Tech Writers at PF
By Himanshu Niranjani, CTO at Property Finder
The world is watching as the Middle East, and the UAE in particular, positions itself as a global epicenter for AI innovation. With billions earmarked for AI transformation across sectors — from education and logistics to smart cities and public services — the ambition is undeniable. The intent is commendable. But if we’ve learned anything from the last two decades of tech cycles, it’s this:
Ambition without architecture collapses.
I’ve seen it firsthand. As someone who’s had the privilege of scaling AI systems at Amazon Prime Video (across 180+ countries), building data transparency infrastructure for over 2.5 billion users at Meta, and advising several AI-first startups through BeHuman Capital, the patterns are clear — and familiar.
Whether the buzzword was Web3, blockchain, metaverse, or now generative AI, a flood of capital often precedes a drought of outcomes. Why? Because the early energy goes into slideware — not sewage. High-priced consultants swarm the landscape, offering architectural vision without operational depth. Big-box software is bought. Vision decks are pitched. But platforms don’t get built. Real-world usage stays thin. And the trust of regulators, users, and investors begins to erode.
A Tale of Two Cities: Bengaluru and the Infrastructure Metaphor
Earlier this month, Sridhar Vembu described how Bengaluru — India’s tech hub — is choking on its own success. Glitzy office towers are surrounded by flooded streets, overwhelmed sewage systems, and crippled infrastructure. The photo of a man wading chest-deep through what should be a major business corridor is a metaphor for every AI initiative that skips the foundational work.
It’s easy to build towers. It’s hard to lay drainage. The same holds true for AI infrastructure.
The allure of AI is fast results: recommendations, chatbots, automation. But what fuels that output — data pipelines, quality frameworks, scalable model deployment, responsible governance — rarely gets the attention or the budget it needs.
Infrastructure Before Intelligence
At Property Finder, our team has taken a different approach — one grounded in humility and long-term platform thinking. Under Project Ikigai, our 3-year strategy, we’ve spent the last 18 months focusing not just on launching features but on making sure we have the plumbing right:
- Data infrastructure: A robust cloud-native stack on AWS Bedrock, supporting proprietary models built on decades of listing data.
- Team composition: Our AI/ML experts supported by engineers, DevOps, SRE and leadership to productize AI across the business.
- Trust-first design: AI models to detect listing fraud, assess image quality, and help verify real estate listings — with real-time, explainable, and privacy-safe architecture.
- Regulatory readiness: Having built data accountability systems at Meta, I know that public-facing APIs, audit trails, and explainability aren’t optional — they’re survival tools.
The Hype Curve Is Real — Discipline Must Be Too
As someone who has advised and built over eight AI-related startups, I’ve seen what happens when funding arrives faster than readiness. It leads to vanity projects — dashboards no one uses, agents no one trusts, and models no one maintains. It creates a perverse incentive to keep “planning” rather than shipping, and to hide behind consulting reports instead of facing operational truths.
Dubai’s AI vision is one of the most compelling I’ve seen globally. And my personal pitch to international candidates joining Property Finder from the US, Canada, and Europe is simple: “This is like moving to Silicon Valley in 2004. You have a front-row seat to shape the future — if we do it right.”
But doing it right means resisting the temptation to skip ahead.
A Caution and a Commitment
The Middle East has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become the AI infrastructure capital of the world. But it cannot be built on PowerPoint and press releases. It requires:
- Sewers before skylines.
- Pipelines before prompts.
- Governance before growth.
Let’s not repeat the boom-and-bust cycles of blockchain and metaverse hype. Let’s learn from them.
At Property Finder, we’re walking the hard road — building patiently, investing in fundamentals, and sharing that journey through the Ikigai Series. Each chapter lays out a piece of the infrastructure puzzle: from data quality to execution strategy to AI ethics and team design.
Let this be a shared blueprint — not just for our company, but for the region.
