With Qatar’s World Cup related development coming increasingly under the international spotlight with record projections for 2014, Cityscape Qatar will open its doors from June 2 to 4 at the Qatar National Convention Centre to international and local investors and developers.
Now in its third edition, the annual three-day exhibition is expected to be twice as large as 2013. The event is described as “the annual meeting point for key real-estate investors, developers, investment promotion authorities, architects, designers and other real-estate professionals to drive growth in real estate investment and development across Qatar and abroad.”
Deep Marwaha, group director for Cityscape, said that Qatar’s development plans leading up to the World Cup in 2022 and the 2030 National Vision have made it one of the most exciting countries for investors.
“Qatar’s mega projects, amounting to more than $150bn, are a major attraction for investors and progress is under way: the country’s population has increased by 15% since our inaugural exhibition in Doha.
“According to industry reports, within the next 12 months the residential market will be bolstered by the completion of 25 residential towers on The Pearl-Qatar and nine towers in the Diplomatic District, adding 7,200 units, and expectations are high for the retail market with 10 new malls set to be completed, or near completion, in a similar period. “The hospitality market will be driven by an expected 20% growth in tourist numbers, according to the Qatar Tourism Authority. Set against these impressive growth figures Cityscape Qatar 2014 will be an ideal opportunity for investors looking to enter the market,” he claimed.
International participation at Cityscape Qatar is up from 2013, with 55% of all exhibitors travelling from abroad in order to learn about the latest project news and showcase their companies. Participants are confirmed from regional countries such as Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey, as well as major Western markers such as the UK, the US and Russia.
Sharing the spotlight with international exhibitors this year at Cityscape Qatar is the score of local real estate developers announcing their latest projects and providing updates on existing developments, headed by foundation sponsors Ezdan Holding Group and United Development Company. Msheireb Properties and Barwa Real Estate Group are also among the major participants.
In their sights are a wide range of mega projects that will transform Qatar to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. According to Ventures Middle East, these include the $7bn international airport, the $5.5bn deepwater seaport, $20bn in roads and highways, the $5.5bn Msheireb urban redevelopment, the planned $1bn Doha Bay Crossing, $125bn in industrial projects, 12 eco-friendly stadia, 45,000 hotel rooms to be built by 2022, and demand for 242,000 residential units by 2017.
The Cityscape Awards for Real-Estate in Qatar, scheduled on June 3, has attracted a number of entries from developers and architects behind real estate developments across Qatar.
Co-located with the exhibition are two dedicated conference programmes, the Qatar Real-Estate Summit and the Cityscape Qatar Retail Forum, bringing together senior real estate professionals who will explore opportunities and find solutions to key challenges affecting the industry today. Cityscape Qatar 2014 has Qatari Diar Construction Products Company as the silver sponsor.
