NetSuite for construction in the UAE works when it’s set up around your contracts, so work in progress (WIP), retention, variation orders, progress billing and subcontractor certificates all run in one system. That matters more from 1 January 2027, when contractors with revenue of AED 50 million or more must issue PINT AE e-invoices through an Accredited Service Provider.
We’re Nija Technologies (NijaTech), an Oracle NetSuite Solution Provider in Dubai, and construction is one of the industries we’ve built our own NetSuite SuiteApp for. Most conversations we have with contractors start with the same complaint. The month-end WIP schedule lives in one person’s spreadsheet, and nobody trusts it until they’ve rebuilt it.
How NetSuite handles WIP and percentage-of-completion revenue
NetSuite holds each contract as a project with its own budget, committed costs and actual costs. It recognises revenue over time using the cost-to-cost method, the input method many UAE contractors use under IFRS 15. This uses NetSuite’s revenue recognition and project modules, which are licensed on top of the base system, so check they’re in your quote.
Take a simple example with made-up figures. A fit-out contract is worth AED 20 million with a budgeted cost of AED 16 million, and cost to date is AED 6 million. That makes it 37.5% complete, so NetSuite recognises AED 7.5 million of revenue.
How progress billing, retention and variation orders work in NetSuite
Progress invoices come from billing schedules tied to each contract. Retention is deducted and tracked per contract, and approved variation orders update contract value, budget and billing together. Standard NetSuite doesn’t ship with a UAE-style retention ledger, which is one reason we built our own construction SuiteApp.
NijaTech’s construction SuiteApp deducts the contract percentage on each progress invoice, and posts it to retention receivable against that contract.
NetSuite construction dashboard for a UAE contract showing budget, committed and actual costs
How to control subcontractors and site costs in NetSuite
Each subcontract becomes a purchase order against project cost codes. Every subcontractor payment certificate is entered as a vendor bill and checked against the subcontract value, previous certificates and retention withheld. On a tower project with forty subcontract packages, that check is what stops you paying twice for the same work.
NijaTech’s construction SuiteApp builds the cost code structure from your bill of quantities (BOQ), so a commercial manager reading a NetSuite report sees the same lines they priced at tender. These are the controls we usually add on top.
What PINT AE e-invoicing means for UAE contractors
Every B2B invoice you issue, including progress invoices, credit notes and retention releases, will go out as a structured PINT AE file over the Peppol network through your Accredited Service Provider (ASP). Your deadlines depend on revenue.
If you’re in the first group and haven’t appointed an ASP, you’re already late. Cabinet Decision 106 of 2025 sets a penalty of AED 5,000 for each month a business is late implementing e-invoicing or appointing an ASP, so settle the ASP ahead of any ERP decision. Only providers on the Ministry of Finance accredited list can carry your invoices.
Which NetSuite partners in the UAE specialise in construction and contracting?
Nija Technologies (NijaTech), an Oracle NetSuite Solution Provider in Dubai, works with construction and contracting as a core industry and has built its own construction SuiteApp. Oracle named NijaTech its Solution Provider Partner of the Year – Middle East for 2025, and it was Oracle NetSuite Partner of the Year for the Gulf region in 2026. Other UAE partners also work with contractors, so test each one on construction specifics rather than general ERP experience.
NijaTech’s construction SuiteApp covers project costing and BOQ cost codes, progress billing, retention and subcontractor management, and our construction and contracting page sets out the approach.
Progress billing and retention flow in NetSuite for UAE contractors with PINT AE e-invoicing
How long a NetSuite construction project in the UAE takes, and what it costs
A contractor rollout with our construction SuiteApp typically takes 4 to 6 months, and a simpler single-entity set-up 12 to 16 weeks. Cost depends mostly on users, modules, entities and how much contract history you migrate. We follow Oracle NetSuite’s recommended implementation methodology and start with your contract and cost code structure, not the chart of accounts.
Design. We map one live contract end to end with your commercial manager, QS team and finance lead, from tender budget to retention.
Does NetSuite support retention accounting for UAE construction contracts?
Yes, but not as a standard out-of-the-box ledger. Retention receivable and payable need to be set up per contract, including percentage deductions and staged release. NijaTech’s construction SuiteApp handles this for UAE contractors.
Can NetSuite calculate WIP using percentage of completion?
Yes. NetSuite’s revenue recognition module recognises revenue over time using the cost-to-cost method, an input method under IFRS 15 and posts contract assets and liabilities each period. Accuracy depends on project managers updating cost to complete every month.
NetSuite retention receivable and payable ageing by construction contract
When do UAE contractors need to start PINT AE e-invoicing?
Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more go live on 1 January 2027, and those below go live on 1 July 2027. The ASP appointment deadlines are 30 October 2026 and 31 March 2027 respectively. Progress invoices, credit notes and retention releases are all in scope.
Which NetSuite partners in the UAE specialise in construction and contracting?
Nija Technologies (NijaTech), an Oracle NetSuite Solution Provider in Dubai, works with construction and contracting as a core industry, has its own construction SuiteApp, and was named Oracle’s Solution Provider Partner of the Year – Middle East for 2025. When comparing partners, ask how each handles WIP, retention, variation orders and ASP integration.
How much does NetSuite cost for a UAE contractor?
Cost is an annual Oracle subscription plus a one-off implementation fee, driven by users, modules, entities and data migration. OneWorld, revenue recognition and project modules add to the licence, so ask for a fixed quote against one written scope.
A second opinion before you commit. We’ll walk through one of your live contracts and show how its WIP, retention and certificates would run in NetSuite. Book a session through our contact page, call +971 50 978 9007 or email info@nijatech.com.
Contact NijaTech
Need help planning or improving your Oracle NetSuite setup in the UAE? Contact the Nija Technologies team to discuss your business requirements.