Diversification in Saudi Arabia's real estate landscape to energize the market will be the major topic under the microscope at Cityscape Jeddah Workshops today (April 7). The agenda-setting workshops, which run on the exhibition floor of the Cityscape Jeddah 2019 – the largest international real estate exhibition sector in the Kingdom'– will bring together more than 200 industry experts, decision makers and disruptors to chart the future for Saudi Arabia's real estate market. Cityscape Jeddah, which kicked off yesterday, saw over 50 exhibitors come together under one roof to showcase a range of regional and international projects. The show is held under the patronage of the Minister of Housing and this year's sponsor Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail. The Workshops round off the three-day event at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. The program will feature a range of talks covering the full spectrum of real estate development, with a stellar line-up of 30 industry leaders set to share key market insights with the sector poised to play a key role in the Kingdom's bold National Vision 2030. "Given the major initiatives now impacting the Saudi real estate sector, we anticipate some lively discussion which will inform the future for the industry," explained Mohaned Yaman, Senior Exhibition Manager, Cityscape Jeddah. "The high caliber line-up of speakers and delegate participation guarantees an authoritative tone and spans the entire industry. The Workshops are a much-anticipated feature of Cityscape Jeddah, last year 59 per cent of attendees were C- level executives and 81 percent of those gave the event a recommendation rating." The workshops, sponsored by JLL and Kohler, incorporate official keynotes, exclusive reports, expert panel discussions and case studies. Highlights will include an in-depth update on the Kingdom's real estate market with insights from John Fekete, Executive Director, Saudi Arabia, Head of Consulting MENA, JLL and Dana Salbak, JLL's Research Associate "This is a prime opportunity for industry professionals to gain a greater understanding of the supply and demand performance of key market sectors, of the non-industry factors now affecting real estate and how to mitigate current risk and forecast future opportunities," added Yaman. Another workshop standout is a panel discussion on diversifying Saudi Arabia's tourism and hospitality agenda in line with the country's Vision 2030. "This is a keenly anticipated session when experts will outline how Vision 2030 is shaping foreign investor sentiment in the Kingdom, the role of architectural design in interpreting heritage and archaeological sites, realizing hotel, resort and tourism destination developments and leveraging the forecasted rising demand in religious visitors," explained Yaman. Experts addressing the tourism and hospitality session include; Chris Jones, Partner, 10 Design; Amir Lababedi, Managing Director of Development, MENA, Hilton Group; Ahmed Bin Madhi, Director of Asset Management, Rua Al Madinah Holding Company; Muhammad Al Amir, CEO, Hospitality, AIMS and Maroun Deeb, Head of Project and Development Services, KSA, JLL. Other key sessions on the schedule include: ‘Standards of the Real Estate General Authority for Classification of Offices and Real Estate Companies'; ‘Off-Plan Sales Licensing Rules for Small and Medium Enterprises', and the ‘Importance of International Standards in Creating Confidence in KSA's Real Estate Market'. The high-caliber line-up of speakers and participants spans government and municipal levels, and key private sector figures, demonstrating how public and private sectors can work together to chart a bright future for Saudi real estate. Amongst those set to address the workshops are Dr. Saeed Bin Saad Al Qarni, Deputy Governor for Research and Systems Development, Real Estate General Authority; Bandar Al Shehri, Director of Communication Department, Real Estate General Authority; Anas bin Abdullah Al-Mazro, Director of Legal Affairs and Control, Off Plan Sale Program (Wafi); Mireille Azzam, Head of Strategic Consulting – MENA, JLL and many more. The workshops will also feature a dedicate country focus panel discussion focusing on ‘The Egyptian Experience' when delegates will hear of the infrastructure developments taking place in the country, initiatives to spur urban development and oppor tunities the full sector including residential, retail, commercial, hospitality and education facilities. The discussions will be led by Amr El Kady, CEO, City Edge Developments; Fathallah Fawzy, Co-Founder, MENA Group; Ali El Shorbany, CEO, Tabarak Development; Dr. Ahmed Shalaby, CEO, Tatweer Misr and Ayman Sami, Country Head, Egypt, JLL. Cityscape Jeddah Workshops come on the closing day of Cityscape Jeddah 2019, held under the patronage of Saudi Arabia's Housing Minister, His Excellency Mr Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail. The show, which is open from 1pm-10pm, features more than 50 exhibitors from six nations and is witnessing a slew of new project announcements. — SG
