With more than 300 exhibitors in attendance, the 17th edition of Cityscape Global—the largest and most influential real estate and investment exhibition in the Middle East—kicked off and will run from October 2 to 4 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
Local and international exhibitors competed to attract the attention of investors and buyers from around the world, who came to take advantage of the strong investment opportunities on offer. Leading the way were participants from Egypt and Malta, supported by their respective government agencies, who are offering visitors the possibility of obtaining citizenship in exchange for investment.
Business Hub and Market Transparency
Among the most prominent topics discussed in the Business Hub section—one of the exhibition’s main sections—was “The Benefits of Investing in the Most Transparent Markets in the Middle East and North Africa,” which highlighted the Global Real Estate Transparency Index in Dubai, the importance of transparency for the Dubai market and its impact on the volume of investments it attracts, as well as initiatives that promote transparency and the quality of information available to real estate investors.
Egypt, Malta, and Georgia were among the countries represented exclusively in the Cityscape Business Center segment and the Hosts Program, both of which aim to strengthen business ties between —both local and international—and developers, government agencies, and real estate experts from around the world to stimulate investment. Representatives from these countries presented investment opportunities during the panel discussion.
Local exhibitors are striving to stand out and outperform their competitors, especially given the availability of direct sales, attractive payment plans, fee exemptions, and other benefits and incentives that benefit investors and buyers and encouragethem to make a purchase.
18 Egyptian Companies at Cityscape
Egypt, the Guest of Honor at this year’s edition of the exhibition, received support from the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, which brought together 18 of the country’s leading real estate companies and developers in its pavilion to showcase the Republic’s most prominent new projects, such as the New Administrative Capital, the Business District, New Al-Alamein City, and New Mansoura City.
For his part, Engineer Khaled Abbas, Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Utilities, said: “Egypt has undergone a major transformation and a boom in its real estate market; we are witnessing strong growth in demand for real estate, which is why the government has begun developing new cities that include stunning real estate projects,” Abbas emphasized that developers from both the private and public sectors are eager to attract investors to the Egyptian real estate market, and at Cityscape Global, ”we aim to showcase our unique investment opportunities and highlight the strength of the Egyptian market to an international audience.“
The Egyptian market has become highly attractive and is seeing competition among foreign investors following the announcement that citizenship will be granted to foreigners who deposit at least seven million Egyptian pounds (US$392,000) in the country.
Lucrative Returns on Investment in Malta
For its part, the Malta pavilion—also supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Development Agency—saw its largest-ever participation in Cityscape Global, Under the umbrella of the Malta Real Estate Foundation, Maltese exhibitors are preparing to attract investors by capitalizing on the maturity of the country’s real estate market and their distinctive program for individual investors, which puts property owners on the path to obtaining European citizenship.
Sandro Chettico, Chairman of the Malta Real Estate Foundation, said: ”With a land area of over 300 square kilometers and significant population growth, the country boasts a vast number of properties offering exceptional investment returns that surpass and rival those elsewhere in Europe. Together, these factors ensure the security of real estate investment in Malta today and tomorrow.“.
He continued: ”In 2014, Malta launched the Individual Investor Program, which grants Maltese citizenship to any foreign national and their family members who contribute to the development of the Maltese economy.”
Distinguished Sponsors of the Global Exhibition
Cityscape Global enjoys the support of its founding partners: Dubai Real Estate and Nakheel.
Platinum sponsors: Al Marjan Island and Eltazam Asset Management.
Silver sponsors: Noyanlar and Tamlik Real Estate.
Strategic partner: Dubai Land Department.
