Cityscape Global saw major sports stars and international investors attend its Investor Forum in Riyadh KSA this month.
With participants from over 22 countries, atttendees joined roundtables, keynotes, panels and one to one matchmaking meetings which hosted household names such as BlackRock, AGV Invest, Brookfield, CVC Capital Partners, Apollo and Mapletree.
Commenting on the event, Saudi Real Estate company Damanat CEO Hossam Y Radwan says that lively discussions on the future of mixed-use real estate investments, strengthened partnerships between family offices and real estate developers offered real insights into retail and hospitality investments as well as the announcements of mega projects.
Running under the theme ‘The Future of Living’, The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH) announced USD 3.36 billion (SAR 12.62 bn) worth of projects and strategic agreements in the Kingdom.
SAKAN also announced an investment of USD 1.28 billion to build 16,000 housing units across the Kingdom in 2025.
Meanwhile, more than USD 2.08 billion will be invested by the Saudi Investment Recycling Company and Dhahran Municipality to cover numerous upcoming projects in the eastern region.
NHC announced USD 37,272,851,000+ worth of new partnerships with 5+ companies, launching a new identity and strategy.
In addition, Diriyah Company also announced the launch of its Signature Collection of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Diriyah, marking the latest release of its luxury branded residences. Diriyah Company also launched the first luxury residential group, Raffles Residences Diriyah, affiliated with Raffles Hotels and Resorts. The new development will feature 90 luxury residences while offering access to world-class facilities at the upcoming Raffles Diriyah hotel.
Furthermore, RETAL announced the delivery of 4498 residential, mixed use, and commercial units in partnership with regional developers and investors, with a value in excess of USD 3.7 billion.
KADEN announced USD 1.6 billion for CITY WITHIN CITY.
Mohammed Al Habib unveiled Enar, a mixed-use mega project spanning 250,000sqm with a value in excess of USD 1.3 billion.
In addition, TILAL revealed the launch of Heart of Khobar, a 268,813 sqm mixed use development, valued at USD $1.6 billion.
Flow also disclosed the company’s first local real estate fund worth USD 293 million with Sico and Safa as partners, to own 920 units. Mountain View announced it has officially expanded its operations into Saudi Arabia by launching its first project, “One Mountain View”, an investment to build 500 upscale villas in partnership with leading Saudi developers, with an investment value of USD 320 million.
On the sports front, Cityscape Global took a deep dive into the different perspectives around professional sports by welcoming a plethora of sports industry leaders and world renowned athletes to the new Stadiums & Mega Events Stage.
FIFA World Cup champions, UEFA Champions League winners, and other global football stars shared insights and opinions on the future of sport. Ivory Coast superstar Didier Drogba, Former Brazil captain Gilberto Silva, and other footballers such as Sol Campbell, Louis Saha, Jens Lehmann, and Emile Heskey, shared the stage to discuss everything from their investments in real estate to the prospect of a FIFA World Cup in the Kingdom.
Former England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey gave his support to Saudi Arabia’s 2034 bid to host the FIFA World Cup as a vehicle to promote healthy, active lifestyles.
“It would be huge. Watching the FIFA World Cup on TV is one thing, but to have it in the Kingdom really would inspire the next generation to play. There would be nothing like being in a stadium here watching it, within touching distance of some of the world’s best players. Fans travel wherever, but if it’s on your doorstep, then it is a blessing – a chance to experience something that some people will never get to experience,” says Heskey.
FIFA Director of Safety Helmut Spahn later presented his vision for the future of stadiums, projecting that artificial intelligence will make for a smoother matchday experience whereby baggage checks will be a thing of the past, food and drink orders can be delivered direct to visitors’ seats, and stadiums will be designed to be more inclusive.
“Technology is evolving incredibly fast, so we don’t know what will be available in the market in two or three years or what will be available in 2034 when we host the World Cup – probably – here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The biggest change for organizing World Cups and other major events in the future is AI-powered stadium security. Whether you like it or not, it’s the future: Real time threat detection; AI cameras identifying potential risks so you can react as early as possible; protective analyzers to anticipate behavior and crowd management; and facial recognition,” says Spahn.
KSA Assistant Minister for Sport Adwa Al-Arifi says that the country’s Vision 2030 has positioned sport, access to facilities, and infrastructure as integral to modern day life in the Kingdom. Al-Arifi pointed out that before Vision 2030, there were limited sports federations, yet now Saudi Arabia boasts more than 100 such associations. She added that a strategic focus on increased creation of facilities and infrastructure will help provide access to sport for every person in the Kingdom.
