Cityscape Global closes with record-breaking $63 billion in real estate transactions and landmark ownership announcement
Kingdom opens up to foreign real estate owners
In an on-site interview with Bloomberg, it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia is progressing with reforms that will allow foreigners to own real estate, including in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, from January 2026.
The Bloomberg article stated:
Non-Saudis will be able to buy residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial properties in addition to acquiring land to develop, according to a senior official at the Real Estate General Authority.
Designated zones for foreign ownership in Riyadh, Jeddah, and the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah are still under review and will be published "very soon" along with regulations for the new real estate ownership rules, said Fahad BinSulaiman, executive director for non-Saudi real estate ownership at the regulator.
Those zones are set to be "very wide" and include so-called mega projects, he said. The proportion of non-Saudi ownership in these areas is expected to be capped at 70%-90%.
BinSulaiman said buyers must be Muslim to purchase in the two holy cities but they will face no major restrictions otherwise.
Record breaking deals and international participation
At 166,000 sqm of show floor space, this year’s Cityscape Global was twice the size of the 2023 edition. Furthermore, this year has seen a 24% growth in exhibitors who have come from 42 countries, including 15 new ones.
On the investment side, Cityscape Global this year had $6.1 trillion real estate assets under management represented during the show – 85% YoY growth from the previous edition. Institutional investors included the household names BlackRock, HSBC, BNP Paribas and Brookfield, amongst others. There were also more than 350 one to one meetings between investors and projects during the event.
ROSH Hackathon and Innovation Challenge Winners
Winners of Cityscape Global’s third ROSHN Hackathon – the largest PropTech competition in the GCC region – were announced on the Main Stage. The ROSHN Hackathon attracted hundreds of teams, competing for a share of the SAR 1.3million prize pool.
• Darent won the first prize of SAR 150,000 in the Hackathon’s Daman start-up track.
• AeroTwin won the first prize of SAR 150,000 in the Open Digital Solutions category.
• GroMotion won the first prize of SAR 150,000 in the Smart Infrastructure, Industrial IOT and Sustainability category.
• Dabberha won the first prize of SAR 150,000 in the Digital Living and Resident Experience category.
• EstateX won the first Prize of SAR 150,000 in the AI and Automation category.
The Cityscape Innovation Challenge finale also took place on the last day of the show, wrapping up an eventful four days of startup pitches.
Sponsored by Retal, over 250 submissions were whittled down to 60 semi-finalists who pitched the most innovative solutions across PropTech and Contech, with the eight top startups and scaleups making it to the finale on the Cityscape Global mainstage.
The startup track winner, Hive Autonomy, took home a $35,000 (SAR 131,000) Proof of Concept (POC) project with Retal, while the scaleup track winner, Watergate, secured a $65,000 (SAR 244,000) POC.
AI, PropTech and ConTech in City Planning
On the main stage, the final day’s discussions focussed on PropTech and Waleed Alharkan, the CEO of Skani at NHC Innovation gave his insights into how AI is revolutionising the customer journey. Alharkan explained how NHC’s groundbreaking AI customer personas enable developers to offer a wider range of services.
In a session which looked at AI's transformative impact on the energy and real estate sectors, Paulo Calçada, Chief Technology Officer, City of Porto emphasised AI's role in urban planning. Calçada explained how projects with football clubs FC Porto and FC Benfica to manage large events and optimise city data to explore the potential of AI. Calçada also examined how AI is reducing project development times from weeks to days - enhancing the customer experience and helping inform demand-driven products.
Focussing on construction tech, Darren Bechtel, Founder & Managing Director, Brick & Mortar Ventures called to attention the need for solutions with near-term traction and revenue generation. Bechtel then explored the potential for robotics and physical AI in automating workflows and reducing human labour requirements.
Rachel Sturgess, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf, said: “As Cityscape Global 2025 closes its doors, we are proud to have witnessed a global exchange of ideas and the forging of new partnerships, helping shape the future of real estate. The success of this year’s event is testament to the drive, dedication, and support of all our partners, exhibitors, speakers, attendees and so many other people. Therefore, we look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to support the ambitions of our partners and participants in the years ahead.”
Cityscape Global 2025 has garnered support from across the regional and international real estate sector, and would not be possible without its key partners and sponsors:
• Foundation Partners this year include NHC, Diriyah Company, ROSHN Group, New Murabba, Qiddiya City, and Rua AlHaram AlMakki Co.
• NEOM is the Principal Partner
• Masar is the Holistic Destination Partner
• KAFD is the Business Destination Partner
• Rua Al Madinah Holding is the Destination Experience Partner
• STC is the Digital Enabler
• Diamond Sponsors for 2025 include King Salman Park, Red Sea Global, Remat Al-Riyadh, Abyatona, Ajdan, Ajlan & Bros, Alajlan Riviera, Arabian Dyar, Al Basateen, Dar wa Emaar, Kaden, Al Majdiah, Mohammed Al Habib, Mountain View, Al Othaim, Osool, OSUS, Rafal, Al Rashid Properties, Retal, SMA Alrosan, TMG and Zood.
Cityscape Global 2026 will take place 16-19 November, for more information, please visit: https://cityscapeglobal.com/
ENDS
About Cityscape Global and Tahaluf
Cityscape Global is organised by Tahaluf, a joint venture partnership between Informa PLC, the world’s largest trade show organiser, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company renowned for its creation of spectacular event experiences, intends to join the joint venture in the near future.
Jess Homan
Tahaluf
jessica.homan@informa.com
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