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Cityscape 2005 conference to attract key players

World's most significant investors, lenders, owners and developers together with world-class architects and designers will converge at the region's integrated property investment and development event.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Director-General, Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA) will address delegates during the keynote presentation on the key economic drivers affecting the property industry.

As property market growth in most of the mature markets in the US, UK and Australasia experiences a cooling down period, the property markets in the Middle East and Asia, continue to boom. Therefore, one of the major challenges facing the regional industry today is to ensure that the development of investable real estate keeps pace with the huge amounts of international capital available, whilst keeping prices and returns competitive with other investment sectors.

Other key topics will include, benchmarking GCC real estate returns, global competition for investment, property ownership rights, infrastructure planning, Islamic finance in real estate, chasing the tourism dollar, retail development strategies, emerging market opportunities and developing sustainable property markets.

"The GCC market is clearly one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing in the world. The only question is whether or not the amount of speculation is sized properly for future occupational demand," says Richard Stockton, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley UK.

Joining Stockton at the podium are international speakers such as Nick Tyrrell, head of European real estate research and strategy JP Morgan Fleming and Nicholas Brooke, former president of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

They will be debating industry trends and current issues alongside experts such as Salem Bin Dasmal, CEO of Dubailand, Adel Al Shirawi CEO at Tamweel and Hashim Al Dabal, CEO at Dubai Properties, Hussain Ali Habib Sajwani, Chairman of DAMAC Holding and representatives from the Government of Dubai.

Conference Chairman, John A. Sandwick, Managing Director, Encore Management SA, Switzerland commented: "This is a key real estate event and delegates will not only gain valuable knowledge, they will build relationships that enhance their own real estate goals."

Running concurrently with the conference will be the World Architecture Congress (WAC), the first high profile architectural congress ever to take place in the Middle East, bringing together international leaders in architecture and design.

There will also be three post conference educational workshops — Real Estate Finance and Investment, Effectively Marketing New Property Developments, and an A-Z Guide to Islamic Finance For Real Estate Development.

One of the highlights of the Cityscape 2005 event will be the Cityscape Architectural Review Awards to recognise and promote excellence in the industry.

"The conference programme will address the current issues and hot topics in the international property markets and we are proud to have such a distinguished line up of speakers," said Shabnam Rawal, Conference Director, Institute for International Research (IIR), the event organisers.

"The Cityscape Conference 2005 will add great value to our exhibition for visitors and exhibitors alike," Shabnam added.