Mahdi Amjad explains how he navigates economic and financial crises as a business leader in the UAEPlay41:28Omniyat Group's Mahdi Amjad: Building through war, Dh200 billion by 2030 and doubling down on the UAEWhen the US-Iran conflict was at its peak, most developers were waiting, but Mahdi Amjad was accelerating.The founder and executive chairman of Omniyat Group, which encompasses the UAE's leading ultra-luxury developer Omniyat, sat down with Manus Cranny on location at The Opus building in Dubai Business Bay for a conversation about building through conflict, the numbers behind his confidence, and why he believes this moment is the greatest opportunity the UAE has offered.Mr Amjad reveals that despite a short-term reduction in sales since the war began, all Omniyat's projects remain in full construction, fully funded to completion. He also announces that Omniyat Group's total portfolio has already surpassed Dh120 billion, having set a five-year target of Dh100 billion just two years ago. The new target is more than Dh200 billion by 2030.In the conversation, Mr Amjad also reflects on his 35 years in the UAE, the lessons he learnt from a decade working with the late Zaha Hadid on Opus, how he redesigned the building mid-crisis during the 2008 financial crash, and why he exited his entire London portfolio in 2003 to bet on Dubai.On AI, Mr Amjad reveals Omniyat Group has set up a dedicated transformation division and is on track to invest more than $100 million in AI, which he calls one of the best investments he has made.The Inside Brief with Manus Cranny is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major platforms.Updated: June 16, 2026, 11:42 AMMore Podcasts