Cityscape: a vision of the future Middle East

Dubai still holds the crown of development capital of the Middle East. But at this year's Cityscape exhibition and conference it was evident that real estate fever has now radiated outwards - and the most impressive new project launch was not from Dubai.

Step forward the Shams Abu Dhabi project from Sorouh Real Estate with an initial investment of $6.9 billion. This high-rise 21st century metropolis will house some 100,000 people in 22,000 residential units by 2011. Dredging of the land reclamation will start early next year.

Abu Dhabi appears to be trying to make up its 'development gap' with neighbouring Dubai in a giant leap rather than small steps. The same could also be said of Sharjah which has unveiled Nujoom Islands, the largest development project ever built in the emirate.

This $5 billion project will cover 60 million square feet of prime coastal land near the village of Hamriya, and be developed by Saudi real estate giant Al Hanoo Holding Company. The islands will be home to 40 high-rise towers, 145 apartment buildings, four hotels, two resorts, and 1,400 villas.

Elsewhere, the $2.5 billion Pearl-Qatar looks a very lively project and the latest section of harbour-front was on display, and there were also substantial projects to view from Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Even the new city centre of Khartoum was presented as an extraordinary vision of high-rise glass.

However, Dubai was not without some major new projects. And to be fair if the projects of Dubailand - the massive theme park and residential zone being developed along the Emirates Road - are aggregated then Dubai still topped its neighbours for development size.

The Falcon City of Wonders from Al Moosa with its seven ancient and seven modern wonders of the world in larger than life-size recreation was quite a sight. So too was the City of Arabia with its dinosaur park, 40 towers and the Mall of Arabia, set to be the largest in the world from the Galadari brothers.

Aside from the many projects of Dubailand, there was also a detailed model of the Pearl Dubai, a 500-metre circle just in-land from The Palm, Jumeirah comprising three hotel towers, residential towers, an opera house and one of the world's largest shopping malls to be completed in 2008.

Indeed, this is going to be a year to watch for Dubai mega-projects. Many of the models at this year's Cityscape are due to be completed projects by that date, although doubtless construction delays will plague some developments.

What is quite certain is that the cash from the current oil boom is finding its way, through one route or another, into massive real estate projects in the region. And at a time when building has slowed almost to a halt in the industrialised world, the Middle East is undergoing an architectural transformation that will be remembered in generations to come.