Cityscape soaring to record high

"The growth of Cityscape in its short life of three years is nothing short of staggering," says Project Manager Neil Hickman of IIR, the organiser of the event.

"However, Cityscape is a clear reflection of the extraordinary growth of the property sector not only in Dubai but also in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and the rest of the UAE. With over US$150 billion of property development underway or starting in the next year this growth is set continue with the opening up of real estate markets that can only encourage more foreign investment into the region."

Cityscape, the region's only dedicated exhibition and conference for the international commercial architecture, property investment and development sectors, will be held November 29-December 1 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

IIR has revealed that Cityscape 2004 will occupy 5,760 sq metres. When Cityscape made its debut in 2002 it covered 350 sq metres while last year the event spanned 1,100 sq metres.

More than 80 exhibitors from over 30 nations will take space at Cityscape 2004. Interest in Cityscape is so extensive that IIR has seen an unprecedented amount of inquiries from its new website www.cityscape-online.com.

The exhibition will again run alongside the Cityscape Conference which drew 400 delegates last year. Many areas were dealt with by key speakers and in panel discussions, with last year's Cityscape Conference seeing the rebuilding of Iraq under the spotlight. Iraq's redevelopment is again expected to be the subject of extensive discussion.
The exhibition and conference are again officially supported by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA).

"Cityscape has already established itself as an event of international standing," says Hickman, one of a team of senior IIR executives who has just returned to the UAE from France where they spent five days promoting not only Dubai but the whole of the GCC as a focus for real estate investment to over 16,000 international real estate specialists.

"The response has been phenomenal towards Cityscape as a showcase for regional development to an industry that had little awareness of the opportunitity available in Dubai and the wider GCC'

"Cityscape brings together architects, international and regional property development experts and investors who get the opportunity to network with government authorities involved in major property projects, both public and private."

The surge in property development across the spectrum of the GCC has commercial international attention centred on the Gulf as never before. Hickman says Cityscape gives the industry "central focus."

Potential for new projects, attracting international investors and sustainability will be the linchpins of Cityscape 2004.