Critical success factors for public–private partnerships in affordable housing in the United Arab Emirates

Purpose: This study aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) in the implementation of the public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) affordable housing sector. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess 17 CSFs for PPP projects derived from previous international and local studies. The collected data were analyzed using the relative importance index technique to establish the most significant factors based on feedback from 48 respondents from the public and private sectors. Findings: The most identified CSFs were good governance, government guarantees, commitment and responsibility of the public and private sectors, favorable and efficient legal frameworks, political support and stability, and demand for and the debt-paying ability of the project. Research limitations/implications: There has been rapid momentum in the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries towards engaging the private sector in the provision of infrastructure and housing after increased pressure on government budgets and falling oil prices. Thus, this study encourages strong consideration of the highest-ranked CSFs in the absence of any prior experiences or studies. On a broader scale, these CSFs are an effective policy tool for the GCC countries, which share similar contexts. Originality/value: This paper represents the first empirical study in the GCC region and the UAE on the CSFs for PPPs in affordable housing, which is experiencing growing demand in the region to overcome the large deficit in housing supply.