Digital solutions for real estate in Dubai’s PropTech Connect 2026; plus more news

For PropertyGuru’s news roundup, Dubai will host the world’s largest global conference and exhibition for real estate technology, “PropTech Connect 2026.” In other news, Australia’s high-density data centre operations have increased over the last year, growing at a rate of 3.60 percent. Lastly, AI has the potential to help us achieve critical climate targets, and well-crafted policies can and must mitigate its environmental costs.

Dubai to host ‘PropTech Connect 2026’ to explore digital solutions reshaping the future of real estate

Dubai Land Department announced that the emirate will host the world’s largest global conference and exhibition for real estate technology, “PropTech Connect 2026.” According to Economy Middle East, this first-of-its-kind event will bring together an elite group of relevant leaders, investors, and property tech companies from around the world to explore the latest digital solutions, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics that are reshaping the future of the sector globally. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, director-general of the Dubai Land Department, confirmed that hosting this event in Dubai underscores a commitment to providing a comprehensive real estate ecosystem based on innovation and technology in line with Dubai’s Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033.

Stepping into the future of Australia’s IT infrastructure with confidence

Data centres are evolving as we approach 2025, driven by advancements in AI and the increasing demand for computational power. Soaring demand for AI-ready data centres offers many opportunities for companies and data centre providers, but how quickly they grasp them could determine the pace at which AI is deployed. Data centres are also significant energy consumers and are the drivers of growth in electricity demand in many regions. Australia’s high-density data centre operations have increased over the last year, with Australia’s Data Centre Market size expected to reach 3.18 thousand MW by 2029, growing at a rate of 3.60 percent. DataCenterNews Aisa reports that the demand for faster, more efficient infrastructure has surged.

Mitigating the climate costs of AI

The escalating climate crisis and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence are set to reshape our world, transforming our political systems, economies, and daily lives. What is often overlooked, however, is the myriad ways climate change and AI overlap and influence one another. While techno-optimists tout AI as a panacea for the world’s problems, techno-sceptics highlight its environmental costs, warning that emerging technologies could end up exacerbating the crisis they aim to solve. Bangkok Post notes that AI has the potential to help us achieve critical climate targets, and well-crafted policies can and must mitigate its environmental costs. Against this backdrop, French President Emmanuel Macron’s AI Action Summit in Paris on Feb 10-11 offered a unique opportunity to chart a more sustainable course.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].