Real Estate Dubai property optimism remains despite price correction warnings Real estate professionals in Dubai are maintaining a cautiously optimistic outlook on the market, even as fresh warnings of a potential double-digit correction cast a shadow over the city’s record-breaking property surge. Ratings agency Fitch forecast this week that Dubai’s residential property market is likely to cool through the second half of 2025 and into […] June 2, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Real Estate Asif Aziz: from the heart of London to Al Maryah Island Asif Aziz owns more of Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus than any other individual. His holdings include the Criterion Building, a West End landmark best known as the setting where Dr Watson first hears the name Sherlock Holmes; the former Trocadero, which housed music halls and cinemas from the 1890s; and One Leicester Square, overlooking […] June 2, 2025
Real Estate Dubai issues Middle East’s first tokenised property certificate Dubai has issued its first tokenised property certificate, moving tokenisation of real estate from the realm of theory to practice. Tokenisation is the process of creating and trading digital tokens that are backed by real-world assets on a blockchain. It enables direct and verifiable peer-to-peer transactions. The certificate’s launch follows the successful sale of the […] May 30, 2025
Real Estate Saudi developer to build $400m ‘workshop city’ A Saudi developer is planning to borrow SAR1.5 billion ($400 million) from banks to fund a workshop and warehousing development in Riyadh. Azad Properties plans to build ‘Bawabat Al-Senaya’, which means industrial gate, and aims to attract around 400 companies. Its CEO Ayman Al-Burti told CNBC Arabia TV news that the scheme would be launched […] May 30, 2025
Analysis Real Estate Saudi housing changes may stoke demand for smaller properties A decision to reduce the minimum age at which nationals receive support to buy houses is likely to increase the number of homeowners in Saudi Arabia but could push up the price for smaller properties such as apartments, which are already in high demand, analysts say. The amendment, which was approved by the cabinet on […] May 30, 2025
Tourism PIF unit commits millions to back Aseer province growth Ardara, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is making multi-million-dollar investment in Aseer province in the south of the kingdom to support urban development in line with Vision 2030. Work was launched this week on AlWadi – meaning “the valley”– after it was first announced in October 2023, the state-run Saudi Press […] May 30, 2025
Video length: 03:36 VIDEO Real Estate Sharjah student market set for growth as US visas change The student population in Sharjah is one of the highest in the Emirates and is likely to increase since Donald Trump revealed plans to limit the number of visas for international students in the US. With 55,000 students currently living and studying in Sharjah, the emirate is rapidly establishing itself as the education capital of […] May 29, 2025
Real Estate Investcorp Capital exits 12 US residential assets Investcorp Capital, majority owned by Bahrain-based Investcorp, has exited 12 residential multiple-occupancy real estate assets across five states in the US. The exit was secured at $550 million, the company said in a statement. The company claimed the sale was at a “premium” but did not disclose further gains “Though rent growth has cooled from the […] May 29, 2025
Opinion Media & Advertising Diriyah’s new branding is far from black and white Owning a colour is a shady business May 29, 2025
Energy Oman studies connecting power grid with Yemen Oman has awarded a contract to a local engineering company to conduct a feasibility study for interconnecting its power grid with Yemen. Monenco Consulting Engineers (Oman) won the contract from the state-run Oman Electricity Transmission Company through a tender process, the company said in a statement on its social media platforms. The work scope includes […] May 29, 2025
Analysis Real Estate UAE property developers bank on huge order backlogs The UAE’s largest property developers are likely to post rising profits in the coming quarters as under-construction projects reach new milestones. This will enable them to book revenue from their vast order backlogs, analysts predict. Most listed developers reported big year-on-year increases in first-quarter profits. Emaar Properties’ Q1 profit rose 27 percent to just over […] May 29, 2025
Real Estate Dubai Residential REIT takes off on bourse debut Dubai Residential REIT surged on its bourse debut on Wednesday as investors who missed out on its $584 million initial public offering (IPO) bought the stock. The success is being seen as an indication of enduring confidence in the emirate’s buoyant property sector. A real estate investment trust (REIT) owns or finances income-generating property, enabling […] May 28, 2025
Analysis Transport Etihad Rail’s super-fast service tracked by investors The UAE’s Etihad Rail is due to start passenger services next year, promising to slash travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi by as much as 40 percent. Not only could this reshape the daily commute but it could also shift the investment outlook for a clutch of transport-focused companies listed on local bourses. With […] May 28, 2025
Industry DP World unit signs 50-year deal to develop UAE-Oman free zone A DP World unit has signed a 50-year deal to develop an economic free zone between the UAE and Oman. Mahdah Development Company, a UAE-Omani joint venture led by DP World, is working with Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (Opaz) to develop the first phase of the Al Rawdah zone. […] May 27, 2025
Tourism Oman awards $600m contracts for tourism projects Oman has awarded contracts worth more than $600 million to build three tourist resorts and an adventure park as it steps up efforts to compete with its Gulf neighbours for hospitality revenue and create jobs for its citizens. “This is another important milestone to attract more tourists in the country and property investors as part […] May 26, 2025
Real Estate Egypt’s Talaat Moustafa announces first Iraqi project Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG), a leading Egyptian real estate developer, will develop a mixed-use project in Iraq as part of its regional expansion plan. Last week the developer announced plans to invest OR1.5 billion ($3.9 billion) in Oman to develop two projects in west Muscat, offering 13,000 residential and hotel units. The Iraq development, proposed […] May 26, 2025
Infrastructure Plans ready for Egypt-Saudi Arabia bridge project Egypt is working to integrate the country into a railway network connecting Asia and Europe, but a long-planned bridge that would link Saudi Arabia to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has yet to be finalised, transport minister Kamel Al-Wazir said on Sunday. Egypt has been expanding its railways along seven separate axes, he said. These include three […] May 26, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence AI adoption could help meet ambitious Vision 2030 targets Construction companies in Saudi Arabia are increasingly looking to artificial intelligence to reduce waste and speed up delivery times, industry experts say. AI software is already in use in the country to help speed up the design and development of billions of dollars in projects. But increased adoption of cutting-edge technology is needed to meet […] May 26, 2025
Video length: 04:39 VIDEO Real Estate Investors buy in El Gouna to hedge against Egypt’s real estate As the luxury town of El Gouna celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, it is as popular as ever. The 37 million square metre development off the Red Sea coast of Egypt is made up of 10 districts including residential, commercial and retail, and houses 25,000 permanent residents. Despite it being one of the most […] May 25, 2025
Infrastructure Syria says foreign partners vital to modernise telecoms International partners will be vital to bringing Syria’s telecom infrastructure up to date after 14 years of civil war, according to the country’s interim minister for communication and information technology. “In wanting our people to actually make that leap in technology, in enabling them through technology and giving them the services they deserve through technology, […] May 23, 2025
Infrastructure Uganda’s $800m IDB financing to include rail project Uganda has signed a $800 million financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to support various projects, including a planned railway, that aim to boost the landlocked east African country’s trade, its finance ministry said. The railway will connect to neighbouring Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway and on to the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa. […] May 23, 2025
Infrastructure Oman borrows $630m to construct flood defences Oman is to borrow $630 million from the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to build flood protection gates and dams across the country. “The loan will help the protection from floods causing damage to many parts of Oman’s low lying areas, especially in towns and small villages,” Al Habsi was quoted as saying by […] May 22, 2025
