Muscat: A national-level event attuned to the thriving building construction, design, and real estate industry, the 18th edition of the Oman Design & Build Week (ODBW) was inaugurated by His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs, Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan on March 12 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, signifying the start of the 3-day event.
The free-to-attend exhibition and conference, which will run from March 13 to 15, is organised under the patronage of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in partnership with the Oman Real Estate Association. Offering participants an enriching business platform, ODBW will provide insights into the latest trends and advancements in the sector as well as infinite opportunities to interact one-on-one with decision-makers and enhance business contacts.
Co-located with ODBW is the Oman Real Estate Exhibition (OREX) which will bring together real-estate developers, qualified investors, key delegates from regional authorities and other service providers. The opening ceremony of ODBW welcomed Sayyid Asa’ad as the chief guest and also included in attendance prominent delegates from different ministries, C-suite executives from leading companies in the private sector and industry experts.
Commenting on the event, Dr Khalfan bin Said Al-Shueili, Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning said, “We are indeed delighted to host an event of such scale that will stimulate the construction, design, and real estate sector. While being a vital networking platform for those in the industry, ODBW also signals the qualitative shift that the sector has witnessed over the years. Businesses have become more agile, innovative as well as progressive and have taken concerted efforts to match the increasingly value-conscious demands of clients. Visitors will easily be able to learn, explore and navigate new products and developments in the industry and broaden their knowledge of the prevalent market. The event will also further contribute to positioning Oman as a lucrative destination for investments.”
The ongoing ODBW Conference organised in collaboration with the Oman Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and the Oman Real Estate Association is another key highlight of the event. The 3-day CPD-credited sessions provide insights into the Oman Spatial Strategy and Oman Real Estate Strategy and their influence and impact on the investment environment and construction industry in the Sultanate.
The engaging sessions cover relevant issues in the industry with panel discussions that include topics like the future of real estate in Oman, digital transformation and the metaverse, integrated tourism complexes, and real estate finance and evaluation.
Meanwhile, OREX has a stellar showcase of properties offered across the Sultanate and abroad. It is also geared at facilitating enhanced interactions between local and international property developers and real estate brokers on one hand and potential buyers and investors from the local market as well as other relevant authorities and service providers on the other.
The much-anticipated Hackathon organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning is also scheduled to take place.
With industrialisation, diversification, and privatisation marked for their growth opportunities under Oman’s 2040 Industrial Strategy, the segment is expected to reach $19.4 billion in 2023 including energy and utility construction, residential construction, and infrastructure construction. Change to expected 2023 stats - ODBW is expected to witness participation from over 150 exhibiting companies and attendance of more than 12,000 visitors during three days of the event.