, the dust, the and he said, like, man, oh my god, I have a friend, his name is Anwar, and uh, he has some technology that he have he's developing, blah, blah, blah. Then like, oh my god, this took my mind. You know, I was trying to distract him, then he distract me. You know, I end up losing the game, but winning Anwar.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

He won me.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

I win Anwar. This is exactly how it works. So so it got me super interesting. I took his phone, called Anwar, I saw him in the spot, he showed me his interesting things, and then like you know, it is you know how it is like something um light in your mind, like boom, uh-huh, exactly. That's what happened. And then we become very good friends. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

That's great. Yeah, so before I ask you what the nano company is and what you do, from your perspective, what do you look for in a developer before you commit to a collaboration?

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Yeah, um for us, innovation is very important, right? And the developer to have that spirit of innovation, and it's not innovation as uh Yezan said, for the sake of it, yes, but it's in order to reach a much better end product for the end user, for the client, right? And that has a lasting effect. And for us, the first meeting we had with Merid, we felt that. So they saw where the market was going and they said, let's be a first mover on this, let's jump on this. And ever since then, uh, you know, our collaboration has been fantastic. And in our case, what we're talking about, just to give the audience a little bit of color to this, is our nanomaterial called graphene, which is a wonderful material. Uh, and what we're developing with MIRID, I think is going to be super exciting, is uh basically a paint primer that uses our graphene integrated in it. And what it does is it reduces significantly your electricity costs.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

It is also anti-mold, anti-fungal, and fire retardant. And there are no paint primers right now in the market that provide for all of these things. So when Yezan says, well, not just innovation, this is for practical terms. As an owner of a property, I want less electricity costs, right? Given hot climates, I want something that's anti-mold because of uh, you know, the amount of mold that builds up in hot climates, right? Uh but graphene has a lot of other uses. So we integrate it in concrete, it makes it stronger, and it reduces the carbon footprint of the concrete, right?

SPEAKER_02 9:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

With the UAE's goals for 2030, this stands hand in hand with what these concrete companies need. So they were very excited when we showcased that A, our product is produced fully green, and once you integrate it in your concrete, your concrete becomes has less carbon footprint, can get a Pearl 2 SD Damo, which is very important for a lot of concrete companies. So graphene and concrete has a lot of uses uh for the construction industry. But also in the polymeres that we use in the columns of our buildings, we found that when we integrate graphene there, it allows the developer to have more GFA space. So right now we're speaking with Merit on something, let's say a little smaller but still huge, which is a primer that can help reduce your electricity bills. But as time goes on, this partnership we hope will grow into all the different sectors of construction uh utilizing our graphene, basically. And it's our job as a nano company really to go out to the market and give them this awareness that this high-tech material is coming, it's going to be integrated in our everyday society, and we need to be on board with it, basically.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

So it's not just for saving people's money, it's saving people's health.

SPEAKER_03 10:24

Exactly. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

That's amazing. Um, what problems in traditional construction materials are you trying to solve?

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Uh so look, it depends on which industry we're sort of targeting, right? So if we're looking at the concrete industry, uh, what graphene does when you integrate it is it reduces the cement requirement. Cement is a CO2 emitting material.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:45

So for concrete industries, it it helps on that side. Uh when it comes to polymeres, pipes, it makes the pipe stronger, it makes it thermally conductive, electrically conductive. So for the polymer industry, it has a lot of benefits. And when you come to the paints industry, I mean, even practical terms, right? To have a paint that is anti-mold in this climate is definitely something that's needed. For MIRIT, for example, when they do their marine houses, uh, having a paint that is anti-mold, antifungal will help them on a practical term, not just uh because you're selling a luxury product, but at the same time it helps reduce their costs, etc. So that's the kind of way we're helping. And following in line with the government's vision of 2030 of reducing our carbon footprint, our graphene helps, as I mentioned, in in concrete and in paint, it is a green product and it helps reduce the carbon footprint of these concrete companies. So it falls in line with the ESG goals that we have in place.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

But Anar, I just want to say something, you know. I'm I'm I have joined a lot of panels about sustainability because you know it's it's the trend today, you know. Uh, but is it the trend I always ask myself, is it the trend just to look nice? Like, you know, I like sustainability, I don't use plastic, you know, or is it is it just like or is it in a different way? Like we're really, really trying to achieve something because we care about kids, like our kids, we want them to live in a better world. We don't want to leave them with all of these uh uh bad things that we're doing today.

SPEAKER_03 12:16

I I a hundred percent, yes. And I think again, we we go back to the point that we're not just doing this for the sake of it looks good, right? Uh our anti-mold uh coatings, for example, and print primers help our children breathe better air. Um our uh uh primers help reduce uh the electricity charges, the costs for the owner of the property. So it's it's it's it's not it should never be about this is a trend, as Yazan says. It should simply be about a dollars and cents. Does it help you uh save money? Number two, uh, does it help improve your life? Does it help improve your health? And and with our technologies and what we're working with, Mira Development, we believe it touches all those angles. And that's why we're super excited uh with the work we're doing, basically.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Great.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

And why do you believe now is the right time for your product to enter the mainstream real estate space?

SPEAKER_03 13:10

Yeah, so I mean, look, uh, and and you know, we'll get to talk about some of our advanced antimicrobial coatings that uh we utilize in the AC Doc. So right now is the time because competition is very high amongst these uh luxury residential real estate companies. And right now, we need to provide an end-to-end service for these owners of these properties. It's not enough just to say, hey, I can give you a nice finishing for your property. But for owners, they want to see something more. Now, if you can tell them, hey, I provided you a primer that will help reduce your cost from the get-go, I've put for you a very advanced antimicrobial coating in your AC duct that will stop any mold buildup, bacteria, viruses, so your children sleep better. I will put anti-uh stain on your marbles so that it protects your marble from any stains coming in there. So all of these nanomaterials are being applied in the West, they've already started, even here to a very small degree. So this is already coming to the market. High-tech nanomaterials is going to be present in literally everything that we we see around us because it helps improve and strengthen what we build, essentially.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

But I actually don't know, even the the thing about how you you could work on producing the graphene in an economic way. Yes. Was really, really something that really took my mind. Like whenever you talk to me about how you did that, I was like, wow, you really, really think about it in a very good way.

SPEAKER_03 14:37

So exactly, and and and and to what Yazen's saying, graphene is known globally as a wonder material. So people have studied it, the the founders of it won the Nobel Prize. Um, so it's already been known. But the problem it's had in the past is it's quite expensive. Uh, what we've done as a nanocompany is we invested in a UK patented company uh where we produce and distribute this graphene. And what they were able to do is produce it at a very low cost and en masse. And that's something that the market has not seen.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

Um, without going into too much details about the price, we're able to do it. Let's say we're extremely, extremely competitive to anything out there. Okay. Uh, and what it's made us capable of doing is actually integrating with these companies. Because in the past, where price was considered prohibitive, now all of a sudden they're saying, Oh, wait a minute, we can buy it on this. This is actually good. We can make this product. Uh, so for us as a nano company, it's very important, and we have uh sort of scientists and people who understand what we're looking at. It's very important us to invest in the technologies of the future, find the right technologies that will help integrate with companies here in the UAE. And not just that, as a company as well, what we really focus on is working directly with the private companies, right? So, something to note what works here in the UAE might not work in London. Our partners in London, right? So the materials we use here aren't the same materials we used in London. And what nobody has really done here is actually work directly with the private companies and said, What are your issues in concrete? Right. I have this, this, this, right. Here's where my graphene can help you out. Uh, the same comes to the developers to say, what are your issues? Well, I want something that can do this. Excellent. Let me provide you with that. So, our ability to be very localized. Uh, our team is from here. Uh, you know, I'm a UAE national, but we have uh three other partners as well who are born and bred in the UAE. Uh, we know the market, we know how to work with the market, and we know what the market's looking for. And for us, it's it's very important to be localized because otherwise, this doesn't work with these companies, right? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Nice story. I tell you, nice story about this one. So um, maybe three days back, four days back, I was sitting like I took vacation for one week just to, you know, just like to clean my mind in the new year, like into the new year with with a clean mind. So uh what I do on my vacation is I read, I go, I see people, I talk to people. So I went to some friends and we were talking about um lead and is it real? Like, you know, if the building is lead, then it's gonna cost me a lot of money, blah blah blah, and all of these things. And you know, the the the the the whole thing come to my mind. Okay, so what we are saying is the following if you want to make your building a platinum lead, you're gonna spend a lot of money or much more money than what a conventional building will look like. Yes, but it will be super sustainable and your OPEX will go down, blah blah blah, all of these things. Very good. And then I thought about it. But why we don't look at what's making it expensive and try to make it economical, you know? Yes, anything that we can produce, we can produce it right now because technology is everywhere. Like, you know, go to China, they do everything in any price. So this is what I saw super smart when it comes to to the graphene. Like whenever we we sit together, like I remember the first time we sit you and I and the guys from national paint and then discussing, yeah, discussing all of these things and how it's gonna make like you know, my first thinking was how much it's gonna cost me. Yeah, but you know, as far as we go more and more and more and more with the conversation, I I just start to look at the benefit. It made more sense. And whenever we figured out what benefits we need, we could work with the guys. Yes, how we to make it economically good for us, so it will be an added value for the people and they will not pay a lot of money to get it.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

And how long is the anti-mould protection for?

SPEAKER_03 18:44

So it depends. If we're talking about our advanced antimicrobial coating AC ducts, that lasts for many, many months basically, up to six months. If we're talking about our primers, that lasts continuous basically. Once we put the primer, unless you do a repaint and then you have to come and redo the primer. Uh graphene as a material is anti-mold by its nature. It stops any mold buildup or fungal buildup. It it stops that community from building up. So it's everlasting unless you do a change of repaint, which is which is super, I think, for for for anyone living there, right? Uh to have that uh and to be able to reduce your energy costs. So in the in the UK, they do it for the opposite reasons, which is it keeps their the houses insulated because of the cold temperatures. And over here it's going to be for the other reasons. So yeah, it's it's it's very interesting. Interesting, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Very interesting.

SPEAKER_03 19:35

Yeah, I know. We're hoping pretty much any house. And then you're talking data centers, you're talking hospitals, for example. So it can be applied in so many different, especially working with government. And just to touch on something that Yezin said about you know, sustainable, and you know, we are the first company to standardize our graphene with Dubai Municipality and the ICC.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Globally, they said nobody has standardized it with ICC. We're the first company to do it for our paints and concrete. And the reality is that Dubai municipality is going to be pushing a lot of these companies to use green additives in what they're doing, right? It's part of the curriculum that's coming in. So it's either you, you know, adapt or you find other solutions. So you you people have to follow this. This is where the market is going, this is where the trend is going, essentially.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

How does a decision made at the material stage affect someone living in a building five, 10 years down the line?

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Okay. Um, you know, let me let me give it to you in a little bit different way. Do you watch football?

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Not often. I try not to.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

I think many people watch. So, like, I'll just tell you something about football. Football has changed whenever competition becomes very high. Okay. So if you look, uh anyone in in in in my age, still young, but still in my age, I think like we always look at when the football have evolved as uh Ronaldo and Messi time, right? It's Ronaldo and Messi, everything went very nice, everyone wants to adapt. They get to start to love football a lot, and then all the football industry have changed. The way the people plays, the tiki-tack, the counter-strike, like all of these things. Okay, so this is football. Let me get it up to you in the real estate. When the things become different, you know, you see how many branded residents do you have in UAE, you know, between the one of hotels and the one which is branded like us, like we have created something with Pen and Farina that that become really a brand and something that is recognized in the market, it's a lot. How many people uh demand that you know we have the most luxurious buildings here or the most luxurious product or whatever it is? It is all over, you know. So for me, when I come and I want to choose this material or that material to be used, and you know, we have a very strong product team over here that get us crazy. Yes, and then Then we need to make it economical. It becomes like, okay, the competition is very high. You need to adapt. It is like Messi and Ronaldo. You know? Exactly. Like all of these things. Okay, so we need to adapt with this. Okay. We need to adapt. So we always try to evolve, look for new things, uh, choose the right material, try them, do mock-ups, whatever you need. We spend a lot of money in the beginning, but we invest for uh the future. We invest to get our product um unique. Let me I I don't use the the the the word luxury because you know but I can say 100% our product is unique, so our material are unique.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Yes, they are. So once you have decided to work with an innovative supplier, how do you integrate that into a project?

SPEAKER_01 22:54

So let's take the the the example of uh of Anwar and how we are working together. We distinct these materials in a different way, we're seeing how really really it fits better to our uh to our product. So let me just give you a small example of the graphene. Um so you can you can um understand how uh the mindset is. Anwar while we're talking, he talked about connectivity. So you know the graphene using the graphene will make the these walls uh connectivity better. So it comes this way. If you want to make a smart building today and you put this graphene inside and you just start to put your sensors here and there, you can get every data that you need about your apartment because there is a connectivity. And what does this mean? This means a lot of uh information that you're gonna get about your building, and information is a lot of money. We all invest in data. The more data you have, the better decisions you're gonna make. Yeah, right. So just this is how smart people need to be uh in uh in choosing the material. It's not an easy thing, but actually that uh this is the thing that uh will always make merit as a company on on the top leak.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

That's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 24:11

And uh if I can just add as well to Yezan on on our testing, um, well, there's two more is one we're going to be doing painting one room with our graphene primer versus another without and testing it as well during the summer months, right? Uh so that's something that we're going to be doing with them, and then which will showcase the energy savings with our concrete companies. What we're I without naming developers, yes, we're building a uh driver's room made out of our graphene concrete, and it's going to be tested by the developers, by uh by the people by that big developer by the government, basically. So, just so you know, the UAE government's invested a lot of money in graphene, they've already seen its benefits, they're doing uh a lot of projects that they're looking at and the oil and gas, etc., uh, because it's wide-ranging. So they know where we're coming from. Literally, when we got into it, it was us and the government that was looking at graphene, nobody else. Literally, and and I remember but myself and my partner when we went in, they're like, Who are you? How do you know about this? Was two and a half, three years ago. Oh my god. Uh, so we knew we were touching on something uh very important, but that's just to show you how we'd work with Merit as well to showcase the benefits of our primer, for example, and with uh our paint company as well.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

That's really interesting.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

So, Yazan, how do you feel that um architects and contractors and engineers react to new materials?

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Uh the first reaction is rejection.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Yeah, the first reaction is rejection because it's a lot of work, you know, because if you are somebody who used to do something in this way, yeah, you want to do it this way. And the first the first reaction, people don't like to change, right? You don't like to change. I don't like the change. Same the architects and the contractors, they don't want to change, they just want to do it the way that they know how to do it, they the way that they have done it all of these years, okay?

SPEAKER_00 26:04

But is there such a big difference in the application of different materials?

SPEAKER_01 26:07

100% because every okay. So do you think that we're gonna just bring the paint and tell the people just paint it over here? No, we're gonna bring the paint and then we'll tell them you need to paint it this way and we need to see this way. So if you do it this way, you it's it's a lot of things, right? It's a lot of things. So um the first reaction is rejection. And this rejection, I I love when I see it because it just makes the journey much, much more exciting, you know, because sometimes you you you push the people so far, and you know that you push them so far, and then they they come back like with a way of negotiation, you know, okay, and negotiation is part of my life. So they come to negotiate with me what we can do, what we cannot do. And I say, you know, I keep pushing, pushing, pushing, and just push so hard, and then you know that they bounce back, and then you know, we get there, but the journey is nice.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

And then in a couple of years, you can go to those architects and engineers and say, and you can see when they prefer to use this material or method, you can say they're gonna adopt it, they're gonna adapt it.

SPEAKER_03 27:11

Yeah, and just to sort of add into what Yezun was saying, it's also the consumer will adopt it, right? I mean, in the case of our primers and what we're doing now with one of our entities, Eon, where we're working on a B2C level, okay, so in people's homes, the consumer will demand it. Once the consumer demands it, the rest of the market and the businesses will follow suit, right? So if you're coming in there and we're repainting people's houses and it's reducing their energy costs, you can be sure a lot of the developers are gonna say, Hey, we need to start putting this as a standard. Uh with the government that's spending so much money on energy costs, inflation, etc., it just becomes a practical need, essentially. And that's you get consumer buy-in, the rest of it comes through, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:56

How do you ensure consistency and the correct application of the products?

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Uh yeah, so for us, like I said, before we do any any work, we work hand in hand with the contractor or a client from the very first phase on to execution, right? So if it's in the case of, let's say, concrete, right, we know exactly what the additives they use. We work on a scientific basis with them, how they produce it. So it's very localized. So it's the same thing with uh mirror development. We'd understand exactly their requirements, room sizes, NIAs, things like that. And then we would work with them on the application. And then eventually they could then themselves go and apply uh the primers themselves once they know how to how to do it, right? So it it has to follow a very sort of it takes a bit of time, but it gets done correctly because each company, as Yasun will tell you, has their own processes, they have their own elements that they work with, they have their own uh culture. So we have to make sure that what we're doing actually fits in that mold. We're not here to change things, we're just here to improve their lives by giving this additive that'll hopefully put a smile on Yazen's face. Yeah, one little bottle.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

I think you already have.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

I think I already have. Yeah, there you go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:09

So, what changes do you both expect to see in construction materials over the next decade?

SPEAKER_01 29:14

I think that that the whole industry will change for many reasons. For many, it's not just about the material hardly. Today we you we you're working with the AI with all of these things. So, you know, when whenever you see all of these crazy thinking about, you know, adding robots that are gonna do things uh for you, and um we're gonna adapt with all of these changes. I I see this as changing big time is in the material, the way that we apply it, the way that we build, the way that we live. Okay, so remember that our way of living have changed. Yeah, uh like uh five years back. I will not go so far. Five years back. Who thought that you will see all of these uh people delivering whatever you want to your doorstep, right? Life changed, and accordingly, the community has changed with this because they need these deliveries to come. So I was talking to one of my friends, one of the very nice architects, his name is Gustavo. He has the uh company called Forest. You know, these guys are only working on um uh restaurants, uh retails, and all of these things. And I was just talking to him about the way that we live, the way we build, you know, and then he said, like, Mom man, there's one problem that we're facing today. I say, What? He say the elevators. We need one elevator for the delivery guys. And I just took it, and then I see like look how life is evolving. So, material, the way that we live, the architects, the the whole thing is changing. And over the the coming decades, I I think that the whole thing will change and it will become more sustainable, it will become uh uh more uh uh it will be smarter 100% and more efficient.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Okay. And Anwa, what's your thoughts?

SPEAKER_03 30:59

Yeah, look, I uh you know, in my you know, not to be biased, I I really do think that these high-tech materials are going to be in every construction material. So already you're seeing um, you know, these nanomaterials can be applied basically in the whole construction cycle.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 31:15

Uh, but there's also another thing, and and this was came out of my visit to Japan, which I think will and people were seeing it right now in the market, and that's air purification, air purity basically. You know, we see these air purifiers now in every house, right? In the past, nobody used to have that. It wasn't a trend. Now it's become a trend. And where does you know our coatings come into play? We took this technology from Japan. In Japan, it's air purity is very important. You're in the cab, it tells you how the air purity levels in your cab. And we, I feel, I don't know, that this is a new trend that will people will be seeking. Is they want to be breathing clean air, they want to know that uh, you know, in terms of bacteria or disinfectants, that the areas around them are disinfectant. So I think this will be a new trend that you're gonna start seeing.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

A trend or requirement. A trend or a requirement? A requirement. I think it'll be a requirement very much.

SPEAKER_03 32:10

You know, I personally as a uh I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so for me, having this anti-advanced antimicrobial coating in my bathrooms or in my AC ducts that will help give me uh the safe feeling for myself and for my family. I think this is something you're gonna see really changing.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

I I'll give you I'll give you one example. Really, I was thinking about it. 2002. Have you ever thought that you're gonna have a phone with a camera and this will be a requirement? No, no, yeah, just that's what you're gonna have, you know? Yeah, that's what you're gonna have, and just gonna grow and grow more and more with merit. Of course, of course, yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

So, what's the one thing you would like um developers and buyers to understand about innovation in real estate today?

SPEAKER_03 32:58

So it for me, it's you know, I go back to the first thing that we are not here simply to innovate just so that we can go to the market and say, hey, we're innovating with some silly electronic toy or this or that. No, it has to have an everlasting impact of some kind, right? Whether it's something that's practical, like reducing your costs, uh your energy costs, or stopping mold buildup, or you know, so it needs to have it needs to innovation not for the sake of it, but something that actually has a long-lasting impact. And we believe that we have those materials that can provide that, in our opinion.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

Do you have any thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 33:34

I have some thoughts. I have some thoughts. Um, yeah, so uh I'll not throw a lot of examples, but I'll just ask you something. Whenever you go and buy a car, you think about yourself, you how relaxed you're gonna be, how good this car, how safe it is for you and for your kids. And I just want, and then you think how much money you're gonna spend, right? Maybe you start with a budget, and this budget always goes up and up and up based on your requirements. You you chop up some requirements, but some requirements can never go out. Like safety, like you know, you can say, like, I don't want a massage on on this chair, but safety is very important. And I just want to tell the guys who whoever thinking to go and invest in in a real estate, and we all do because we need homes to live. Um, just think about the product that you're buying. It's not something that you're gonna buy today only. This is something that's gonna last with you or maybe with your kids. So look at the capex and the opex. Don't just think how much money I'm paying per meter square or per foot, how much money I'm paying and how much um like like I don't want to say earned value, uh what is the return on this investment that I'm getting? Yeah, in terms of quality and all of these things.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

Yeah, great. Well, from today's conversation, it's clear that great buildings start with decisions that are made long before the construction even begins. And when innovation is chosen responsibly, it becomes invisible, but it's felt in a positive way. I would like to end today's episode with a couple of questions that I ask all of our guests. So the first one is what does luxury mean to you?

SPEAKER_03 35:15

End-to-end. So the product, it's not just enough for me to see a nice finishing, it has to be an end-to-end service for the end user. It has to include everything.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Yeah, for me, uh maybe I answered this during. I said like luxury is unique. Okay, whenever things are unique and it is made for purpose, it will always be luxury.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

And what matters the most to you when choosing a property?

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Um look, I I need to be super honest. Location, location, location, 100%. I always look at location, but whenever I see two things, like two apartments in the same location, I look at the other things. How uh, you know, who have designed it, how it has been made, what difference it's gonna make, and actually how it has been built, what have been used over there. Um, so actually, like, you know, whenever we're we're building here, I think about uh like I remember always my father. My father uh is is is is an engineer and he's a builder, and every time he was telling me, my friend, like when we do this job, it is very nice to see that we are making money out of it. But the most important that you have to remember everyone who's buying your product have saved his all his saving in his life, maybe, or 80% out of it have been spent into this apartment or or this villa or whatever. So be careful, give them the right thing. So that's how I think about it. Every time we're building, I think like these people have put in all of their money, all of their time in this in this thing, and we really need to give them the best.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yeah. Annoy, what matters most to you when choosing a property?

SPEAKER_03 36:57

Uh well, he hasn't hit the nail and location, location, location. And then, you know, assuming if you're comparing to the same location, you look at finishing, okay. You look at, of course, if it's merit development, you know, you know that that's you're in safe hands. So you look at the developer. So these are the kind of things that um that I look at, and then as well the spaces themselves, are they easy for me to furnish them and get them ready? That's because I have as well a whole holiday home background too. So that's uh that's kind of where that comes from. So furnishing it nicely is very important.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

It is. And what do you think will matter the most to future generations in their homes?

SPEAKER_03 37:35

Uh safety is going to be always very important. Um, you know, uh, someone now with two children, making sure that the air they breathe is very important, that there isn't uh, you know, mold or or bad airs, making sure that the buildings that we have are sustainable, are green. I mean, this is where at least the younger generations are just going, you know, full head steam on with that. And you're gonna see it in the materials that you build these properties in, you know, all around you. It needs to be sustainable and it needs to be long-lasting, essentially.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Okay, and Yazen, what do you think will matter most to future generations in their homes?

SPEAKER_01 38:12

Um uh okay. I uh you know that I have four kids, right? I do. Two of them isn't are in the school. Every day they come with a project that they will not do alone. I need to make with them, right? And then every time we said all of these projects is about sustainability. All of their projects are about sustainability. Let's build a castle, sustainable castle. Very good. And then Moody came with his iPad, like, I want to make something on Canva. I don't know how to use Canva, you know? Yeah, what is it about? Then he talked about like clean water, how to make the water clean. So I think that the new generation is looking to to sustain this way that we live in and just get it better. So I think that this will be the the the most important thing for them.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Great answers. So thank you both very much for joining me today.

SPEAKER_01 39:03

Pleasure.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

And I'm hoping to have you on the podcast again soon.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Awesome. Thank you so much, Charlie. Pleasure. Thank you. Thank you.