Twenty years in commercial real estate is long enough to have watched an entire industry change shape more than once, particularly as Middle East real estate continues to evolve through investment, innovation, and economic diversification. Archana Mahajan, Director of Regional Account Management at Savills Middle East, has spent much of that time on the client-facing side of the business, moving between markets, sectors, and cultures while building relationships that outlast any single deal. Her path has taken her through Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers International, and British Airways before Savills, first leading the Business Solutions function at Savills India out of Delhi NCR, then relocating to the Middle East nearly three years ago.
Today, Archana Mahajan leads business development for tenant representation services across seven Middle East locations, working with Grade A clients that include Apple, Rackspace Technology, LG Electronics, the Abu Dhabi Government, Mimecast, L.E.K. Consulting, and PwC. Her responsibilities center on maintaining relationships with key decision-makers across large occupier clients and positioning Savills’ service offerings through strategic pitches, while coordinating with international Savills offices to generate both inbound and outbound business. That work has not gone unrecognized: she was named a Woman Power Leader in 2024 at the 12th White Page Leadership Conclave in Dubai, and went on to win the IMPACT Global Leaders Award in 2025.
A Region Being Rebuilt in Real Time
Ask Archana Mahajan what’s driving the Middle East’s rise as one of the world’s fastest-growing real estate markets, and she doesn’t point to one factor. She points to several moving at once.
“The Middle East real estate sector is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by economic diversification, demographic growth, technology adoption, and changing occupier expectations,” she says. Governments, in her view, are treating real estate as a tool for economic reinvention. “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 continues transforming regional property markets while creating new opportunities for international investors across the GCC; including large-scale developments such as tourism destinations, entertainment hubs, and mixed-use urban districts—are creating entirely new submarkets and attracting significant global capital. The focus has shifted from standalone developments to integrated, lifestyle-led ecosystems.”
Alongside the mega-developments, Archana Mahajan sees steady strength in less glamorous but equally important sectors. “The growth of e-commerce, manufacturing, and regional trade corridors has significantly increased demand for high-quality logistics and industrial assets,” she notes, pointing to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah as markets where “supply remains constrained in many prime locations, supporting rental growth and investor interest.” She sees a similar surge coming for digital infrastructure: “As the Gulf positions itself as a global technology and AI hub, demand for digital infrastructure reflects the Gulf’s ambition to become a global innovation hub; including data centres and connectivity assets; is accelerating,” with data centres and telecom infrastructure emerging as “high-growth asset classes, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”
Sustainability, she adds, has moved from a talking point to a genuine investment filter. “Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations are now central to investment decisions,” Archana Mahajan says. “Sustainable buildings are expected to command rental premiums, attract institutional capital, and outperform over the long term.” Her read on where it’s all heading is measured but confident: “Despite periodic geopolitical volatility, the Middle East’s long-term real estate fundamentals remain compelling. The most attractive opportunities are likely to be found in sectors aligned with economic diversification, technology adoption, sustainability, and infrastructure-led growth.”
The Office Is Becoming a Destination, Not a Requirement
Hybrid work has forced a rethink of what corporate real estate is even for, and Archana Mahajan has watched that shift play out with her own clients.
“Organizations are redesigning offices to improve collaboration, employee wellbeing, and workplace performance,” she says. “The focus has shifted from simply accommodating employees to creating workplaces that support collaboration, flexibility, talent attraction, and business resilience.” Where cost optimization and maximizing occupancy once drove decisions, she now sees a different priority taking hold: “Today, organizations are increasingly designing offices around employee experience, wellbeing, and collaboration. Offices are being repositioned as destinations where employees come together to innovate, collaborate, socialize, and reinforce company culture rather than perform routine individual tasks.”
That’s changed how companies think about their footprint altogether. “Rather than maintaining large, static portfolios, organizations are adopting more agile strategies that balance headquarters, regional hubs, flexible workspace, and remote work,” Archana Mahajan says.
What It Actually Takes to Keep a Multinational Client
With clients spanning industries and geographies, Archana Mahajan has had to think carefully about what makes a relationship last well beyond the first transaction.
“Building strong relationships with multinational clients requires far more than delivering a transaction successfully,” she says. “Clients expect their advisors to act as strategic partners who understand their business, anticipate challenges, and deliver consistent value across markets.” For Mahajan, that starts with going beyond the immediate brief. “Successful relationship management begins with understanding the client’s broader business objectives rather than focusing solely on immediate real estate requirements. This involves gaining insight into their growth strategy, operational priorities, workforce trends, and industry-specific challenges.”
From there, consistency does the rest of the work. “Trust is built through consistent execution,” she says. “Multinational clients often operate across multiple jurisdictions and expect the same level of service, responsiveness, and professionalism regardless of location.” Archana Mahajan sees her role less as a service provider and more as an extension of the client’s own team. “The most enduring client relationships are founded on advisory rather than transactional engagement. Clients appreciate honesty, transparency, and recommendations that genuinely serve their best interests.” She keeps those relationships active between deals, too: “Sharing intelligence on emerging market trends, regulatory developments, workplace strategies, or new opportunities demonstrates commitment to the client’s long-term success and reinforces the value of the partnership.”
Where Technology Fits Into an Industry Built on Relationships
Real estate has long run on instinct and relationships, but Archana Mahajan sees data steadily working its way into how decisions get made.
“AI and data analytics are fundamentally transforming commercial real estate by helping investors and occupiers make faster, data-driven decisions” enabling organizations to make faster, more informed decisions while enhancing customer experience and improving operational efficiency,” she says. “What was once a largely relationship-driven and transactional industry is increasingly becoming data-led, predictive, and technology-enabled.” In practice, that means investors and occupiers can now “identify emerging market opportunities and demand hotspots” and “forecast rental growth, occupancy trends, and asset performance” in ways that weren’t possible before. On the customer side, she points to “digital property search and virtual viewing platforms” and “AI-powered recommendation engines that match clients with suitable assets” as tools reshaping how clients experience the market itself.
Earning a Seat at the Table
Archana Mahajan is candid about what it has meant to build a career in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated, and she doesn’t present her success as something that came easily.
“One of the key challenges has been establishing credibility and earning a seat at the table, particularly early in my career,” she says. “In many situations, I found that expertise alone was not enough; it was equally important to demonstrate consistency, deliver results, and build trust over time.” The lesson stuck with her early. “I learned very quickly that credibility is built through preparation, knowledge, and execution. By focusing on delivering value consistently and maintaining high professional standards, I was able to establish long-term relationships and gain the confidence of both clients and colleagues.”
Limited female representation in leadership added another layer of difficulty. “In such situations, it can sometimes be difficult to find mentors or role models who have faced similar experiences,” Archana Mahajan says. “This reinforced the importance of building a strong professional network, seeking diverse perspectives, and learning from leaders across different backgrounds and industries.” Balancing a demanding career with family life has been its own ongoing negotiation. “Achieving balance is not about perfection but about prioritization, adaptability, and having a strong support system,” she says.
Advice for Those Starting Out
Asked what she’d tell young professionals hoping to build careers in real estate, business development, or strategic account management, Mahajan’s advice reads like a distillation of everything that got her here.
“My first piece of advice would be to remain curious, embrace bigger challenges, and commit to continuous learning,” she says. “The business environment is evolving rapidly, influenced by economic shifts, technology, changing workplace trends, and sustainability considerations. Staying informed about market dynamics, industry trends, and broader business developments is essential to remaining relevant and adding value to clients and organizations.”
Relationships, unsurprisingly, come next. “Invest time in building strong relationships. Real estate and business development are fundamentally relationship-driven industries. Networking is of prime importance,” Archana Mahajan says. “Focus on understanding people, listening actively, and consistently delivering on commitments.”
Her final note is about staying in the game long enough to see it pay off. “Young professionals should not underestimate the importance of resilience,” she says. “There will inevitably be setbacks, challenging negotiations, lost opportunities, and periods of uncertainty. Every challenge provides an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s important that we don’t give up during tough times.”
