Gulf Construction Online - Hybrid Cityscape set for in-person event

Events

Speller addressing a Cityscape meeting.

Hybrid Cityscape set for in-person event

01 November 2021

AHEAD of the live Cityscape Global exhibition in Dubai, leading industry developers are forecasting a steady recovery in the real estate market with promising interest from resilient investors, brokers and homebuyers.

Adapting to a changing world, for the first time ever, Cityscape Global is both a live, in-person event from November 9 to 11 and a two-month-long virtual event which started last month (October). Cityscape Global’s Real Estate Festival will connect even more developers, architects and designers with investors, high-networth individuals (HNWI) and buyers, said the organisers.

Cityscape Global Summit 2021 is expected to be a watershed event heralding a transformative, post-pandemic era for real estate, which is beginning to see promising signs of recovery.

Making the most of the hybrid model, Cityscape Global will also host a series of investor summits in key regions for inbound investments into the UAE.

The three-day live event, which kicks off on November 9 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) within the Expo 2020 site, will present top development enterprises including Damac Properties and Azizi Developments.

Damac Properties’ Senior Vice President Niall McLoughlin is confident that the current recovery being witnessed in the real estate market will continue for the coming months.

“I see in the medium term, a continuation of a buyer’s market, as competitive prices and payment plans continue attracting customers. With the recent rise of people moving into villas, developers are trying to make community life as appealing as possible, offering residents countless amenities,” stated McLoughlin.

The pandemic has placed significant importance on larger living spaces and the inclusion of high-end facilities. As the world has adapted to a semi-permanent work-from-home system, developers are eager to start constructing new properties with larger living spaces to meet the demand of potential investors and organisations.

McLoughlin said: “At Damac, we believe the current shift into working from home is a sign of our times and we have seen this move being permanently adopted by global entities, particularly when planning future real estate exhibitions, as Cityscape Global has done with its hybrid model approach this year. As developers, we welcome change with open arms in efforts to expand our portfolio and innovate.”

Cityscape Group Director Chris Speller said: “In terms of future trends, Expo 2020 has opened a new focus for investors in areas close to the Expo 2020 site. While the property occupancy is still low, the expansion of Maktoum airport has anticipated a dramatic increase in tourism to these areas.”

According to the organisers, the live and in-person event will be held in adherence with Informa AllSecure, an enhanced health and safety standards that raise the bar on safe, hygienic, productive, and high-quality organised event experiences.

The summit returns with support from its key sponsors Colliers, JLL, Kohler, Land Sterling, LWK + Partners, Regus and WhiteBricks, on November 7 and 8.

Cityscape, owned by Informa Markets, first took place in 2002 in Dubai and has since grown to be beyond exhibitions, to become one of the largest real estate data and media portfolios globally. The brand is tapped into the real estate market across a spectrum of markets, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and with expansions on the horizon in Europe and Asia.