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Builders buoyant at Cityscape Global

01 October 2016

The 2016 edition of Cityscape Global saw a raft of new launches with the region’s developers staying bullish in the face of a real estate slowdown, lower oil and global uncertainty.

The 15th edition of the show ran from September 6 to 8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) in Dubai, UAE, and attracted around 300 exhibitors.

Major launches within the UAE included the Palm 360 and Ibn Battuta Residences by Nakheel (see page 120), The Villages and The Pulse by Dubai South, and Emaar Properties’s golfing community, also in Dubai South (see page 123).

Master developer Dubai South unveiled its first two real estate projects, The Villages and The Pulse, which will be located in the Residential District, a city that is based on the happiness and wellbeing of people. The Villages and The Pulse will feature a retail centre, a sports centre and a community centre, a school, gas station, hospital, mosque, nursery, mall and hotels, all set amidst green open spaces and parks.

Also in the spotlight was Bloom Properties’s Bloom Heights at Jumeirah Village Circle (see page 125).

Damac launched five new projects including its innovative “inverted” villas (see page 122) while Meraas showcased its La Mer beachfront destination of retail and leisure attractions over four zones.

Tilal Properties launched Tilal Mall, which with an area of 2 million sq ft, is set to become Sharjah’s largest mall (see page 30). Located within the $653.3-million Tilal City, the mall will include a 65-hectare park.

Al Marjan Island (AMI) promoted opportunities in its four man-made islands in Ras Al Khaimah, which will host luxury hotels, resorts, marinas and world-class residences.

The Meydan Group used the show to launch the new branding and logo of Meydan One Mall, which will host 529 shops including two major department stores and an 11,200-sq-m hypermarket.

Also on show was the $8.16-billion Dubai Wholesale City, a major 500-million-sq-ft development in the emirate.

Developers from Bahrain were out in force at the event.

GFH Real Estate (GFH RE) showed off its Harbour Row residential project and adjoining Harbour North commercial and retail area at the Bahrain Financial Harbour. It also showcased its new California Village in Dubai, which comprises 234 villas and 150 apartments.

Other Bahrain developments on show included Diyar Al Muharraq, Bahrain Bay, Durrat Al Bahrain, and Hasabi, a project under Manara Developments.

From Japan, architectural and design firm Nikken Sekkei revealed it has entered into an alliance with Australia’s Buchan Group, to broaden its offering.

And from Jordan, Ayla Oasis Development Company, threw the spotlight on its ‘Golf Residences’ located within the Golf Hills district of the Ayla project.

The US-based Crystal Lagoons revealed two new project wins in Egypt. One was a 38-hectare lagoon within Stella Di Mare in the Red Sea resort of Ain Sokhna; the other was for two lagoons within the $1-billion Mousa Coast community on the Red Sea. It also showed off a new film-based evaporation technology, which is said to lower water loss rates by up to 70 per cent.

British developers Elysian Global and Strutt & Parker showcased two projects in London – Stanhope’s Television Centre and Wanda’s One Nine Elms.

Several other exhibitors reported brisk business. Falconcity of Wonders said it signed new deals and witnessed a solid visitor turnout while Vincitore Real Estate Development received immense interest for its affordable premium housing project Vincitore Palacio in Dubailand.

Cityscape Global also featured a conference in which architects and designers were urged to revive ancient knowledge and make use of traditional methods in order to ensure a sustainable future. Also, the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets saw 13 projects emerge winners across various categories.