Cityscape Global, the 19th annual edition of the gateway event for regional real estate investment, opened its doors in Dubai today to a sea of visitors - including global real estate investors, industry professionals and officials from big name exhibitors besides a 500-strong delegation of North American agents and brokers.
The expo was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) in the presence of senior officials.
HH Sheikh Ahmed was joined by a delegation of top-ranking VIPs, including Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director General of the Dubai Land Department, and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
After the opening, Sheikh Ahmed toured the expo, stopping for detailed briefings at numerous exhibitors’ stands, including the Dubai Municipality, where he received an update on its building information modeling (BIM) and automated code checking systems, which cover all construction projects in Dubai.
Sheikh Ahmed also visited the stands of Nakheel Properties; the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs; Aldar, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered real estate development, management and investment company; Binghatti Developers; Tilal Properties, a joint venture between Sharjah Asset Management and Eskan Real Estate Development; RAK Properties, a PJSC formed with the support of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah; District 2020; Arada Developments; Azizi Developments; and Meydan Real Estate.
He also met representatives from a 500-strong delegation of North American agents and brokers attending Cityscape Global to explore their clients’ portfolio opportunities in Dubai, said the event organisers Informa Markets.
With combined annual sales of $2.2 billion in 2018, the delegation is part of the show’s strategic partnership with the Dubai Land Department and Dubai-based Century 21, it stated.
With major domestic real estate development companies represented across Cityscape Global, the show also features numerous country pavilions outlining property development and investment opportunities in Bahrain, Egypt, France, India, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, and Russia, Turkey and the UK.
With DLD announcing on the eve of the show that the emirate’s real estate sector has generated an investment value of more than Dh56 billion ($15.2 billion) in 2019, Chris Speller, Group Director of Cityscape, reiterated the catalyst role this expo plays in evolving and driving the sector’s long-term sustainability.
“Cityscape Global provides a strategic platform for local and international real estate developers to display local, regional and international real estate market projects to an audience of active and engaged investors and buyers,” said Speller.
“In that vein, our 500-strong North American delegation of major brokers represents the latest evolution to our investor relations outreach programme, comes as a direct result of our long-term partnership with Dubai Land Department (DLD) - an association which continues to drive increased confidence in both Cityscape Global and the regional real estate sector,” he stated.
On display at the expo were existing and new projects by Dubai Municipality, Nakheel Properties, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs, Aldar, Binghatti Developers, Tilal Properties, RAK Properties, District 2020, Arada Developments, Azizi Developments and Meydan Real Estate, said the organisers.
With the Cityscape Talks starting a three-day run with experts from companies such as Knight Frank, Afridi & Angell and JLL discussing pertinent topics in the real estate sector in the free-to-attend forum hosted on the exhibition floor, Cityscape Intelligence, the show’s exclusive B2B area focusing on investment opportunities in countries around the globe for private and institutional investors, will host Cityscape Charettes Powered by RIBA.
The concept will see a group of architects and designers, surveyors and multi-disciplinary representatives of DLD present problem-solving schemes to an audience and take part in a ‘Live Design Review’ to a panel of expert judges.
The Cityscape Global Awards will also see 56 finalists from 12 nations across South America, Africa, the Middle East, Sub-continent and Asia claim honours in 12 categories at the much-anticipated ‘Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets.’
Cityscape Global is sponsored by The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs in Saudi Arabia as Platinum Sponsor; Arada as Official Partner; DLD as Strategic Partner; and Nakheel as Foundation Partner.-TradeArabia News Service