Saudi Real Estate Market Deals Confirm Solidity despite Surrounding Factors

An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
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Saudi Real Estate Market Deals Confirm Solidity despite Surrounding Factors

An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)

The Saudi real estate market recorded deals worth more than 214 billion riyals ($57 billion) during the first nine months of this year, according to real estate exchange data.

Real estate experts, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, noted that the recent figures highlight the strength, solidity and cohesion of the Saudi real estate market, despite the surrounding factors, such as the continued rise in interest rates and the decline in financing granted to individuals.

Real Estate expert Eng. Ahmed Al-Faqih said that the value of real estate market deals, despite its relative decline from about 260 billion riyals (69 billion dollars) in 2022, confirms the solidity of the real estate market, despite the continued rise in interest rates, and the decrease in the volume of real estate financing granted to individuals by banks and financing companies.

Al-Faqih pointed to three factors that he said contributed to this value. First, the scarcity of supply in the residential market, whether land, apartments, or villas, which led to an increase in their prices, according to the periodic reports of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The second factor is the large demand for real estate. This gave positive signals to property owners and supported adherence to the prices offered, he underlined.

As for the third factor, Al-Faqih pointed to the “open appetite of major businessmen and real estate entities to acquire many undeveloped land deals at billion-dollar prices, which clearly indicates that we are facing a very promising market in the near future, in light of unprecedented support from the government.”

Al-Faqih expects next year to witness greater momentum in the Saudi real estate market after the non-Saudi ownership and investment law comes into effect.



Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
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Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo

Oil prices picked up on Tuesday, after the previous session's sell-off, as the market assessed US President-elect Donald Trump's planned trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada and his aim to increase US crude production.

Oil prices had fallen more than $2 a barrel on Monday after multiple reports that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to the terms of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. A senior Israeli official said Israel looks set to approve a US plan for a ceasefire on Tuesday, but some analysts said Monday's sell-off in oil prices had been overdone.

Brent crude futures were up 43 cents, or 0.6%, at $73.44 a barrel as of 1414 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $69.38 a barrel, up 44 cents, or 0.6%.

Brent crude futures fluctuated between $73.30 and $73.80 a barrel in afternoon trading.

"Today’s intra-day fluctuations are probably more of the function of assessing Trump’s overnight pledge to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

On Monday, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the US from Mexico and Canada.

The vast majority of Canada's 4 million bpd of crude exports go to the US Analysts have said it is unlikely Trump would impose tariffs on Canadian oil, which cannot be easily replaced since it differs from grades that the US produces.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Trump's team is also preparing an energy package to roll out within days of his taking office that would increase oil drilling.

A senior executive at Exxon Mobil said on Tuesday that US oil and gas producers are unlikely to "radically increase'' production.

OPEC+ MEETING

Market reaction on Monday to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire news was "over the top" as the broader Middle East conflict has "never actually disrupted supplies significantly to induce war premiums" this year, said senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva at Phillip Nova.

Elsewhere, OPEC+ at its next meeting on Sunday may consider leaving its current oil output cuts in place from Jan. 1. The producer group is already postponing hikes amid global demand worries.