The second edition of Cityscape Qatar focused on opportunities for Qatar to continue to develop in a strategic and sustainable way.The three-day Cityscape Qatar 2013 exhibition concluded on Wednesday, with both attendance and transactions exceeding expectations. Exhibitors, guests and officials who attended the largest real estate investment and development event in Qatar were impressed with the diversified projects, industry focus and strong participation at the exhibition.The second edition of Cityscape Qatar held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, focused on opportunities for Qatar to continue to develop in a strategic and sustainable way for a prosperous future towards the 2030 National Vision.“I would like to thank HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani for his patronage and attendance of Cityscape Qatar 2013. I would also like to thank Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani for inaugurating Cityscape Qatar 2013 and contributing to the overwhelming success of the event. It is clear that the growing importance of the real estate sector in Qatar is having a visible impact throughout the country. This has certainly translated into success for Cityscape Qatar,” said Deep Marwaha, group director of Informa Exhibitions, which jointly organises Cityscape Qatar with q.media Events. The exhibition featured nearly 100 companies, including some of the biggest Qatari developers and investors along with other industry leaders such as Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development, Qatari Diar, Barwa Group, Ezdan Real Estate and United Development Company. Cityscape Qatar also welcomed major regional and international developers, project management specialists and service providers. Mazaya Qatar announced it has already started the development of Marina Mall, a QR1bn shopping centre in Lusail. The project will be spread over 57,605sqm and face the New Marina and Yacht Club at Lusail. Marina Mall will offer direct views of the Marina Waterfront and feature state-of-the-art design and stylish architecture. The company also announced that it has completed 55% of the construction project, Sidra Housing, owned by Qatar Foundation. The project includes 1,165 residential units and will be delivered before the end of this year. Barwa Real Estate presented several flagship projects at the event. The highlight was Oryx Island, a pedestrian-only integrated development featuring luxury villas, an aqua park and five floating hotels. A 250-hectare site is being envisioned as Gulf Resort, featuring a natural harbour, three hotels and a shopping mall. The company also unveiled Dara, a residential development covering 176,000sqm, located at Fox Hills - a part of Lusail City. International residential projects such as Ottomare in Turkey were also showcased at the Barwa Real Estate pavilion.Ezdan Holding Group announced new projects such as VIP Village, Smart villages, Al Shamal Complex and Al Rayyan Towers. Ezdan focuses on local investment to support the expansion that Qatar is undergoing and has been involved in a range of real estate development through the supply of thousands of accommodation units with rents that suit all income segments.Qatar Real Estate Summit, held alongside Cityscape Qatar 2013, attracted international speakers and market experts. The talks addressed the biggest challenges for Qatar’s real estate market as well as key strategies to capitalise on the country’s real estate market to advance business and harness the potential of the fastest-growing economy in the world. Over two days, the Qatar Real Estate Summit offered delegates an analysis of Qatar’s financial and real estate markets, including the economic outlook, government priorities, upcoming projects and major opportunities in various sectors. Keynote speakers included Abdulla al-Subaie, board member and Group CEO, Barwa Real Estate – Qatar; Dr Bassim Halaby, executive management, Al Wa’ab City, and CEO of Benchmark International – Qatar; Jochen Schaefer-Suren, partner and head of hotels & leisure, Internos Global Investors – UK; and Gurjit Singh, COO of Sorouh Real Estate -UAE.“The event surpassed expectations for this year and many have already confirmed their participation in 2014. We certainly expect even bigger things for Cityscape Qatar 2014 and predict the event to be one of the largest in the region,” Marwaha said.