Doha, Qatar.

The First edition of “Estate Qatar 2007: Qatar property Investment Forum” held under the auspices of H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Qatar, convened its activities at the Ritz Carlton in Doha on November 26-27, 2008, leading to outstanding discussions and future prospects for the real estate market.

The Forum, organized by the World Trade Center Qatar, was the first forum specialized in property being held in Qatar. A number of leading real estate players sponsored the event and contributed to its witnessed success namely: Entertainment City (the Strategic Partner of the Forum), the Land Investment & Real Estate Development Company (Diamond Sponsor), Sabban Properties & Investments (Gold Sponsor), Al-Hitmi Property Development (Gold Sponsor) and First Qatar Real Estate Development (Lunch Sponsor).

The imperative decision of organizing the forum in Qatar came at an exceptional time as Qatar is now witnessing an unprecedented economic boom and is currently one of the world fastest developing cities. The high per capita income and continuously growing economy are instigated by many factors such as: Qatar government’s pro-development policy and increased spending on real estate, high liquidity, and increased foreign investments.

Alternatively, many issues and challenges are accompanying this real estate boom among which: the possibility of sustaining the economic and property sectors’ growth, real estate financing and project funding, keeping up with investors’ demands, tackling the regulatory obstacles, solving the supply and demand discrepancies and maintaining the balance between the development of the city to an international one while preserving the environment and the identity of the city.

Mr. Chadi Abou Daher, Regional Manager of the World Trade Center in Qatar was very satisfied from the outcome of the forum and the excellent discussions it led to along with the practical insights it provided for doing real business. “This year’s Estate Qatar has actually established a solid base for the upcoming editions” he added.

This insightful forum tackled the most important topics and issues related to real estate and presented solutions and ways to deal with potential risks and obstacles. Among the themes discussed were the following: Future Trends in the Gulf property market, Emerging Investment Opportunities in the Qatari Real Estate Sector, Development at the service of Tourism, Real Estate Growth and the Challenge of Governments, Financing Real Estate Projects in the Gulf, and Marketing Real Estate Projects.

Among the most important and winning characteristics of this forum was the high caliber of speakers that participated in the panels and led the discussions. The forum also witnessed the launching of new real estate mega project in Qatar “Tarfeeh City” and discussed on-going mega projects which are redrawing the boundaries of Qatar such as Pearl Qatar, Lusail, Energy City and others. These projects represent excellent investment opportunities and contribute highly to the real estate expansion that Qatar is witnessing.

A large number of attendees were present at the forum representing various industries. Government officials, real estate professionals, financial experts, property developers, practitioners, legislators and marketing experts gathered under one roof to discuss the latest in real estate and coming from different countries in the GCC or worldwide.

At the Forum’s closing session, Mr. Chadi Abou Daher announced to the public the second edition of Estate Qatar which will take place on November 26-27 in 2008 and which promises to gather the most renowned real estate players in the region and to discuss the latest developments arising in the market.