Cityscapes are where we glimpse the future, but in miniature.
Billions of dirhams are pledged on basis of gleaming models, over which investors tower like the hero of Gulliver’s Travels.
It is a business model which has served the UAE well, turning cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi in architectural marvels as well as powerhouses of economic growth.
Cityscape Global 2017 in Dubai promises more of the same.
The star of the first day was clearly District One Residences, the third phase of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, with apartments featuring waterfront views and the chance to go kayaking in the heart of Dubai, at least according to the artist’s impression.
Among those inspecting the project on the opening morning was Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Once completed the 48 million square foot MBR City will offer the: “world's tallest residential tower, the tallest observation deck, the longest indoor ski slope and the largest dancing fountain as well as the newly launched Meydan One Mall.
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Read more:
Cityscape Global 2017: New property projects on display in Dubai - in pictures
Cityscape Global 2017: Sheikh Hamdan inspects scale models of future UAE projects
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Also due to be unveiled is District 2020, the legacy of Expo 2020, which will reimagine the exhibition site as a mix of commercial and residential projects, with a conference and exhibition centre.
This is the 16th Cityscape Global, with around 300 exhibitors from the UAE and 30 countries.
In Abu Dhabi, Japan’s Nikken Sekkei and the UAE’s National Bonds Corporation have unveiled the 44-story “super luxury” Reem Tower, at the Reem Island’s Marina Square.
According to Nikken’s region director, Dr Fadi Jabri, it will be: “A luxury iconic tower in an iconic area of Abu Dhabi.”
Residents can expect an infinity pool, jacuzzis, a fully equipped gym and a “yoga lawn.”
Also in the capital, Aldar will be promoting its Water’s Edge development of 2,255 homes on Yas, a decade after the island made its debut at Cityscape in 2007.
Nakheel is promoting its 180 metre Palm Beach Residences on the Palm Jumeirah, complete with a 38th floor sky lounge with views over the Arabian Gulf.
Cityscape is also nothing without its more exotic projects, the equivalent of its fringe festival. The Kleindienst Group, proud owners of six islands on The World and developers of The Floating Seahorse villas, has this year gone one step further with The Floating Venice.
Billed as: “The world’s first five-star floating destination, bringing the charm, serenity and culture of Venice to the tranquil shores of Dubai,” it will include real gondolas imported from Italy for the 3,000 guests.
This version of La Serenissima will also feature an entire floor under the water – something that the real Venice has spent the last 40 years and seven billion US dollars trying to avoid.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
