MEREF: Watch the debates

EG is putting the global ambitions of the Middle East and the UK under the spotlight through events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as providing a platform to reinforce investment and trade links between the UK and Middle East. In partnership with the UK government’s Department for International Trade and international real estate adviser Cluttons, this is a two-part tour for a delegation of UK real estate leaders who can demonstrate compellingly the case and opportunities for Middle Eastern investment into the UK, and who will benefit from face-to-face networking with key investors. THE TOUR The Middle East Real Estate Forum ■ Abu Dhabi / 25 April ■ Dubai Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa / 26 April Click here to find out more details WATCH THE DEBATE FROM DUBAI’S BURJ KHALIFA https://twitter.com/EstatesGazette/status/857170922826084352 WATCH THE DEBATE FROM THE ABU DHABI MEREF PANEL https://twitter.com/EstatesGazette/status/856798444710760448 Speakers include: ■ Sanjay Manchanda, chief executive officer, Nakheel ■ Edward Lister, UK government adviser, chairman Homes & Communities Agency (former deputy mayor of London) ■ Simon Clegg, chief operating officer, Expo 2020 ■ Steve Morgan, senior partner, Cluttons NEWS AND ANALYSIS ■ Real estate can help aviation take flight The real estate industry has an important role to play in delivering the full benefits of world-class aviation, according to an expert in the Middle East. Read more… ■ Middle Eastern investors ready to scale at speed With Dubai’s Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group in exclusive talks to buy 2&3 Bankside, SE1, for around £400m, eyes turn again this week to the Middle East as a bigger source of real estate investment. Read more… ■ Middle Eastern investors shift to Eurozone Middle Eastern investors are set to spend €5bn in the UK and the Eurozone in 2017 as US investors take a back seat in the region, according to Fidelity International’s latest European Investment Pulse analysis. Read more… ■ Jackie Sadek: Selling Crewe to the Middle East I am off to the Middle East today (for the first time ever!) as I take the Crewe Constellation opportunity out for a bit of soft market testing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Read more… ■ London remains first choice for Middle Eastern money Middle Eastern investors remain most drawn to prime central London real estate when eyeing the UK, according to one of Bahrain’s leading developers. Read more… ■ Brexit fuels Bahraini interest in UK property Bahraini investors are eyeing UK real estate to make the most of a “window of opportunity” created by the weaker pound. Read more… ■ Nakheel: Weathering the storm One of Dubai’s biggest developers has just under £1bn of real estate opportunities up for grabs, and the door is wide open to European investors. Nakheel boss Ali Rashid Lootah tells Emily Wright why the time has come for an Emirati revival. Read more… ■ Dubai woos UK investors Opportunities for UK investors in Dubai will last for the next 12 months at least, according to local developer Nakheel. Read more… ■ TMT drives Dubai office take-up The tech, media and telecoms sectors are the “star performers” in Dubai’s offices sector, driving take-up levels and showing no sign of a slow-down in a market that is otherwise correcting itself. Read more… ■ Dubai mega-tower ‘pushes the limits’ Dubai’s newest skyscraper, which is set to become the world’s tallest building when completed in 2020, “pushes the limits” of what can be achieved in property, according to the scheme’s architect. Read more… ■ Amazon to buy online Souq.com Amazon is paying $650m (£523m)-$750m to buy Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com, in a deal signed this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Read more… ■ UK delegation seeks to reassure Middle East investors A delegation of UK real estate leaders will travel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai this month to reassure investors that the UK is a valuable place to invest in spite of Brexit. Read more… ■ Abu Dhabi brings brief home The Abu Dhabi royal family is considering bringing the management of its vast London estate in house, potentially ending a lucrative long-term contract with Lancer Property Asset Management. Read more… ■ London and Dubai: vanguard cities Turmoil in the oil markets this year has seen Middle Eastern institutions become more cautious in their property buying. As a result, London could soon see sovereign wealth funds from the region sell assets and repatriate money as governments look to make up deficits created by the subdued oil price. Read more… To send feedback, e-mail Rebecca.Kent@egi.co.uk or tweet @Writer_RKent or @estatesgazette