Dedicated to boosting knowledge-sharing and networking, the free to attend Cityscape Intelligence Talks series gives visitors the opportunity to participate in discussions with influential industry experts. An interactive exchange means that they can not only learn from the speakers, but also actively consult with them. Looking at the nuts and bolts of the real estate industry, the sessions encourage knowledge sharing across the entire property value chain and across all asset classes: residential, commercial, industrial, hospitality, retail and office.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the world as it grappled with the Covid-19 outbreak, the ongoing climate crisis, low oil prices, and a pandemic-fuelled economic predicament. The Cityscape Intelligence Talks sessions will cover the trends and issues facing the Real Estate market from a Micro-economic perspective. Ranging from Commercial, Retail, Residential, and Industrial, to Architecture, Hospitality, and Proptech, the talks will consist of presentations, panels and case studies.
09:30
Moderator: Emma Brain
Live Screening of the Conference
13:00
Is commercial real estate under threat?
Riad Gabriel Thoumas, ME General Manager, WeWork
Nicholas Maclean, Managing Director, CBRE MENATs
Emrah Yar, Head of Commercial, Allsopp & Allsopp
. How has Covid-19 shaped the workplace?
. What do demands for commercial space in 2021 look like?
. What trends have occurred amidst the pandemic?
. What challenges are occupiers facing and are they looking at hybrid solutions, co-working?
. What role do multi-purpose coworking spaces play in shaping the future workplace?
. What makes coworking spaces an attractive investment opportunity?
. Is versatility an indicator to coworking spaces’ success, especially in times of uncertainty?
. Investment bright spots in the commercial sector?
13:35
What does the road to recovery for residential look like?
Ahmet Kayhan, Founder, REIDIN
Nourah Shuaibi, Get Wonky Ambassador, GM of Corporate Culture, Eltizam
Afzaal Hussain, Chief Operating Officer, Azizi Developments
. What are the most attractive investment options within the residential market in the UAE?
. What are the short-to-long-term impacts of Covid-19 on the market?
. Overview of the current residential market.
. Is this the right time to invest in a property?
13:55
Industrial & logistics UAE & KSA: 2020’s investment bright spot
Pankaj Gupta, Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Islamic Investments
Siddharth Sanghi, Group CFO, Gulf Islamic Investments
. What opportunities does the rise of e-commerce present to the industrial & logistics’ sector?
. Where are the investment opportunities in the logistics and warehousing sector in the GCC?
. What new trends have emerged in this sector post Covid-19?
. Do we have the tech advancements and IT infrastructure?
14:20
The London Resort – England’s largest theme park
James Hayward, Investment Director, Farrbury Capital Partners
14:40
REITS: The safest and most rewarding forms of Real Estate investments
Taimur Khan, Associate Partner, Strategic Consulting and Head of Research at Knight Frank
. Will we see this semi-dormant sector in the GCC play a bigger role in 2021?
. What other defensive investment strategies are being adapted?
15:00
What matters most for hospitality in Middle East
Diane Thorsen, ME Hospitality Design Director, Gensler
15:35
Architecture Focus: How Covid-19 will change our cities
This session is “Powered by the RIBA”
Sumaya Dabbagh, Founder of Dabbagh Architects
Alida Bata, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Heriot Watt University
Andy Shaw, Chair of RIBA Gulf Chapter, Managing Partner of AMA
15:50
The Middle East office design toolkit 2021
Pallavi Dean, Founder & Creative Director, Roar
Kathryn Athreya, Managing Director of Roar
10:00
Moderator: Emma Brain
The future is AI: How to better save energy in commercial buildings
Jalal Zaitouni, Divisional Manager-Building Innovation Solutions, Land Sterling
10:20
Commercial real estate: a property portal commodity?
Behnam Bargh, Director, CRC
Robert Thomas, Director - Head of Agency, CORE
Matt Gregory, CCO, houza
. Commercial real estate analysis & 2021 outlook
. What trends have emerged this year - pre and post pandemic?
. What is the current supply and demand situation, and where do you see this going?
. What are the driving forces shaping commercial property in 2021?
. How has the importance of building management affected both tenants/buyers and landlords/owners post-pandemic?
. Has the way you reach the commercial property consumer changed and what direction is this heading?
10:50
New opportunities for Residential in 2021
Lynnette Abad, Director, PropertyFinder
Elaine Jones, Executive Chairman, Asteco Property Management
Dounia Fadi, Chief Operating Officer, Berkshire Hathaway
· Why is student housing such an untapped market in the GCC when it has so much potential for growth?
· What ROIs does student housing investment provide?
· What kind of role did the pandemic play in the rise of “Live-Work-Play” communities?
· How important is the sense of community in any residential building moving forward?
· Why is housing sustainability such an important topic that’s not yet implemented?
11:25
Automation & Proptech: Why haven’t we adopted yet? A Futuristic outlook
Sean McCauley, CEO, DevMark Group
Aladdin Albatayneh, Head of Commercial and Acquisition, Ajar
· What’s at stake for real estate professionals?
. Accelerated changes companies are making to be in the lead and adapt to the new world to be relevant?
11:50
The Era of E-commerce & Retail:
Challenges & opportunities with the rise of e-commerce in the GCC
Gabriella De La Torre, Director of Consulting, CBRE
Anurag Bajpai, Partner and Head of Consumer & Retail, KPMG
Imran Sheikh, Chief Investment Officer, Peninsula Real Estate Management Limited
Mansour Hajjar, Head of Country Management for UAE & India, Chalhoub Group
. Are we ready?
. What infrastructure & tech is missing?
. What opportunities does the rise of e-commerce present to the industrial & logistics’ sector?
. How are GCC developers adapting to the retail shift?
. What are the challenges and opportunities with brick & mortar today?
. How are consumer behaviors shifting and what is the response of occupiers?
. How will they manage demand fluctuations?
. Investor response?
12:25
Adapting to Smart Cities – The battle between Tech & Green
Mark Hamilton, Head of Digital Solutions, MENA, JLL
Dima Alkawadri, Adjunct Professor of Architecture & PhD Candidate, Heriot Watt University
· What role does ESG play in the future of smart cities?
· How has Covid-19 impacted the focus shift of smart cities from mostly tech to a hybrid of Tech and Green?
. What are the impacts of the hybrid approach on sustainability?
12:50
UAE and KSA: GDP, Population and Residential real estate
Dr Christopher Payne, Chief Economist, Peninsula Real Estate Management Limited
. What is the transmission mechanism between the oil market and weak domestic aggregate demand?
. What is the economic impact of Covid-19? Why has Saudi Arabia tripled VAT in the second half of 2020?
. How does population fluctuate in response to non-oil GDP? How this differs between the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
. What can we expect from the residential real estate market over the next few years?
13:15
Lunch Break
14:15
Hotel of the Future - New Standards for the Hospitality Sector - A design perspective
Prodipto Ghosh, Senior Associate Director, CRTKL
Brian Johnson, Managing Partner, GAJ
Sidharth Mehta, Audit Partner, Head of Real Estate and Construction, KPMG
Kourosh Salehi, MENA Design Director, LWK + Partners
· What innovative solutions have emerged in the hospitality sector amidst the pandemic?
· How did the Hospitality sector aid in curbing the spread of the virus and what role did it play? (depending on a speaker)
· What demands and shifts have occurred post social distancing protocols?
· How has the hospitality sector adapted to the travel restrictions?
· What role did hospitality play in a pandemic-ridden world?
· What will regulations and standards look like in a post-Covid-19 world?
· How will the regulations change the physical space and feel of the hospitality industry?
· What impact will the new regulations have on hospitality investments?
14:45
Repurposing: A design perspective
This session is “Powered by the RIBA”
Joe Tabet, Managing Director, JT + Partners
Marwan Fouad, Proposals Manager – PhD Candidate, APG
Firas Hnoosh, Managing Director, Nordic Office Architects
· What is the importance of retrofitting to being green & sustainable?
· How are GCC architects and interior designers incorporating repurposing into their designs?
· Where is repurposing an appropriate solution?
. Retail space to fulfilment centers?
. Why is retrofitting better than demolishing and creating new?
15:20
Real estate investment is the key component in healthcare infrastructure development
Sandeep Sinha, Head of Healthcare MENA, JLL
How real estate investment in healthcare has changed the business model of healthcare players
· Reduced project development cost
. Improve project completion time and project management
. Asset light model / innovative business models / propco-opco
. Focus on business performance than managing the real estate
. Better cash flow and realistic valuation
. Valuation of healthcare entities based on business performance not on real estate any more
How investment is healthcare real estate has created the opportunities for real estate developers:
. Customise healthcare infra development based on healthcare needs
. Development of healthcare focused REIT
. Long and sustainable return on investment
. New asset class which is stable and will be in need forever
. Partnership with corporate healthcare sector
. Healthcare Infra PPP
. Impact of Covid-19 on the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector and need for infra partner
15:40
Master planning and the regeneration of urban environments
Dicky Lewis, Director and Co-Founder, White Red Architects
16:00
Are Staycations the ‘New Normal’? Overview of the Hospitality sector (a real estate perspective)
Thuku Kimani, Colliers International MENA
· How can revenue be increased in a time where travel restrictions are imposed?
· What impacts will local guests have on the Hospitality Sector that are different from international guests?
. Do staycations demand a change in the physical space of hotels?