Real Estate Al Akaria profit falls 39% as Saudi home sales drop Saudi Real Estate Company (Al Akaria) said net profit fell 39 percent to SAR67.6 million ($18 million) in 2023. Revenue fell 12 percent year on year to SAR1.8 billion due to a decline in the sale of units and land plots by SAR531 million, the Saudi-listed developer said in a statement. In addition, financing charges […] March 4, 2024
Real Estate Dar Al Arkan unit aims for $700m revenue in two years Dar Global, the international real estate arm of Saudi-listed Dar Al Arkan, is targeting $700 million in combined revenues for 2024 and 2025 amid expansion beyond the GCC region. Following its London Stock Exchange listing, the company’s growth strategy in new markets and territories has seen the gross domestic value of its portfolio rise to […] March 4, 2024
Real Estate Omani developer reveals Muscat mixed-use project The Omani developer Al Fayha United Development company has launched a 13,000 square metre mixed-use project in Muscat. The Smart Home project in Al Ghala Heights, opposite Madinat Al Irfan, will include an apartment building comprising nine floors and a penthouse. Sheikh Saud bin Hamad al Ta’i, chairman of Al Faiha Development Company, said residential […] March 3, 2024
Real Estate Abu Dhabi residential sales buoyed by off-plan purchases Property sales in Abu Dhabi’s residential sector were up 83 percent year on year in 2023 as a raft of new launches enticed buyers to the off-plan market. There were more than 8,000 units introduced to meet growing demand in the UAE capital, with under-construction properties accounting for three quarters of the 11,200 transactions last […] February 29, 2024
Analysis Construction Foreign expertise vital for Saudi construction Saudi Arabia’s construction industry needs more foreign involvement if achieving its Vision 2030 goals is to become a reality, according to attendees of the Big 5 conference in Riyadh. In the first half of 2023 alone $44 billion worth of new projects were awarded in the kingdom’s $140 billion construction sector, according to real estate […] February 29, 2024
Construction Dubai’s Emaar unveils $26bn projects as market rebounds Dubai’s largest developer, Emaar Properties, has unveiled two new mega projects with a development cost of AED96 billion ($26.14 billion), driven by a rebound in the emirate’s real estate sector. The projects – The Heights Country Club and Grand Club Resort – will target the high-end residential and hospitality segments, the developer said in a […] February 29, 2024
Analysis Construction Localisation shields Saudi builders from Red Sea crisis Houthi attacks in the Red Sea may have been disrupting the construction supply chain into Saudi Arabia but companies, in particular larger ones, are adapting to the challenge. Since November, the Yemeni militia has launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels on their way to or from the Suez Canal, forcing many global shippers to […] February 28, 2024
Construction Drake & Scull to issue sukuk for return to Dubai market The directors of Drake & Scull International are looking to recapitalise the troubled construction giant via a sukuk, with a view to resuming trading on the Dubai Financial Market. A general assembly meeting will be held “as soon as possible” to increase the company’s share capital, which will be done through a mandatory convertible sukuk, […] February 27, 2024
Infrastructure Ooredoo to spend $1bn upgrading overseas networks Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo is to spend $1.1 billion upgrading its mobile coverage and quality of servies in a number of key overseas markets. Over the period 2024-26, the company will allocate substantial sums to improve connectivity in Algeria, Tunisia, Gaza and the West Bank, Iraq and the Maldives. Ooredoo’s operations in Gaza have been […] February 27, 2024
Analysis Economy Abu Dhabi’s $35bn throws Egypt a liquidity lifeline A $35 billion investment by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ to develop a resort on Egypt’s north coast could cover the country’s liquidity needs for the next three to four years, analysts have said. Mostafa Madbouly, the Egyptian prime minister, said on Saturday he had signed an agreement with ADQ to develop a site […] February 27, 2024
Tourism Saudi and Qatari funds bid for new Egyptian project Consortiums backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Qatar Investment Authority are among several Gulf bidders seeking to develop land in the Ras Ghamila area in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, a local Egyptian media outlet reported. The winning consortium will be announced within two months after evaluating the submitted offers, Daily News Egypt reported, citing […] February 27, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Real Estate Casino plan tempts Dubai’s Danube to buy plots in RAK Danube Properties, a Dubai-based real estate developer, is pursuing land deals in Ras Al Khaimah as the emirate’s real estate market heats up, driven by the planned arrival of a casino. Prices for one-bedroom apartments are now matching or even exceeding those in Downtown Dubai, an upmarket part of the UAE’s commercial capital, after RAK’s […] February 27, 2024
Real Estate Union Properties sells $136m of land to ‘foster growth’ Dubai developer Union Properties has sold more than AED500 million ($136 million) worth of land as it continues to address levels of debt. It is also looking at further offers on assets worth more than AED1.2 billion ($326 million), according to a filing on Dubai Financial Market on Monday, although no locations have been revealed. […] February 26, 2024
Construction Dubai launches $30m project to upgrade historic creek Dubai Municipality is undertaking a project to rebuild and rehabilitate parts of the historic Dubai Creek with a total investment of AED112 million ($30.5 million). The project aims to improve the creek’s retaining walls by upgrading the dock, reconstructing sections that have been damaged and dilapidated over the past 50 years and preventing potential flooding […] February 26, 2024
Construction ADQ to invest $35bn in Egypt’s ‘new city’ project UAE’s ADQ has unveiled plans to invest $35 billion to build the “largest new city” in Egypt to promote tourism and drive economic growth. The Abu Dhabi state-owned company will acquire the development rights for Ras El-Hekma for $24 billion to develop the region as a Mediterranean holiday destination, including a free zone, state-run WAM […] February 25, 2024
Construction Dubai Science Park reveals expansion plans Dubai’s biotechnology free zone is adding 60 percent more offices, laboratories and warehouses over the next few years to cater for an influx of new companies, its senior vice-president told AGBI. Dubai Science Park, part of Dubai-listed Tecom Group, is planning an expansion of 200,000 sq ft of additional storage and logistics facilities at the […] February 23, 2024
Transport Saudi Arabia loans $55m for Tunisian rail renewal Saudi Arabia has signed a $55 million loan deal with Tunisia to finance the renewal of the North African country’s rail network. The railway is used to transport phosphate, a sector that makes up around 4 percent of Tunisia’s GDP and 15 percent of the country’s exports. Tunisia plans to produce eight million tonnes by […] February 23, 2024
Construction Omani contractor signs tower deal for billion-dollar project Omani conglomerate Tawoos Group has signed a deal to build two mixed-use towers within the sultanate’s billion-dollar Al Khuwair Downtown Project. The project in the Muscat governorate has raised $1.3 billion in investments, according to a report from the Oman Observer, and covers an area of 3.6 million square metres. Tawoos Group will be responsible […] February 23, 2024
Construction PIF explores buying stake in Saudi Binladin Group Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is planning to acquire a stake in Saudi Binladin Group, one of the biggest construction groups in the kingdom, a media report said. The sovereign wealth fund is working with US investment bank Morgan Stanley on a potential deal, Bloomberg reported, citing people aware of the matter. The $700 […] February 23, 2024
Real Estate UAE developer to build $2bn project in Egypt’s New Cairo Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority and the UAE’s UDC Real Estate Development Company have signed a contract to develop an EGP60 billion ($1.9 billion) urban development project in New Cairo. Named The Crest, the development in the Hadayek Al-Andalus area will be built on a plot spanning 665,000 sq m. It will comprise residential, commercial […] February 22, 2024
Giga-projects Neom announces ‘ultra-modern’ wellness resort Saudi Arabia’s mega-city Neom has announced plans for another wellness resort on the Gulf of Aqaba. The new site, Elanan, will be a wellness resort with architecture that uses “ultra-modern design techniques to form intricate sculptures that merge with the surrounding natural beauty,” Neom said on its website. The website shows images of a futuristic-looking […] February 22, 2024
Real Estate Bahrain and UAE sign $4bn real estate deal A UAE property investment and development company has signed a $4 billion deal to develop real estate across Bahrain. Abu Dhabi’s Eagle Hills International has finalised a joint cooperation agreement to set up Binaa Al-Bahrain, with a focus on residential, commercial and entertainment projects across the kingdom. The new company will work with Edamah, the […] February 22, 2024
