Real Estate Arada moves into Australia with first project set for 2025 UAE developer Arada is planning multiple projects, valued at AED6 billion ($1.6 billion) in Australia, adding more than 2,500 dwellings in Sydney, the country’s most populous city. The Dubai-based master developer announced that the first project will be launched next year, after opening its office in Sydney. Arada’s Australian-born group CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi will spearhead […] August 15, 2024
Infrastructure UAE company involved in $1bn project in Uzbekistan A consortium, which includes an Abu Dhabi state-owned company, is set to develop a $1 billion wastewater treatment plant in Uzbekistan. The group, comprising Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions Company, Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and France’s Suez, signed a development agreement with Uzbekistan’s investment, industry and trade ministry and state-run Uzsuvtaminot JSC. The project, located in […] August 15, 2024
Analysis Logistics Cold storage in hot demand across the Gulf Demand for chilled and frozen foods is rising across the Gulf, driving growth in the region’s cold chain infrastructure. Maersk, the Danish logistics company, says this demand – along with food security concerns – motivated it to open its first UAE cold store at Dubai Industrial City last summer. Population growth and concerns around climate […] August 14, 2024
Analysis Banking and Finance Riyadh’s investment law reforms tipped to win over sceptics Saudi Arabia’s investment law reforms are poised to release a backlog of pent-up deals – and are a tacit admission that procedures have often been cumbersome, analysts have told AGBI. Under the overhaul announced on Sunday, elements of Vision 2030 and the National Investment Strategy will be combined in a single framework that aims to […] August 13, 2024
Banking and Finance Riyadh revamps investment law as it seeks giga-project cash Saudi Arabia has updated its investment laws as it looks to attract more private sector funding for giga-projects. The update, announced on Sunday, pulls together Vision 2030 reforms and the National Investment Strategy under one framework. It aims to provide investors with “greater transparency, flexibility and confidence”, according to a government statement. Saudi Arabia has […] August 12, 2024
Construction King Abdullah Economic City developer’s losses at $185m Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the developer of King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah, widened its losses in the first half of 2024 on higher finance costs and write-offs. Loss in the first half of the year reached SAR694 million ($185 million), compared with SAR76 million a year ago. Revenue fell 74 percent year […] August 9, 2024
Real Estate Emaar revenue jumps 17% as Dubai real estate thrives Emaar Properties, the largest developer in Dubai, reported a net profit attributable to equity holders of AED5.3 billion ($1.4 billion) in the first half of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 8 percent. Revenue jumped 17 percent year on year to AED14.4 billion, thanks to high investor confidence and robust demand in Dubai’s real estate market. […] August 8, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Casino operator Wynn buys more land in Ras Al Khaimah Wynn Resorts, the Las Vegas-based hospitality operator building the Gulf region’s first casino on Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island, has closed a deal to bank an additional 70 acres of land in the emirate for future development. The disclosure was made during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. Wynn Resorts made a significant […] August 7, 2024
Real Estate Mortgage buyers increase with Dubai’s rising rents Dubai’s property market is shifting towards mortgages and away from the traditional image of cash buyers, with tenants seeking cost-effective alternatives to counter rising rental rates. A survey by mortgage consultancy Mortgage Finder indicates that mortgage buyers accounted for 43 percent of all ready sales transactions in the second quarter of 2024, up from 35 […] August 7, 2024
Real Estate Empower revenues surge on growing real estate demand Dubai-listed Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, also known as Empower, posted an 11 percent year-on-year increase in revenue to AED814 million ($222 million) in the second quarter of 2024. The rise was fuelled by high demand and growing occupancy rates in housing projects. Net profit attributable to shareholders fell 6 percent to AED221 million in […] August 7, 2024
Real Estate UAE real estate companies rebound after market turmoil Real estate companies bore the brunt of Monday’s stock sell-off in the GCC, although prices showed significant signs of recovery on Tuesday. Dubai Financial Market closed on Monday down 4.5 percent, while Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul exchange was down 2.1 percent. Kuwait’s bourse was showing a negative of 2.13 percent on a day when $6.4 trillion […] August 7, 2024
Real Estate Pressure on Bahrain’s residential property market as supply grows Bahrain’s real estate sector is undergoing notable shifts as the residential market contends with stagnant prices and an increasing supply of units. With demand failing to keep pace with supply, experts warn of potential price drops if current trends persist. Real estate services and investment firm CBRE Middle East estimates indicate that the freehold apartment […] August 6, 2024
Logistics DP World’s London Gateway to become UK’s largest seaport The official launch this month of a new berth at London Gateway Port makes the facility the UK’s largest seaport, with operator DP World outlining plans for three more berths. The port, which currently handles 2.4 million containers, will expand its capacity to 3.4 million containers with the opening of berth 4, the UAE state-run […] August 6, 2024
Construction Dubai’s Sidara shelves bid to take over UK’s John Wood Group Dubai’s Sidara has abandoned its multi-billion-dollar plan to take over the British consultancy John Wood Group. The Emirati engineering and consulting group cited “geopolitical risks and market uncertainty” for its decision. Shares in Wood slumped by 37 percent on the news, hitting their lowest level since December 2022. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight […] August 5, 2024
Construction Housing regulations amplify costs for Kuwait real estate Kuwait’s real estate industry is grappling with increased construction and labour costs as a result of stricter housing regulations. Authorities have clamped down on basements and ground floor areas being used for worker accommodation, leading to a shortage of affordable housing for low-paid expatriate construction workers in central areas. The change has led to an […] August 5, 2024
Video length: 05:06 VIDEO Construction The Gulf needs better construction codes Devastating building fires in Kuwait and Qatar this summer, and April’s flooding in the UAE, have raised awareness of the need for more stringent construction codes in the Gulf. National Fire Protection Association president Jim Pauley told AGBI that sometimes rules are in place but it is “the application of the regulation that needs to […] August 5, 2024
Exclusive Real Estate Opportunity knocks in Ras Al Khaimah’s beaches and mountains The CEO of RAK Properties says land reclamation can help meet the emirate's surging demand August 5, 2024
Industry Emirates Steel Arkan asks UAE to curb cheap Chinese imports Emirates Steel Arkan is liaising with the UAE government to explore ways to reduce the impact of China exporting its excess steel at knockdown prices. A slowdown in China’s property sector has led to a sharp decline in domestic demand for steel, forcing Chinese producers to sell surplus stock cheaply to international markets. US president […] August 4, 2024
Construction Dubai to add 20,000 new housing units in H2 2024 As many as 20,000 residential units are expected to be delivered in Dubai in the second half of 2024. Almost 6,600 units were completed in the emirate between January and June this year, bringing the total number of units to 736,000, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Dubai reported more than 12 new project […] August 4, 2024
Construction Finance ministry to help Binladin Group pay off debts Saudi Arabia’s finance ministry has said it will lend Binladin Group money to pay back debts to banks. It is also considering raising its stake in the construction giant. The finance ministry’s Al Istedamah Holding currently holds around 36 percent of Binladin Group, a private company owned by the Bin Ladin family since it was […] August 2, 2024
Analysis Construction Saudi real estate hiring drops amid giga-project review Saudi Arabia’s review of its many giga-projects dented real estate hiring in the country in the second quarter of this year, driving a larger decline across the GCC. The drop, revealed by Cooper Fitch’s latest Gulf Employment Index which tracks new hires, mirrors a broader slowdown in the Saudi property and construction markets. However, it […] August 2, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid outlines 11 new stadiums Saudi Arabia plans to build 11 new stadiums as part of its 2034 World Cup bid, including one inside its horizontal city The Line, but without any breakdown of the costs. The Saudi bid – which is expected to win formal Fifa approval this year – centres on five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha and […] August 1, 2024
