Dubai School of Government to Host Panel Discussion on Status of Real Estate in Dubai

Panelists to Examine Measures Introduced to Help Industry Mature during Economic Crisis

Dubai-UAE: 23 January, 2011 – The Dubai School of Government, a research and teaching institution that focuses on public policy in the Arab world, today announced it will host a panel discussion on the nature of Dubai’s real estate boom and the measures initiated to help the industry mature during the recent challenging times.

Titled “New Foundations: Strengthening Real Estate in Dubai”, the panel discussion on 26 January will focus on the legal and regulatory context that allowed the boom to happen the way it did, and the recent measures intended to help it this sector mature. It will also to identify formal practices relating to the financing and planning of projects in Dubai's freehold real estate market.

Speakers will include Marwan Bin Ghulaita, Chief Executive Officer, Real Estate Regulatory Agency(RERA), Ludmila Yamalova, Managing Partner, HPL Yamalova & Plewka, George Shields ,Managing Director of BK Gulf, and Marios Maratheftis, Head of Research, Standard Chartered. Experts will address ongoing efforts by regulatory authorities to further standardise property transactions and identify solutions for reviving the market.

Dr Tarik Yousef, Dean of Dubai School of Government, said: “The real estate sector exemplifies the complexity of interaction between regulatory and policy making bodies, industry, the financial system and the general public. Through dialogue between representatives of a variety of sectors involved in the real estate sector, this panel discussion will give us a more holistic perspective on both the history and future of real estate in Dubai.”

The DSG event will also focus on the recent mortgage initiatives introduced by Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), and whether the new regulations will serve to increase confidence in the housing market.

Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Harvard Kennedy School, the Dubai School of Government is dedicated to the promotion of good governance through enhancement of the region’s capacity for public policy. The School collaborates with regional and global institutions in delivering its research and training programmes, and organises policy forums and international conferences to promote critical debate on public policy in the Arab world.

For more details, visit www.dsg.ae or call +9714 329 3290.