Residential real estate company Flow, launched by WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann, aims to rapidly boost its workforce as it begins operations in the UAE.
The company, which has its headquarters in the US and owns and operates properties, has received a commercial licence from the Dubai International Financial Centre, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We’re in advanced negotiations for our first properties in the UAE and expect to open our first communities by [the first quarter of] 2027,” said Arif Shah, chief executive of Flow UAE. Projects are planned in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
He confirmed that the company is recruiting as it builds up its team, having hired 10 people in the past three months. “At a time when some companies are being cautious on hiring, we’re doing the opposite. We’re establishing a global design and development centre of excellence in Dubai,” Mr Shah said.
It plans to open an experience centre in Al Quoz by December that will also serve as its design studio and Dubai office.
The team in the Dubai is also to oversee and support Flow development projects globally, initially across the US and Saudi Arabia, he said.
“We now have a team of 16 people based in Dubai and are continuing to recruit across a number of functions. We’ll likely be 40 to 50-strong by the end of the year,” he added.
Property investments up
The UAE’s property sector has continued to grow and attract investments despite the impact of the Iran war. Investments in completed real estate projects in Dubai jumped by more than half in the first half of 2026, state news agency Wam reported last month, quoting data from the Dubai Land Department.
The total value of these developments in the six months through June hit Dh111 billion ($30.2 billion), up 52 per cent year-on-year from Dh73 billion in the same period in 2025.
The UAE was also ranked as the world’s leading real estate investment destination as the industry has been able to retain its momentum despite recent challenges, according to Arada’s UAE Property Investment Index released in June.
Flow was set up in 2021 with a $350 million investment from US venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
It was set up by Adam Neumann, co-founder and former chief executive of WeWork, whose rapid expansion and unconventional corporate governance came under intense scrutiny during the office-sharing company’s failed attempt to go public in 2019.
Mr Neumann stepped down as chief executive that year as WeWork’s valuation plunged and investors raised concerns about its losses, governance and his leadership. The SoftBank-backed company subsequently filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023.
Flow entered Saudi Arabia in 2024 with the acquisition of about 1,000 units. It currently has a $2.5 billion portfolio, including 8,500 residences currently under management or in development, Flow said.
