A Real Estate Pioneer’s Take on the Making of Enduring Communities
For Meraki Group Founder and Chairman Ajay Rajendran, the relationship between real estate and education offers a window into a much bigger question: what makes people put down roots in a city?
Ajay Rajendran, who founded and now chairs Meraki Group, has witnessed Dubai’s rapid evolution first‑hand. Arriving in 2002 when the emirate’s population hovered just above one million, he now sees a city of more than 4.5 million people, with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan aiming for 5.8 million residents by the end of the decade.
“Visitors no longer view Dubai as a short‑term stop,” he explains. “They are establishing careers, purchasing property, enrolling their children in school, and increasingly planning long‑term lives here. Those shifting expectations naturally reshape what a city must deliver.”
This shift has guided Rajendran’s approach to building.
Meraki operates across three core areas: property development, premium K‑12 schooling, and a fully integrated construction platform that includes civil and MEP contracting, structural steel, aluminium, façade systems, and architectural metalwork.
Its education arm runs Hartland International School, North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Dubai and Singapore, and St Paul’s International School Singapore, with additional projects slated for the next growth phase.
Although these ventures appear distinct on paper, Rajendran increasingly views them as interlocking pieces of a single puzzle—creating homes, infrastructure, and institutions that nurture lasting neighbourhoods.
Dubai has become renowned for its speed of construction. As the market matures, Rajendran says the dialogue is moving away from sheer volume toward the ingredients that turn a development into a thriving community. Access to schools, parks, healthcare, and transport links heavily influences whether residents choose to stay.
“Stacking residential towers side by side does not automatically forge a community,” he notes. “People need compelling reasons to remain, and for families, quality education ranks among the strongest.”
Through Meraki’s four schools in Dubai and Singapore, Rajendran has observed how a respected school can act as a focal point for the surrounding area. Families often shape their daily routines around schooling, and the location of a child’s school can dictate where a family lives, their commute patterns, and even their willingness to relocate.
“Education injects a layer of stability into a neighbourhood,” Rajendran adds. “When families are satisfied with the school, their home, and the local environment, the incentive to move diminishes. That stability benefits society and reinforces the long‑term health of the housing market.”
His outlook is informed by more than two decades in construction and property development. Prior to launching Meraki Group in 2015, he served as Co‑Chairman of Sobha Group and contributed to several landmark projects. Those experiences taught him that success rarely hinges on a single grand concept; instead, it emerges from a multitude of smaller, well‑made decisions. This philosophy is evident in Meraki’s residential offerings—for example, Nirvana Residences weaves landscaped corridors, ample natural light, ventilation, and green pockets throughout the site.
Rajendran believes the notion of value in real estate is evolving. As Dubai’s permanent population expands and more buyers purchase homes for personal use, developers must meet two expectations simultaneously: solid investment returns and a high quality of life.
“We need to evaluate value beyond the moment we sell a unit,” he says. “What will make someone want to live there five years from now? Those are the questions that shape a development’s reputation and the developer’s brand.”
This long‑term perspective underpins Meraki’s vertically integrated model, which Rajendran feels heightens accountability for the final product. At The Haven, 73 % of units were delivered without defects, and one‑bedroom apartments have fetched rents around AED 75,000 per year, outpacing the AED 63,000 average for comparable units in the broader Majan district.
The same forward‑thinking approach drives the group’s commitment to education. Among more than 6,200 International Baccalaureate schools worldwide, NLCS Singapore ranks 18th and NLCS Dubai 22nd, both securing places in the global top 25 despite being relatively new entrants.
“Future growth cannot be limited to adding more supply,” Rajendran concludes. “We must consider the type of city we are shaping for the residents who will call it home.”p