Partnership accelerates SCV’s expansion into the Middle East, providing portfolio companies with exposure to government- and private-led projects, smartcity initiatives, and collaboration with regulatory stakeholders across the UAE.
CHICAGO & ABU DHABI – Second Century Ventures (SCV), the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®, today announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Real Estate Services (ADRES), the technology arm supporting real estate transformation across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, ADGM and other UAE partners. SCV operates REACH, the world’s leading real estate technology scaleup program for companies delivering innovation across the global property ecosystem. This alliance formalizes SCV’s role as a strategic innovation partner within one of the world’s fastestgrowing real estate economies.
The announcement follows the official launch of the inaugural REACH Middle East cohort, a group of highgrowth companies from across the region selected to drive innovation across the real estate value chain. Together, the debut of this cohort and the alliance with ADRES marks a major acceleration of SCV’s presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as the region advances more than $3 trillion in gigaprojects and largescale urban developments.
Under the partnership with ADRES, SCV may serve as a strategic advisor to future innovation forums or initiatives, helping guide the selection and deployment of technologies supporting smartcity infrastructure and nextgeneration urban development. The collaboration explores the potential creation of controlled pilot environments designed to fasttrack the adoption of advanced solutions—such as digital twins, AIdriven valuation tools, and other frontier technologies—providing SCV portfolio companies with a unique environment to test, scale, and localize their offerings across the MENA region.
“Second Century Ventures has always been focused on defining the future of the world’s largest asset class,” said Dave Garland, Managing Partner of Second Century Ventures and REACH. “Our alliance with ADRES is a powerful expression of that mission. By building a bridge between our global portfolio and Abu Dhabi’s visionary leadership, we are opening a significant new market for our companies while supporting the UAE’s digital transformation agenda. We are not just watching the future of real estate unfold in the Middle East—we are helping to design and deliver it.”
“To achieve our ambitions for digital excellence and urban efficiency, we need partners who truly understand the global pulse of innovation,” said Moath Maqbol, General Manager of ADRES. “Second Century Ventures brings unmatched domain expertise and a proven record of identifying technologies that create real value. We look forward to working closely with their team and portfolio companies to import, adapt, and implement solutions that will drive measurable benefits for investors, developers, government stakeholders, and residents across the region.”
