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Real Estate

Real estate and property news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Palm Jebel Ali will add 91km to Dubai's coastline and provide homes for about 35,000 families

UAE’s overseas property tax may push rents up

The introduction of a tax on income from UAE property held by non-residents could cause rents to creep up as owners pass on the increment to tenants, experts have told AGBI.  “The rental market is based on supply and demand, so if there’s less supply and more demand at any point, landlords can ask for […]

Lusail Marina attracts wealthy buyers

Lusail is first choice for wealthy Qatari buyers

Lusail, Qatar’s second-largest city and host for much of the Fifa World Cup last year, has become wealthy buyers’ preferred destination for residential real estate in the Gulf state, a new report shows.  Lusail Marina and Lusail Waterfront were named as the most popular destinations where Qatar-based high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are planning to […]

Palm Jebel Ali Dubai

Palm Jebel Ali to add much needed beachfront properties

A revamped master plan for the billion-dollar Palm Jebel Ali man-made island development in Dubai has been approved, helping to meet demand for prime, residential, beachfront properties. The 13.4 sq km mega-project – twice the size of Palm Jumeirah – will add 110 km of coastline to the emirate and provide real estate for approximately […]

Dubai property construction Video length: 3:37

Dubai’s wealthy buyers short of new homes in prime areas

Global high-net-worth individuals are looking to Dubai to invest in property, but with only 289 units due to be completed in prime residential areas by 2026, supply in the emirate’s real estate market is low, driving prices up.  “We are short of easy-to-activate waterfront development sites – we have run out of coastline,” said Faisal Durrani, […]

Egypt commercial property on the rise in New Administrative Capital

Egypt’s commercial property sector resists economic woes 

Demand for commercial property in Egypt remains buoyant despite the fragile economy, as retail and office landlords offer “flexible and generous” terms until the market stabilises, according to a report. Landlords are resorting to making changes to retail and office lease terms in response to “challenges stemming from the current local and global economic volatility”, […]

Abu Dhabi Housing Authority

Q Holding in $1.9bn deal to build 1,742 villas

Abu Dhabi-listed developer Q Holding has signed two agreements with the emirate’s housing authority, Adha to design and build 1,742 villas. It will also see the development of mosques and commercial buildings, and in total will involve an investment of AED7 billion ($1.91 billion). The West Baniyas project includes 1,500 villas and 14 commercial buildings. […]

Renewing an existing tenancy in Dubai is proving more attractive as rents rise

Dubai tenants staying put as rents continue to soar

More Dubai renters are opting to renew their existing tenancies than move to a different property altogether, to avoid being hit by soaring rental rates in a “very strong” property market, according to CBRE.  The number of rental renewals in Dubai’s residential market grew by 29.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, compared […]

A residential community in Riyadh. Real estate deals in Saudi Arabia fell by nearly a third during the first half of 2023

Dar Al Arkan profit dip no cause for alarm

Saudi Arabian real estate firm Dar Al Arkan posted a 47 percent profit dip in the first quarter of the year to SAR117.6 million ($31.3 million), from SAR221 million a year earlier.  The decrease was attributed to lower property sales in Q1 and higher financing burdens, the company said in a filing to the Tadawul […]

Manama Bahrain

Rising cost of credit squeezes Bahrain luxury property

The increased cost of credit due to higher interest rates is starting to dent demand for luxury property in Bahrain, with apartments experiencing the most impact.  High-end apartment prices in Bahrain dropped by 1.3 percent quarter on quarter in the first three months of 2023, according to a report published this week by Savills. Luxury […]

Kuwait real estate

Kuwait to let expats buy property to boost market

Real estate activity in Kuwait has fallen over the past year, but the government is hoping to turn that around by allowing expats to buy property for the first time.  A ministerial committee has lodged a proposal to the cabinet to allow non-Kuwaitis to own investment residential properties, according to a local media report this […]

Habtoor Dubai

Al Habtoor forced to look overseas for contractor

Billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor had to look to China and India for a contractor for his latest Dubai development as experts say Saudi Arabia’s construction boom is impacting UAE projects. The founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group (AHG) broke ground on the Habtoor Tower building earlier this month. AHG was previously involved in building […]

A villa at the Victory Heights golf course in Dubai

Demand grows for a life of luxury in Dubai

Dubai’s prime residential real estate sector enjoyed a 55 percent year-on-year increase in demand in the first quarter, as a lack of supply has spurred the market for luxury homes. The emirate recorded 88 sales of units valued over $10 million in Q1, while average transactions stood at AED3,360 ($915) per square foot, according to […]

Emaar’s revenue backlog from property sales grew to AED55.7 billion

Emaar’s profit rises 43% as property sales hit $2.5bn

Emaar Properties reported a net profit of AED3.2 billion ($873 million) for the first quarter, surging 43 percent year on year on higher tourism, sales and demand for real estate in Dubai. Revenue for the period rose to AED6.3 billion, as Ebitda increased 26 percent year-on-year to AED4 billion. The group’s property sales reached AED9.2 […]

Aldar Yas Island sustainable city

Abu Dhabi to spend $23bn on new neighbourhoods

Up to 76,000 new homes are planned over the next five years in Abu Dhabi to meet rising demand for residential property.  The emirate’s executive council has signed off a budget of AED85.4 billion ($23.2 billion) for a string of residential neighbourhoods with new homes and development sites.  The projects will also feature services, amenities […]

The Aldar HQ in Abu Dhabi. The investment will increase the developer’s GLA in the logistics sector to more than 400,000 sq m

Saudi next on radar as Aldar builds on Mena expansion

Real estate developer Aldar Properties is scouting for development and joint venture opportunities in Saudi Arabia to help it expand in the region.  Based in the UAE, Aldar has projects in Egypt in addition to its core operations in Abu Dhabi and, more recently, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, following announcements in the past six […]

RAK Properties profit

‘Pivotal’ year for Ras Al Khaimah, says property chief

RAK Properties, the Abu Dhabi-listed company developing much of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, is seeking to capitalise on rising demand for local real estate.  It is in talks with several UAE developers and landowners to form joint ventures, according to chief executive Sameh Al Muhtadi. He declined to reveal names of prospective partners, […]

UK house prices show weak rise in April

Asking prices for property being put on sale in the UK over the past month rose less than normal for the time of year, figures from property website Rightmove showed, adding to signs of more subdued momentum in the property market. Rightmove said that average asking prices were up by 0.2 percent over the month, […]