Cityscape Global Opening Day sees 27% increase in visitors amid billion dollar project launches

Local and international exhibitors showcase prominent real estate developments in the first day of Cityscape Global

Dubai, UAE, 22 September 2014: Cityscape Global has seen a27% increase in opening day visitor numbers, year on year, as major local and international developers turned out to launch a host of new projects amid a buoyant real estate market.

Middle East investors were joined by those from India, Pakistan, Russia , Turkey, UK and more, hitting the halls of the region’s premier real estate event, running at the Dubai World Trade Centre until Tuesday 23 September, eager to learn about new projects and units released for sale.

A strong international presence has been reinforced by two new additional international pavilions from Palestine and Bahrain, while Turkey represents the largest number of overseas exhibitors, with 30 leading developers and architects joining forces to cover 2,100sqm of exhibition space, reflecting a 22% increase on 2013. 

Wouter Molman, Director of Cityscape Group, said, “All indications ahead of the show were pointing towards an incredibly busy, profitable opening day and the turnout from international investors has been impressive.  Exhibition space sold out some three weeks before we opened and today we have seen a number of announcements from UAE and global exhibitors.”

Among the main announcements at Cityscape Global was the Meydan Group who revealed two new mixed-used development projects – Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City District Eleven and Meydan Avenue.
 
Also highlighted was the upcoming Mall of the World mega-project, spread over 48 million square foot which includes the world’s largest shopping mall and indoor theme park. 
Brought to Cityscape Global by Government-owned investment conglomerate Dubai Holding, the project is located along Sheikh Zayed Road and is expected to attract around 180 million visitors annually.

Danube Properties announced the sale of a limited number of additional units from its “Dreamz by Danube” project, which sold out earlier in the year, and revealed their plans for the division’s second venture, ‘Glitz Residence by Danube’ located in Dubai Studio City.

Participating for the first time at Cityscape Global, AeonVirtual has joined forces with Tebyan Real Estate and Union Properties to market their respective new projects with its unique interactive virtual reality technology. 

Using their tailor-made software, Tebyan Real Estate’s newly launched Sparkle Towers at Dubai Marina and Union Properties’ The Vertx project in Motor City were showcased to thousands of Cityscape Global visitors in a life-like virtual reality experience.

MoufidAyoubi, Managing Partner – Middle East at AeonVirtual said:  “We are very pleased to be part of one of the biggest real estate exhibitions in the world held here in Dubai and be amongst more than 280 exhibitors.  Our participation in the event gave us an opportunity to showcase our unique interactive virtual reality technology and educate the audience about the benefits of using it, as we truly believe that in the near future it will become mainstream and an essential tool to market and sell off-plan projects in the UAE and the Middle East.”

The Middle East’s largest and most influential property show is co-located with three dedicated and expert-led conferences, the Global Real Estate Summit, Future Cities and the Real Estate Brokers Summit, which are expected to bring together more than 1000 senior real estate professionals.

Launched for the first time this year, the Real Estate Broker Summit, supported by Dubai Land Department, provides delegates with a rare chance to acquire an in-depth insight into current and planned policies in order to advise clients, gain traction in the market and navigate changing regulations that could affect their success.
MaritaMischein, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, SAP Training & Development Institute &Growth Plan Lead, SAP MENA, addressed professionals on the importance of CRM for Real Estate when staying ahead of competitors, at the two-day summit.

“With a blizzard of information and countless content sources, the real estate industry is often challenged to cut through to the important issues affecting brokers.  Best-run companies need to make faster decisions, improve efficiency and gain more visibility,” she said.

“By providing visibility and process automation across the entire life cycle of properties, CRM tools help to optimise facility-related processes and view associated costs so real estate companies can pinpoint and reduce operating expenses.

“Real Estate Management is a big challenge in today’s fast-changing market environment of economic downturns, globalization, and mergers and acquisitions. The economic impact of using the right solutions and business processes to manage real estate holdings will result in a significant contribution to the bottom line for the real estate industry across the MENA region.”

Also running in tandem with the exhibition is the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Market. Consisting of 13 categories, winners will be announced tonight (22 September) at an elaborate ceremony taking place at the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa.

Cityscape Global 2014 is supported by the Foundation Sponsors Emaar, Dubai Properties and Nakheel; International Strategic Partner Property Solutions; Gold Sponsor Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC); Project Marketing Sponsor Aqua Properties; Official Architect Architecture & Planning Group (APG); Official Broker Trisl Real Estate; Official Mortgage Provider Abu Dhabi Finance; Silver Sponsors Apex Real Estate Development L.L.C. and Tecom Investments; and Property Registration Trustee Partner Tamleek Property Transfer.