MEA Sept 2017 cover- Six Construct

4 MEA MARKETS / September 2017 NEWS , Majid Al Futtaim Harnesses Neuroscience to Empower Mixed-Use Development Agenda In Dubai, UAE on the 10th Septem- ber 2017, Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, com- munities, retail and leisure pio- neer across the Middle East, Afri- ca, and Asia, unveiled the results of a first of its kind neuroscience study in the region, designed to identify the most powerful drivers behind emotional attachment to urban developments and commu- nities. Conducted by Neurons Inc and commissioned by Majid Al Fut- taim; the UAE-based study used Electroencephalography (EEG) and Eye Tracking technology to measure how participants subconsciously as well as con- sciously responded to nearly 100 images of urban developments and landscapes from around the world. Over 1 million data points were then analysed to determine the findings. Neuroscientists found the ele- ments of everyday human activity (a visual focus in 80% of the 10 best performing images), green- ery (70%), artistic features (50%) and bright colours (50%) were the most powerful drivers of emotion- al engagement with destinations and environments. An emphasis was put on green- ery, which was naturally land- scaped and positioned in a way that provided a sense of human scale and privacy. The study also highlighted a subconscious pref- erence for shades of blue and green in design and artistic fea- tures that people can interact with and embrace natural materials. The strongest negative respons- es were recorded in images that displayed a visible lack of human interaction and natural land- scapes. Dirt and damage were also shown to have an immediate negative and lasting impact on participants. The announcement comes as the governments across the region; continue to place significant em- phasis on transformative policies and practices for the real estate sector in a bid to drive economic diversity. In the UAE, both public and private sector entities are fo- cused on enabling a nation-wide happiness agenda that seeks to enhance happiness and satisfac- tion for citizens and expats in the UAE through better services and infrastructure. Hawazen Esber, Chief Execu- tive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Communities, said: “Historically, researchers and developers have focused on the conscious drivers of preference for real estate de- sign and development. In a testa- ment to the region’s progressive take on the transformation of the real estate sector; our unique neuroscience research study Media Contact: Leen Barqawi Edelman Please follow us on: www.youtube.com/user/majidalfuttaim twitter.com/majidalfuttaim www.linkedin.com/company/majid-al-futtaim www.facebook.com/MajidAlFuttaim