Real Estate Exchange Figures Reflect Size of Saudi Market

The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Real Estate Exchange Figures Reflect Size of Saudi Market

The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

During the first week of its launch, the Real Estate Exchange, which is affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Justice, witnessed the trading of about 61 million square meters of properties in various regions of the Kingdom, with the total number of deals reaching 17,000, at a value exceeding SAR 17 billion ($4.5 billion).

The real estate exchange served over 500,000 visitors, illustrating its rapid impact on the Kingdom’s real estate sector.

Real estate experts said that these numbers reflect the size and magnitude of the real estate market in Saudi Arabia. They added that the platform will eliminate ambiguity, increase the market’s attractiveness to foreign investors, and become an indicator and a huge real estate database characterized by governance, transparency, and credibility.

Real estate consultant Matar Al-Shammari told Asharq Al-Awsat that the figures recorded by the Real Estate Stock Exchange in its first week reflect the size and magnitude of the Saudi real estate market, and give a clear indication of the large movement of transactions.

He added that the Real Estate Stock Exchange will represent an attractive factor for foreign investors to enter the Saudi market and access data and information issued by an official and reliable authority.

For his part, Real Estate expert and member of the Saudi Residents Authority, Eng. Ahmed Al-Faqih, noted that the Real Estate Stock Exchange would constitute a new era in the Saudi real estate market, with increased transparency and reliability.

The real estate exchange is part of the Real Estate Wealth Digitization initiative, a ministry project under Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program.

 

 



Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
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Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)

Mohammad Yaqoub, Assistant Director General for Business Development at Kuwait’s Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), announced that Kuwait is actively working to boost investments in emerging sectors such as the management of government facilities, hospitals, and ports, including Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

He added that his country is collaborating with Saudi Arabia on joint projects, notably the development of a railway linking the two nations.

Speaking at the 28th Annual Global Investment Conference in Riyadh, Yaqoub highlighted the 650-kilometer railway project, which is expected to cut travel time between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to under three hours. He clarified that this initiative is separate from the broader GCC railway network under development.

The official further emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to offering streamlined processes and incentives to attract foreign investment in critical sectors such as oil and gas, healthcare, education, and technology.

Since January 2015, the Gulf country has attracted cumulative foreign investments valued at approximately 1.7 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($5.8 billion). During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, KDIPA reported foreign investment inflows amounting to 206.9 million Kuwaiti dinars ($672 million).

Yaqoub stressed that KDIPA is focused on creating an investor-friendly environment by offering flexible incentives to attract international companies. He noted Saudi Arabia’s achievements in this area and highlighted his country’s efforts to provide comparable benefits to foreign investors.

He also expressed optimism about the potential for growth in foreign investments in Kuwait, emphasizing their role in advancing economic development in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yaqoub also underscored the strong synergy between the Kuwaiti and Saudi markets, which he said will help accelerate economic progress across the region.