CAIRO: Cityscape Next Move is gearing up to host regional and international experts on emerging market investment at the Egypt Real Estate Summit, which is taking place Feb. 20-23 at the Cairo International Convention and Exhibition Center. Pippa Malmgren, president and founder of Principals Asset Management in London, will open the event with a keynote address on managing political, social and economic risk in emerging and frontier markets, according to a statement from the summit organizers. Malmgren will provide insight into past economic trends and patterns in post-revolutionary countries, to understand what trajectory Egypt's recovery will take and what long-term impact the revolution will have on the country's financial market. The aim is to provide regional and international investors with the insight needed to develop long-term investment strategies in the region. Over two days, the summit aims to provide delegates with a well-rounded analysis of Egypt's financial and real estate markets, including the economic outlook, government priorities, upcoming projects and major opportunities. Chairman of the General Authority for Investment (GAFI), Osama Saleh, will outline the authority's policies to increase investment security, stimulate inbound investment and create new opportunities for regional and international investors, according to the statement. Cityscape is owned by the Institute for International Research (IIR), part of Informa plc, an international provider of specialist information and services for the academic and scientific, professional and commercial business communities. According to Cityscape, with over a million residential units required to meet the housing shortage in Egypt, the mortgage and affordable housing sectors will be a major focus for the event. Experts from the Egyptian Housing Finance Company, Mortgage Finance Fund, Sakan Finance, Orascom Housing Communities, Emaar Misr and many more will discuss the policies and financing needed to develop the market, and opportunities for the private sector to be involved in this major progress, the statement read. On February 22, the latest opportunities in time share and fractional ownership will be showcased, offering real estate and resort developers, investors and hospitality firms the opportunity to maximize the revenue potential of their assets and reach consumers through new sales channels. Other key topics to be discussed include investment strategies, offices and office parks, industrial real estate and hospitality and tourism. On February 22, Cityscape Next Move will host the Retail City Egypt Conference, a two-day learning and networking event for the Egyptian retail real estate community. Govind Bharwani, president of Apparel Group, will open the event with a keynote address on how to capitalize on the potential of the real estate market. Alex Cara, vice president and head of global partnerships at Esprit, will speak about the major opportunities for franchising in Egypt. Eddy Jimenez, vice president of international development and logistics at Kahala will discuss the potential of the food and beverage market. The event will also feature the Cityscape Awards for Real Estate in Egypt. Chris Speller, director of Cityscpae and Informa Egypt at IIR Middle East, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming such an internationally acclaimed speaker panel to the conferences at Cityscape Egypt. “At such a critical time in the Republic's recovery, drawing on international expertise is vital, and we are thrilled to be creating such an opportunity at Cityscape Next Move this year.”
