Cityscape Global Returns to Riyadh in November under the Theme 'The Future of Living'

Cityscape Global Returns to Riyadh in November under the Theme 'The Future of Living'
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Cityscape Global Returns to Riyadh in November under the Theme 'The Future of Living'

Cityscape Global Returns to Riyadh in November under the Theme 'The Future of Living'

Riyadh will host the second edition of Cityscape Global, the region’s leading real estate event, in November.

Organized by Saudi Arabia’s Tahaluf, the event is set to be the biggest in the international series’ history.

Taking place from November 11-14 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham, Cityscape Global 2024 will be held under the theme "The Future of Living". It will be sponsored by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing and supported by the General Real Estate Authority and Housing Program, said Tahaluf in a statement on Tuesday.

With a heightened B2B and investment focus for its second edition in Saudi Arabia, Cityscape Global 2024 is poised to retain its standing as the largest property showcase of its kind globally, with over 400 exhibitors, 500 speakers, and seven conferences.

This year, Tahaluf has added additional sector profiles to the Cityscape Global line-up. Joining the portfolio are Stadiums and Attractions, Sustainable Smart Buildings, Smart Hotels, and Developers, in addition to Smart Cities focus throughout the event with a dedicated conference and tech zone.

Cityscape Global will be a platform for international collaboration and knowledge exchange aimed at developing sustainable and future-proof cities within Saudi Arabia and beyond.

"Saudi Arabia's real estate landscape is undergoing an enormous transformation driven by Vision 2030. The comprehensive strategy for the real estate sector aims to achieve the goals of the vision by building a prosperous and solid economy and vibrant, integrated communities in an ambitious nation," said Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail.

Cityscape Global is a major catalyst for this transformation in the real estate sector, as this huge event brings together investors, developers, and industry leaders to showcase and discover major real estate projects and enhance international cooperation between companies operating in the sector, in an effort to create a bright future where opportunities and prosperity are within everyone’s reach, said the statement.

Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) Board of Directors Chairman Faisal bin Saud Al-Khamisi said: "Our goal at Cityscape Global 2024 is to align with the Vision 2030 set by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the housing sector."

"We aim to attract investors, developers, innovators, and stakeholders from around the world to showcase their projects, exchange knowledge, establish partnerships, and collaborate in building the cities of tomorrow at the international, regional, and local levels. Our objective is to create a significant advancement in the future of urban life," he added.

The largest Cityscape-branded event in history will incubate investment opportunities through a dedicated investors program and tailored networking opportunities, while also showcasing the intelligent infrastructure, technology-driven solutions, and data-driven planning needed to create efficient, sustainable, and livable urban environments.

Cityscape Global will also highlight Saudi Arabia's sports infrastructure development, emphasizing the eight newly announced stadiums, and will feature a special segment dedicated to stadiums and mega events.

Last year’s edition of the event, also held in the Kingdom, attracted over 300 exhibitors, 55% of which were international, in addition to 160,000 visitors from over 170 countries and more than 10,000 international investors.

The 2023 event hosted the unveiling of $18.3 billion in Saudi-based Real Estate projects - an outcome which earned plaudits from Lord Alan Sugar, the UK entrepreneur and host of the BBC’s The Apprentice, who was a conference speaker. "I was amazed by the vision, scale, and significance of the projects being undertaken in Saudi Arabia. It is inspiring," said Lord Sugar.

Cityscape Global is organized by Tahaluf, a strategic alliance between Informa PLC, SAFCSP, and the Events Investment Fund (EIF).



World Food Prices Dip in October, but Remain Higher Than a Year Ago

A worker carries loaves of bread for sale at a bakery in the capital city of Cairo, Egypt November 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A worker carries loaves of bread for sale at a bakery in the capital city of Cairo, Egypt November 4, 2026. (Reuters)
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World Food Prices Dip in October, but Remain Higher Than a Year Ago

A worker carries loaves of bread for sale at a bakery in the capital city of Cairo, Egypt November 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A worker carries loaves of bread for sale at a bakery in the capital city of Cairo, Egypt November 4, 2026. (Reuters)

World food prices edged lower in October as weaker import demand contributed to monthly declines in cereal, dairy and meat prices, but were still nearly 6% higher than a year earlier, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of food commodities, ‌averaged 133.9 points ‌in October, down from a revised ‌135.6 ⁠in September.

The index ⁠was 5.9% higher than a year earlier, but remained 16.4% below its March 2022 peak.

FAO's cereal price index fell 4.5% from September and was 12.6% lower than a year ago, as wheat and maize quotations declined. Wheat prices eased on weak import demand ⁠and improved production prospects, especially in Argentina.

"Expectations of ‌easing constraints on Black ‌Sea export flows added to the downward pressure on prices, ‌although continued disruptions to Black Sea logistics limited the decline," ‌FAO said in a statement.

Maize prices also eased after reaching a three-year high in September, pressured by the US harvest, expectations of ample supplies in South America and renewed ‌prospects of easing tensions in the Black Sea region.

Vegetable oil prices edged up 0.3%, ⁠as ⁠higher soybean and sunflower oil prices more than offset a fall in rapeseed oil prices.

Sugar prices rose 6.6%, their fourth straight monthly increase, to the highest level since December 2024, after rainfall disrupted harvesting in Brazil. They were now 28.8% above a year ago.

The dairy index fell 1.1%, as lower butter and cheese prices linked to ample supplies and subdued demand outweighed gains in milk powder.

The meat index declined 1.2%, while still slightly above its year-earlier level, as ovine and bovine meat prices fell.


Copper Falls, Set for Worst Week Since March on AI Rout

Copper at the Aurubis copper smelting and refining plant in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)
Copper at the Aurubis copper smelting and refining plant in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)
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Copper Falls, Set for Worst Week Since March on AI Rout

Copper at the Aurubis copper smelting and refining plant in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)
Copper at the Aurubis copper smelting and refining plant in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)

Copper dropped on Friday and was set for its biggest weekly drop in London since March, as a rout in technology stocks battered markets.

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 1.3% at $13,663 a metric ton by 0700 GMT. That placed it on track to fall 3.44% in the week, Reuters said.

The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 1.08% to 106,830 yuan ($16,018.17) a ton.

The weakness reflects worries over AI investment, ‌with copper increasingly ‌influenced by "sentiment towards data center expansion," said ‌Craig ⁠Lang, principal analyst ⁠at CRU.

Technology shares were battered after Democratic wins in the US midterms fueled concerns that new regulatory oversight could cap the AI buildout.

On the other hand, supply constraints cushioned copper's decline.

"I would be cautious about calling this a sustained correction, given ongoing mine supply challenges and exceptionally tight ⁠metal availability outside the US," Lang said.

Copper stocks ‌in SHFE-monitored warehouses <CU-STX-SGH> fell by ‌over 24% this week to just 33,848 tons — the lowest ‌in almost three years. The closely watched Yangshan copper ‌premium <SMM-CUYP-CN>, a gauge of appetite for imports into key consumer China, increased to $210 a ton on Thursday, matching its record high.

Smelters in the country are facing a double squeeze of negative treatment ‌charges and lower sulfuric acid prices.

Meanwhile, warehouse inventories outside the US have been drawn ⁠down as ⁠material was pulled into the country ahead of a potential tariff on imports of refined copper.

"These physical constraints should provide some support against weaker investor sentiment," Lang said.

Among LME metals, aluminium lost 0.54%, zinc lost 1.42%, lead lost 0.45%, nickel dipped 0.23% and tin gained 0.83%.

On the SHFE, aluminium nudged down only 0.04%, zinc lost 1.35%, lead was little changed, down only 0.03%, nickel rose 2.14% and tin dropped 3.45%.

SHFE inventories were down across the board this week, led by sharp drops in aluminium <AL-STX-SGH> and lead <PB-STX-SGH>.


Emerging Economies Set to Match Advanced Nations’ Renewable Capacity Additions, IEA Says

Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP)
Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP)
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Emerging Economies Set to Match Advanced Nations’ Renewable Capacity Additions, IEA Says

Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP)
Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP)

Emerging ‌and developing economies outside China are expected to add as much new renewable energy capacity as advanced economies for the first time over the next five years, driven by the current energy crisis, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.

Gas and oil prices have soared this year as the US-Iran war disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas trade.

Global renewable energy ‌capacity is forecast ‌to increase by almost 4,800 gigawatts ‌between ⁠2026 and 2031, ⁠the IEA said in its annual outlook.

Emerging and developing economies are expected to add about 1,100 GW, roughly the same as advanced economies, with China adding around 2,550 GW, the agency said.

Capacity growth in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East is ⁠expected to triple over the period, ‌led mainly by solar installations, ‌the IEA said.

China will remain the biggest contributor to ‌global renewable energy growth, although its share is ‌forecast to fall to 53% by 2031 from 60% in 2025.

India is emerging as the world's second-fastest deployer of renewables and is expected to more than double its contribution ‌to global growth by 2031 to nearly 8.5%.

Grid connection delays remain ⁠a major ⁠challenge, with projects awaiting connections worldwide rising 60% over the past year, equivalent to four times the wind and solar capacity connected to grids during the same period.

Grid constraints are expected to slow growth in advanced economies, with annual additions in Europe through 2031 forecast to remain broadly in line with 2025 levels.

Renewable energy is expected to meet 6% of global transport energy demand by 2031, while higher fuel-blending mandates prompted the IEA to raise its biofuels forecast by 40% from last year's report.