This Atkins senior architect attends goes to get a feel of the outlook for the year ahead, and also enjoys assessing rivals' schemes

I am originally from Egypt but have been living in Dubai for the last 13 years. I am going to Cityscape because it's the best place to get a general outlook on what is going on in the industry - it's a place for developers, consultants and suppliers; it covers the value chain of the industry.

I also go there to look at new products as well as see what our competitors are doing. I like looking at what our rivals get up to; there must be at least five or 10 of them there. It gives a good indication of where we stand in the market. A must-see for me at Cityscape is the recent projects of developers like Nakheel and Emaar.

It's the best place to get a general outlook on what is going on - it's a place for developers, consultants and suppliers; it covers the value chain of the industry

Cityscape is the best show you can attend, because it gives a good indication for the coming year - and this year it will be even more critical because of the economic situation.

For those visiting the conference for the first time, I would recommend preparing a programme before they go to the event itself. This could have a list of what they want to see exactly, because the event itself is so vast it's difficult to focus. It helps you to decide what you want out of the exhibition.

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