Sophistication Not Size is Key to Western Investment in Middle East Developments

Middle East waterfront property developers should focus more on sophistication than size if they are to succeed in attracting Western investment, according to an expert from North America.

Luis Ajamil, President, Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, one of U.S.A’s leading architectural companies, says leveraging the Middle East’s rich heritage and culture is more important than delivering in bulk.

“The size of a project is not as important as its sophistication. Specifically to western clients, the fact that something is the biggest is not necessarily that great. Exploring and exposing the unique culture of the Middle East is much more important,” said Ajamil, whose company has been behind some of the world’s most distinctive tourism projects, including Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas.

Ajamil was speaking in advance of his planned address at Waterfront Dubai 2005, a ground-breaking conference and exhibition on the future of Middle Eastern coastline development. The event, to be held at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, May 9 -10, will be the first of its kind in the region, outlining future opportunities in waterfront design, construction and planning. 

Ajamil, a master destination architect, also said waterfront developments are widely perceived as negatively impacting the environment but that advanced management systems can substantially reduce negative impact.

“Waterfront properties are typically viewed as a hamper, as by their very nature, they disturb a sensitive eco-system. The projects under way in the Middle East are producing wholesale changes to the coastline but they might have very sophisticated ecological management approaches which are not visible to the outsider,” he said.

Environmental impact is just one of a number of hot topics that will come under the spotlight at Waterfront Dubai 2005.

“This conference differs from many others in that it is not a sales forum but a means of assisting the blueprint of the region’s coastal development,” said Chris Hayman, Managing Director, Seatrade Middle East, which is organising Waterfront Dubai 2005.

“We anticipate some exciting new views and recommendations to emerge, following presentations from some of the world’s leading development experts – some addressing a Middle East audience for the first time.”

Speakers from across three continents will address Waterfront Dubai 2005. They include architects, planners and engineers, project developers, industry association heads, and academics.

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