Russians seek UAE marketing know-how for $3.5bn Metropoliya project

The International Property and Investment Show, which takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 13-15 May, will play host to its first Russian developer who is eager to promote its iconic Metropoliya project not only to the region and wider Middle East but also internationally.

Dr Mikhail Slipenchuk, Founder and CEO of the Metropol Group explained, 'Real estate marketers in the UAE and Dubai in particular have built up an enviable reputation, especially for their success finding international investors, high net-worth individuals and development partners. We are eager to meet marketing professionals and agencies to recruit the know-how to market our project to the Middle East and internationally'.

Russia is now one of the top five emerging markets in the world and Moscow is at the heart of its real estate development.

However unlike other emerging markets such as India and the Middle East, Russia was a communist state, where marketing skills collided with socialist ideology and a state sponsored market mentality.

'The UAE has the advantage of a rich trading culture, and is strategically located at the crossroads of East and West. The UAE market has matured rapidly and now has experience of marketing some of the largest and most iconic projects in the world. That expertise is invaluable,' added Dr Slipenchuk.

The imposing Metropoliya project is a colossal 'city-within-a-city', 1.5 million square metre mixed use development just three kilometres from the Kremlin.

Metropoliya will utilise cutting edge 'green' technologies developed by the world's top architectural practice and global leader in sustainable designs, Nikken Sekkei of Japan.

The focus of the Metropoliya project - grouped around ten buildings connected by green public spaces - will be sustainability and energy efficiency with a low carbon footprint.

Using technologies tried and tested in Japan, Nikken Sekkei is aiming for a development that uses up to 60% less energy than equivalent projects.

The only Moscow project on such a scale, construction on Metropoliya is due to begin in 2009, with a completion time frame of seven to eight years.

The main feature of the project will be a signature 364 metre tall tower of strikingly simple design with smaller towers arranged in lotus flower pattern providing residential, office and commercial space with commanding views over central Moscow.

'Between them the Cityscape events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai cover 100,000 square metres of exhibition space and attract around 80,000 participants from 120 different countries. Learning to effectively communicate our unique selling proposition to such a diverse range of languages and cultures is the challenge that we have accepted,' concluded Dr. Slipenchuck.