Debt collection for Construction & Building Materials.
Construction runs the longest payment cycles in the UAE — main contractor to subcontractor to supplier, with each tier waiting on the one above. Retention money compounds the problem, sitting unpaid long after practical completion.
◆ As of 29 Jul 2026, 14:00 GST. Preview readings modelled from public sources — Atradius Payment Practices Barometer UAE 2025, CBUAE, S&P Global UAE PMI — and Wusala methodology. Live readings begin as Wusala's book and partner network report in.
Why construction & building materials invoices stall
Variation orders, unsigned instructions, back-charges, snagging claims and retention release are the classic reasons a construction invoice stalls.
How we work a construction & building materials book
Reconcile certified work against what was actually invoiced before any demand goes out
Separate retention from live receivables — they need entirely different treatment
Move on unpaid certificates early, while the project relationship still has leverage
Check contractual notice provisions before escalation, so no claim is time-barred
The reason you haven't called them is the reason to let us.
Your largest overdue balance almost certainly belongs to a customer you cannot afford to lose. That is exactly why the invoice is still sitting there.
Every call is personal, every “next week” is one you have to accept, and every escalation has your face on it. So the call doesn’t get made.
The asking is done by a function whose only job is the ledger. You keep the relationship, the goodwill and the next order.
Every large company separates sales from credit control to protect the relationship. You don’t have that department. That’s what we are.
And you stay in charge of it:
- You name the accounts we never contact.
- Nothing goes out in your name without your approval of the wording.
- No legal step without your written instruction.
- We’ll tell you when a file isn’t worth pursuing.
Stopping the next one
Recovery gets yesterday’s money back. Keeping DSO down is a different discipline — and in construction & building materials it comes down to this: Bill against certified milestones, invoice retention separately with its own diary date, and require signed variation orders before work proceeds.
Construction & Building Materials: common questions
What is a normal DSO for construction & building materials in the UAE?
Our current reading for construction & building materials is 96 days, against a national B2B average of 68 days. The sector runs about 28 days slower than the market, so a 96-day book is normal rather than alarming — but it is not healthy.
Why do construction & building materials invoices go unpaid?
Variation orders, unsigned instructions, back-charges, snagging claims and retention release are the classic reasons a construction invoice stalls.
What does recovery cost?
The audit is free. Recovery fees are success-only and published: from 10% on current debt, rising to 25–35% for debt over a year old or disputed. You pay when we collect.
Can you stop this happening again?
Yes — that is what our Protect service does. Bill against certified milestones, invoice retention separately with its own diary date, and require signed variation orders before work proceeds. We also monitor the book for early-warning signals so slow payers are caught before they reach 90 days.
What’s recoverable in your book?
Free, 48 hours, no obligation — scored invoice by invoice.