We all know about the role overseas Pakistanis play in Pakistan’s economy, particularly in the real estate sector. A large chunk of the foreign exchange we receive comes from remittances, making expatriates valuable contributors to our economic development. A majority of these people dream of owning a home in their country of origin, and are always on the lookout for reliable projects to invest in.

The Gulf countries are the biggest source of this inflow of money, but overseas Pakistanis often hesitate to invest back home because of the trust factor. Zameen.com has been cognizant of this fact since its very inception, and has bridged the trust deficit between expatriates and the local real estate market quite well over the past years. Millions of overseas Pakistanis use the online property portal to explore their property options, and use it as a reliable resource.

The company, however, is not only an online portal, but is also the pioneer of large-scale property events all over Pakistan, and in Dubai. These events gather the best of Pakistan’s property market under one roof, and let thousands of visitors explore the best options from among them. Whether someone is a regular investor or a complete rookie, these events cater to all.

This year, Zameen.com held the third edition of its Pakistan Property Show (PPS) Dubai on the 6th and 7th of December at Dubai World Trade Centre. This event, which started back in 2017 as an annual show, has made a profound impression on the overseas Pakistani community. The previous two chapters were quite successful, with expatriates from all over the U.A.E exploring the best property options in Pakistan.

This year, the company brought 64 exhibitors to Dubai, giving overseas Pakistanis the best platform to communicate with top-notch developers like Eighteen and Capital Smart City face-to-face. Such interactions cleared the doubts of many people who were thinking of investing in property back home, but had certain reservations in mind. Therefore, this show was an excellent way to improve the reputation of the industry in the global community, particularly with the diaspora.

This time, Zameen.com’s credibility was cemented further by the fact that the government of Pakistan participated in such an event for the first time. Following instructions given by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Privatisation Commission set up a stall at the event to communicate with overseas Pakistanis regarding the sale and purchase of dead-weight properties owned by the government. This was a testament to the prestige of this event, and firmly established it as the ideal platform to promote Pakistan’s real estate market on a global level.

The Director General of the Privatisation Commission, Mr Iftikhar Hussain Naqvi, lauded the event, stating, “Such events provide the ideal opportunity to engage with overseas Pakistanis because of their phenomenal outreach”.

In addition, some truly venerable personalities attended Pakistan Property Show Dubai 2019 as chief and special guests. The show was inaugurated by HE Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, CEO of Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), along with Zameen.com CEO Zeeshan Ali Khan. HE Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita attended the previous edition of the event as the chief guest too, and was appreciative of how it had grown over the years. The other special guest was Consul General of Pakistan to the U.A.E, HE Amjad Ahmad Ali.

This year, the scale and relevance of this event in promoting Pakistan’s real estate market to the expatriate community was even more evident. This was because prominent media personalities attended it as celebrity guests and interacted with the visitors. These included household names such as Waseem Badami, Dr. Moeed Pirzada, and Mansoor Ali Khan, all important anchors with their own talk shows.

The two-day event attracted more than 20,000 visitors, which is approximately 20 per cent more than the previous year. This impressive trajectory is proof that Zameen.com’s initiative of holding the PPS in Dubai is paying dividends.