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Saudi Arabia: Over 16% Growth in Mortgage Financing for Housing Support Beneficiaries in 2024

The Real Estate Development Fund’s pavilion at the Future of Real Estate Forum 2023 in Riyadh. (Real Estate Development Fund)
The Real Estate Development Fund’s pavilion at the Future of Real Estate Forum 2023 in Riyadh. (Real Estate Development Fund)
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Saudi Arabia: Over 16% Growth in Mortgage Financing for Housing Support Beneficiaries in 2024

The Real Estate Development Fund’s pavilion at the Future of Real Estate Forum 2023 in Riyadh. (Real Estate Development Fund)
The Real Estate Development Fund’s pavilion at the Future of Real Estate Forum 2023 in Riyadh. (Real Estate Development Fund)

The Saudi Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) announced on Monday a 16.4% increase in mortgage financing for beneficiaries of housing support programs in 2024, with total financing reaching SAR 62.9 billion ($16.7 billion). This marks a significant rise compared to SAR 54 billion ($14.4 billion) in 2023.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), December 2024 saw a notable 44% increase in the value of mortgage financing, reaching SAR 9.4 billion ($2.5 billion), compared to SAR 6.5 billion ($1.73 billion) in December 2023. This represents a growth of SAR 2.85 billion ($760 million). Additionally, the number of financing contracts surged by 52% during the same period.

Mansour bin Madi, CEO of the REDF, stated that the total financing in 2024 supported 89,000 financing contracts, compared to 74,000 in 2023—an increase of 15,000 contracts, or 20%.

Bin Madi highlighted that the REDF, in collaboration with the housing ecosystem and strategic partnerships with financing entities and real estate development sectors, is working to enhance homeownership opportunities by offering suitable housing products in the real estate market.

The self-construction product accounted for 14% of the total mortgage financing for beneficiaries of housing support programs. Meanwhile, under-construction housing units comprised 29%, and ready-to-move-in housing units made up 57%.

Bin Madi noted that December 2024 recorded the highest volume of mortgage financing for the year, with SAR 9.38 billion ($2.5 billion), financing approximately 12,340 contracts.

He reaffirmed the REDF’s commitment to strengthening its role in the mortgage financing market by providing diverse housing and financing solutions.

These efforts aim to meet beneficiaries’ preferences, facilitate easier homeownership for “Sakani” program beneficiaries, and align with Saudi Arabia’s Housing Program, he underlined. The program seeks to raise the homeownership rate among citizens to 70% by 2030.

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BP Nears Deals for Oil Fields, Curbs on Gas Flaring in Iraq

British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (L) welcomes Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 14 January 2025. (EPA)
British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (L) welcomes Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 14 January 2025. (EPA)
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BP Nears Deals for Oil Fields, Curbs on Gas Flaring in Iraq

British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (L) welcomes Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 14 January 2025. (EPA)
British Prime Minster Keir Starmer (L) welcomes Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 14 January 2025. (EPA)

Iraq and British oil giant BP are set to finalize a deal by early February to develop four oil fields in Kirkuk and curb gas flaring, Iraqi authorities announced Wednesday.

The mega-project in northern Iraq will include plans to recover flared gas to boost the country's electricity production, they said.

Gas flaring refers to the polluting practice of burning off excess gas during oil drilling. It is cheaper than capturing the associated gas.

The Iraqi government and BP signed a new memorandum of understanding in London late Tuesday, as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and other senior ministers visit Britain to seal various trade and investment deals.

"The objective is to enhance production and achieve optimal targeted rates of oil and gas output," Sudani's office said in a statement.

Iraq's Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani told AFP after the new accord was signed that the project would increase the four oil fields' production to up to 500,000 barrels per day from about 350,000 bpd.

"The agreement commits both parties to sign a contract in the first week of February," he said.

Ghani noted the project will also target gas flaring.

Iraq has the third highest global rate of gas flaring, after Russia and Iran, having flared about 18 billion cubic meters of gas in 2023, according to the World Bank.

The Iraqi government has made eliminating the practice one of its priorities, with plans to curb 80 percent of flared gas by 2026 and to eliminate releases by 2028.

"It's not just a question of investing and increasing oil production... but also gas exploitation. We can no longer tolerate gas flaring, whatever the quantity," Ghani added.

"We need this gas, which Iraq currently imports from neighboring Iran. The government is making serious efforts to put an end to these imports."

Iraq is ultra-dependent on Iranian gas, which covers almost a third of Iraq's energy needs.

However, Teheran regularly cuts off its supply, exacerbating the power shortages that punctuate the daily lives of 45 million Iraqis.

BP is one of the biggest foreign players in Iraq's oil sector, with a history of producing oil in the country dating back to the 1920s when it was still under British mandate.

According to the World Bank, Iraq has 145 billion barrels of proven oil reserves -- among the largest in the world -- amounting to 96 years' worth of production at the current rate.