45 Years: From Roots To Heights With ATI

For ATI, 45 years is not a milestone, but the foundation for what lies ahead. For Altug Ajun, Executive Director at ATI, this legacy is deeply personal, shaped by the vision of the firm’s founder and his father, Necdet Ajun

“Staying relevant has required a delicate balance of honouring our roots while aggressively embracing the future. Creativity, research, and development lie at the core DNA of our organisation.”

ATI was founded by Necdet Ajun, whose principles of integrity, discipline, and long-term thinking continue to guide ATI’s journey forward. His legacy laid the foundation for a company that balances ambition with responsibility, consistently exceeding expectations.

In an industry defined by speed, cycles, and constantreinvention, longevity is rare—and ATI’s enduring success, now celebrating 45 years, is truly extraordinary.

Today, that legacy is carried with pride by his son Altug Ajun, Executive Director, and by his wife, Dilara Ajun, Creative Director, whose visionary creativity continues to set new benchmarks and inspire those around them.

Together, they push boundaries, blending innovation, culture, and heartfelt design into every project. This remarkable trio is making waves across the industry, weaving tradition, creativity, and strategic foresight into a lasting impact.

In the UAE design and construction sector, ATI’s story is exceptional—a testament to resilience, heritage, and transformative growth spanning decades. s ATI marks 45 years in the market, the firm stands as one of the country’s enduring success stories—shaped by deep local roots, disciplined growth, and a deliberate evolution from a traditional design consultancy into a fully integrated development partner, poised to inspire the next generation.

Founded in 1980, ATI’s journey closely parallels the UAE’s own transformation—from an emerging market dependent on external expertise to a global hub that exports knowledge, systems, and talent. Today, backed by a 150-strong multidisciplinary team and offices across the UAE, the UK Turkey, Egypt, and Kazakhstan, ATI’s strength lies not merely in its geographic reach, but in its enduring relevance—shaped by adaptability, continuity, and a clear sense of purpose.

For Altug Ajun, Executive Director at ATI, longevity has never been accidental. It is the result of balancing heritage with forward momentum. Altug reflects: “Staying relevant has required a delicate balance of honouring our roots while aggressively embracing the future. Creativity, research, and development lie at
the core DNA of our organisation.”

That DNA, he explains, is shaped by deep local intuition—an understanding of culture, regulation, and market behaviour built over decades—combined with the systems, connectivity, and talent pool of a global consultancy. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion for scale alone, ATI has taken a measured path. Quality, not volume, has guided decision-making. Altug explains: “We have never prioritised rapid, unchecked expansion for the sake of scale. We focus on quality over quantity, working primarily with long-standing clients as strategic partners. Their growth drives our growth, and vice versa.” This philosophy has fostered relationships built on trust rather than transactions, many of them spanning decades.

From local roots to global reach
ATI’s international expansion reflects a broader shift in the region itself. Once a market that imported expertise, the UAE has become a global reference point for high-speed, high-quality construction. Altug Ajun, Executive Director, ATI: “Forty-five years ago, the UAE primarily imported architectural expertise from abroad. Today, the world comes here to learn from our experience.”

The firm recognised early that the expertise honed in the Gulf’s demanding environment—where complex projects are delivered under intense time pressure—was highly exportable. This insight informed TI’s expansion into markets as diverse as Central Asia and the UK. Altug elaborates: “We expanded into markets where we saw a need for that specific blend of agility and high technical competence— taking the lessons learned in Dubai and applying them to emerging markets like Central Asia and established, mature markets like the UK.”

The UAE as an innovation forge
Few markets test architects and engineers quite like the UAE. Tight timelines, ambitious briefs, and uncompromising quality expectations have turned the region into a proving ground for innovation. Altug underscores this reality: “The UAE acts as a forge for high-speed, high-quality construction. Nowhere else on earth demands such complex projects to be delivered in such compressed timeframes, without sacrificing quality.”

This demanding environment has pushed ATI to adopt and refine advanced tools wholeheartedly— from integrated BIM workflows to AI-assisted design processes. The true value of this experience lies in its practicality. Altug explains: “The experience gained here is valuable because it is battle-tested. When we approach a project in Kazakhstan or Egypt, we aren’t just bringing theoretical design knowledge; we are bringing proven methodologies for delivering complex developments efficiently under pressure.”

Beyond traditional consultancy
ATI’s evolution from a traditional design firm into a fully integrated development partner marks a defining chapter in its story. Altug explains: “Traditional design firms usually wait for a brief from a developer. We have shifted that model to assist investors throughout the entire development lifecycle.”

This 360-degree approach supports investors whether they are building to sell, lease, or operate assets such as schools or hospitality developments. Altug adds: “Our 360-degree service means we assist the entire value chain. This includes sourcing the appropriate land, running detailed feasibility studies, handling RERA escrow account management, providing world-class architecture and engineering, and finally, managing sales and marketing through our specialised subsidiary companies.”

Reducing risk in a fragmented market
In today’s market, capital is readily available, but development expertise is often fragmented. This is a challenge Altug understands deeply, having grown up within the business founded by his father, Necdet Ajun. ATI’s integrated model directly addresses this gap. Altug notes: “Many investors want the rewards of property development—but they lack the technical infrastructure, market know-how, and the tricks of the trade to execute it efficiently. We provide that infrastructure in a box.”

By managing projects from land acquisition through to delivery and sale, ATI reduces inefficiencies and miscommunication, allowing investors to focus on long-term value rather than short-term hurdles. Design as a driver of value Despite its broad scope, ATI maintains that design remains central to every project. Altug, Executive Director, ATI: “We believe design is the primary driver of value. When you control the whole process, you realise that good design—both architectural and engineering solutions—is what ensures profitability.”

This perspective allows the firm to align design quality with commercial performance, ensuring that aesthetics, efficiency, and return on investment reinforce one another rather than compete.

Designing for a maturing market
ATI’s portfolio—spanning residential, mixed-use, and educational developments across diverse geographies—is unified not by a fixed aesthetic, but by a deep responsiveness to context and longevity. “Designing for specific contexts is primary to our philosophy. A mixed-use tower in the UAE requires a specific approach to shading, orientation, and lifestyle amenities, while a development in Northern Europe demands a completely different response,” explains Altug. As the UAE’s real estate market matures, this sensitivity has become critical. “The market has matured significantly. It is about building smart and creating long-term asset value,” he adds. Sustainability, community-centric planning, and operational efficiency now sit at the centre of decision-making— areas where ATI’s lifecycle-driven, integrated approach delivers tailored, high-quality solutions grounded firmly in local realities.

Culture and continuity
ATI’s dual identity—local at heart, global in reach—has shaped its culture. Teams collaborate across offices, sharing perspectives while remaining grounded in regional expertise. Altug Ajun, Executive Director, ATI: “A designer from our Türkiye or UK office might work on a Dubai high-rise, bringing fresh international perspectives that are then contextualised by our local team’s deep regulatory and cultural knowledge.”

Reflecting on ATI’s journey, one defining decision continues to shape everything the firm stands for today. Altug recalls: “The pivotal moment was the strategic decision to stop being purely service providers waiting for instructions, and instead become partners in the development cycle.” That shift— from executors to collaborators— redefined ATI’s purpose, placing trust, accountability, and long-term value at the heart of its work.

Looking ahead, the ambition is clear and confident: to carry this integrated DNA beyond borders. Altug concludes: “We are now focused on positioning ATI not just as designers, but as holistic development solution providers for investors globally.”

After 45 years, ATI’s journey, shaped by Necdet Ajun’s visionary foundation and carried forward by the new generation—Altug and Dilara Ajun—is more than a story of growth. It is a legacy of integrity passed down through generations, relationships nurtured with trust, and an unwavering commitment to creating lasting value for the UAE and beyond.