Renewable Energy Oman petrol stations must install solar and EV charging Oman has toughened rules around licensing new petrol stations, telling operators to install solar power and provide electric vehicle charging points and other facilities. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion has said it will not issue licences for new petrol pumps unless they fulfil requirements which include the provision of fuel, suitable pumps […] May 6, 2025
Real Estate Dubai Holding to list real estate investment trust Dubai Holding is to list its residential real estate investment trust (REIT), shrugging off local investor scepticism towards the structures and becoming the first initial public offering (IPO) on the Dubai stock exchange this year. The investment conglomerate owned by Sheikh Muhammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the emirate’s ruler, said on Monday that it will […] May 5, 2025
Real Estate Omniyat raises $500m to fund sustainable projects Dubai real estate developer Omniyat has raised $500 million to fund its sustainable developments. The order book of the inaugural three-year green sukuk was oversubscribed 3.6 times, reaching $1.8 billion. The sukuk will be listed and traded on Nasdaq Dubai and the London Stock Exchange’s international securities market. The pricing details were not given. Sukuk […] May 5, 2025
Opinion Real Estate As protectionism rises, UAE real estate becomes a global shock absorber Property in the Emirates emerges as a resilient safe haven amid tariffs May 5, 2025
Construction Qatari royal backs Maldives $9bn financial freezone MBS Global Investments and the Maldives government will jointly develop a $8.8 billion Maldives International Financial Centre (MIFC) in the Maldivian capital city of Malé. The freezone will have no corporate tax and tax-free inheritance in a bid to attract digital nomads, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. Based in Dubai, MBS Global is the investment […] May 5, 2025
Tax Tax incentives for Morocco stadium construction bids Morocco is offering tax incentives of up to 30 percent, as it looks to attract private sector partners for large scale projects such as the infrastructure needed ahead of its co-hosting of the World Cup in 2030. “Morocco offers incentives that can reach up to 30 percent of the total investment amount,” Karim Zidane, Morocco’s […] May 5, 2025
Real Estate Tax changes penalise Saudis who hoard vacant land Amendments to land taxes in Saudi Arabia will make it more expensive for property owners to hold on to undeveloped land for long periods of time, or to buy and sell land quickly, tax experts have said. Changes to the White Land Tax Law in the kingdom, which were ratified on Tuesday, aim to encourage […] May 2, 2025
Real Estate Tecom profit rises on higher revenue and demand Tecom Group, a Dubai-based developer and operator of business parks and free zones, reported an increase in net profit for the first quarter, driven by record demand in the emirate’s commercial property sector. Net profit grew by 23 percent year-on-year to AED361 million ($98 million) during the three months to March led by “improved collections […] May 2, 2025
Real Estate Dubai’s DXB site to become prime real estate opportunity Dubai International Airport will become one of the emirate’s most valuable real estate assets once operations shift to the new Dubai World Central airport within the next decade. The DXB site, located in the densely developed Al Garhoud district and spanning 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres), will eventually cease operations as Dubai consolidates air traffic at […] May 1, 2025
Real Estate Trump Organization enters Qatar property market Dar Global, the international development arm of Saudi-listed Dar Al Arkan, has partnered with the Trump Organization to develop a Trump International Golf Club in Doha. The project is the US company’s first foray into Qatar’s property market. The project will include an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse and branded villas overlooking the golf course […] May 1, 2025
Real Estate Dubai scores football-themed homes in Chelsea Residences Chelsea fans finally have something to celebrate: Dubai’s first football-themed development will wear the blue of the famous west London club. As part of a new partnership between Chelsea FC and Damac Properties, the Dubai-based property developer will build a Chelsea-themed real estate project in the emirate. Chelsea Residences “will be built with Chelsea Football […] May 1, 2025
Tourism AlUla expects record tourism in 2026 after marketing push AlUla, one of Saudi Arabia’s flagship tourism projects, is expecting a record year for visits in 2026, following an international marketing campaign targeting overseas travellers who typically stay longer and generate more yield. The oasis resort in Medina province received 286,000 visitors last year, up by a fifth on 2023, according to the Royal Commission […] May 1, 2025
Giga-projects PIF’s Red Sea Global plans Saudi and overseas expansion Red Sea Global is expanding beyond its west coast base to develop hotels and other projects in Saudi Arabia and overseas, a company executive has said. The company will probably announce a new project in a Saudi city later this year, head of hospitality Sébastien Carre told AGBI on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market […] April 30, 2025
Real Estate Abu Dhabi developer Aldar reports $520m first quarter profit Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest real estate developer, has reported a rise in first-quarter profits driven by sales to international buyers. Net profit after tax increased 22 percent year on year to AED1.9 billion ($520 million). Revenue was up 39 percent to AED7.8 billion. Overseas investors and expatriates living in the UAE accounted for AED7.4 […] April 29, 2025
Construction Emaar EC reschedules loan with consortium of Saudi banks Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the developer of King Abdullah Economic City, has signed an agreement with four Saudi banks to reschedule a total of SAR3.4 billion ($904 million) in existing financing. The agreement also includes securing a new credit facility of SAR287 million from Alinma Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi and […] April 29, 2025
Real Estate Kuwait wealth fund sues over London tower project Kuwait Investment Authority, the world’s fifth-biggest sovereign wealth fund, is suing global investment company Axa Investment Managers in connection with a planned tower in London’s financial district that risks blocking light to a KIA building. St Martins Property, the investment authority’s property development unit, is suing Hygie, a special purpose vehicle controlled by Axa Investment […] April 29, 2025
Real Estate New Kuwait laws will stimulate banks, says Fitch Kuwait’s approval of a debt law and the easing of housing curbs on foreigners is likely to stimulate banks after a period of subdued activity, according to a US rating agency. Fitch said it expects 8-9 percent growth in 2025 if planned large government projects are awarded, following last month’s approval of the debt law. […] April 29, 2025
Real Estate Owner plans to cut up and remove five-star hotel from Beirut UAE billionaire Khalaf Al-Habtoor is considering hiring a Chinese company to deconstruct his five-star hotel in Beirut and move it to another country, following a decision in January to end all investment in Lebanon. Al-Habtoor is considering dividing the 185-room Metropolitan Palace Hotel into pieces and shipping the parts by sea out of Lebanon, possibly […] April 29, 2025
Video length: 04:24 VIDEO Construction First phase of Oman’s Sultan Haitham City on track for 2030 Work on Oman’s $2.6 billion Sultan Haitham City housing project is in full swing. Spread over 14.8 million square metres, Sultan Haitham City will have 20,000 residential units distributed across 19 integrated residential neighbourhoods. The project, initiated a couple of years ago, is being developed in four phases. The first phase, featuring close to 7,000 […] April 28, 2025
Construction Egyptian minister touts Ras El Hekma as blueprint for global deals Egypt’s Ras El Hekma deal with the United Arab Emirates shows how creditor and debtor countries around the world can work together for mutual benefit, the Egyptian minister of planning has said. It may also lead to similar agreements with other Gulf nations, according to Rania Al Mashat. “What Ras El Hekma has done is […] April 28, 2025
Analysis Transport Saudi Arabia’s EV ambitions face ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma Few of the car enthusiasts who attended Tesla’s launch in Riyadh last month arrived in electric vehicles. Hundreds turned out for the much-heralded opening event in Riyadh, an indication that the furore around the Tesla brand and its owner Elon Musk has not crossed the Atlantic. Despite this, public enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) in […] April 28, 2025
Real Estate Dubai ad portals exploring IPOs as real estate rises Dubai-based classified ad portals Dubizzle and Property Finder are both said to be exploring the idea of selling shares to the public in an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Dubizzle is preparing to meet with potential investors and could raise at least $500 million in a possible IPO, the […] April 28, 2025
