KUWAIT: Dr Yousef Mohammed Al-Ali, Minister of Commerce and Industry, officially opened Cityscape Kuwait at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Mishref. KUWAIT: Dr Yousef Mohammed Al-Ali, Minister of Commerce and Industry, officially opened Cityscape Kuwait at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Mishref.

KUWAIT: The second edition of Cityscape Kuwait held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, has been officially inaugurated by Dr Yousef Mohammed Al-Ali, Minister of Commerce and Industry who said "Under the patronage of the Prime Minister, we've opened today Cityscape - the worldwide known exhibition - in its second edition. Cityscape holds under one roof a great number of participants who have different real estate investment opportunities. We support such effort and we congratulate the organizer".

Taking place until December 11 at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds - Mishref, the event is the state's most influential property investment showcase, welcoming more than 70 exhibitors from the domestic, regional and international markets; and spanning 7,000 sqm of exhibition space. Deep Marwaha, Director Cityscape Group, said, "All indications in the run up to the show were pointing towards an incredibly busy, profitable opening day and the turnout from both local and international investors has been impressive.

"Growing the sold exhibition space by 40 percent from last year, we look forward to welcoming more than 4,000 participants, over the next three days as attendees look to foster tighter business relationships and be updated on the latest developments within the real estate investment sector."

Unique platform

Speaking about their participation at the event, PlatinumSponsor Al -Hamra Real Estate Development's, Benoy Kurien, General Manager, confirmed that Cityscape Kuwait provides a unique platform to meet Kuwaiti investors considering that Kuwait market is a key market for AHRED. He said: "Kuwaiti investors are well versed in the opportunities the UAE real estate market offers, therefore we are committed to ensuring Al-Hamra's portfolio of exceptional quality and value-for-money remains front-of-mind in this important market".

During the exhibition, Al-Hamra Real Estate Development are showcasing three unique properties. These include two categories of villas for the multi-million dollar luxury Falcon Island Development, the five-bedroom beach villas starting and the newly launched spacious six bedroom Bayti Premium as well as the Bab Al-Bahr studio.

Exhibitors at this year's event have noticed strong interest from local investors as highlighted by Gold Sponsor Al-Mazaya Holding who are offering an exclusive a 4% registration fee waiver and 5 percent discount to visitors of Cityscape Kuwait. Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, Assistant Executive Director for Marketing at Al-Mazaya Holding said:"Cityscape Kuwait is the ideal platform to reciprocate information on the Kuwaiti real estate market. It is also a unique opportunity to build business relationships with local, regional and world investors, and contributes to open marketing windows to participants from inside and outside Kuwait, as well as to investors seeking quality investment opportunities."

He added: "Economies of the region enjoy many real estate investment opportunities and are opening new real estate markets to investors despite the current political and economic circumstances most countries of the world experience. Within this momentum, Al-Mazaya is keen to hold up with investors' demands by introducing a variety of investment options simultaneously enhancing the investment preference of its real estate projects, moreover raising the elasticity of prices adjusting to local, world financial and economic changes."

Prime locations

At the exhibition, Al-Mazaya showcases the latest releases of both its investment and residential projects including: "Q Point" in Dubai Land residential buildings, and "Q Line" which is an extension of "Q Point; Istanbul Rhythm" which is built via a joint venture with the Turkish Domankaya Real Estate Co and "Oman Residential" for residential units, distinguished by a prime location close to the new shopping mall and behind Muscat City Center.

Al-Marjan Island (AMI), the first man-made island real estate project in Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE, is the Gold Sponsor of Cityscape Kuwait 2015. During the exhibition, the company seeks to showcase the premier waterfront investment opportunities and open communication channels with Kuwaiti investors who are ranked amongst biggest investors in UAE real-estate market.

"We look at Kuwait as a very important and strategic market for us as more than 35 percent of our foreign direct investments come from this country. We ensure to be present in property related events taking place in Kuwait most notably Cityscape Kuwait," says Abdullah Rashed Al-Abdooli, Managing Director of Al-Marjan Island Company. "Ras Al-Khaimah is a perfect investment avenue for local and regional investors as it brings to the table exciting investment products with high ROI."

Property portfolio

According to Al-Abdooli, there is huge potential for growth on AMI, with a developed 100 percent ready infrastructure, 100 percent availability of utility services. "AMI will be the new hub for hotel, commercial and residential complexes in the near future. Through our Gold sponsorship of Cityscape Kuwait we are targeting investment promotion agencies, economic development authorities, city promotion agencies, location marketing agencies, regional development and investment zones, and inward investment organizations," elaborated Al-Abdooli

Located south-west of Ras Al-Khaimah city centre, Al-Marjan Island lies 27 km from the city. AMI comprises four coral-shaped islands that include a range of marina homes, floating villas, hotels, resorts, sports facilities and shopping centers. The island lies at a distance of 4.5 km from the beach and extends 2.7 million square meters into the sea.

This year's edition of Cityscape Kuwait features free to attend seminars which have been developed specifically for Kuwaiti based investors and real estate professional. The Cityscape Kuwait Business Forum provides a platform for the regional real estate industry to share knowledge, debate current issues, and form partnerships with policy makers, regional and international investors, business leaders, and real estate professionals.

The Cityscape Kuwait Investment Series has been developed to provide both novice and experienced private investors with tools and techniques to help them build their property portfolio, as well as unique insights on real estate markets from around the world that are offering attractive returns. Cityscape Kuwait 2015 is taking place with support from sponsors: NBK, Al-Hamra Real Estate Development, Al-Mazaya Holding Co and Al-Marjan Island.