Saudi Arabia's Housing Supply Grows 29%

Newly constructed villas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)
Newly constructed villas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia's Housing Supply Grows 29%

Newly constructed villas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)
Newly constructed villas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)

Saudi real estate market showed a growth in the number of new housing units by 29 percent, according to official data.

Construction of over 106,000 new housing units has been completed, while 101,000 housing units have been under construction since the first quarter of this year.

The Housing Data and Observatory Center issued the bulletin on the developments of the local housing sector and real estate finance in the Kingdom. It revealed that Q1 of this year witnessed the completion of 106,500 housing units, compared to 82,500 units in Q1 of 2019.

The bulletin also noted the contribution of "Sakani" and "Wafi" programs in facilitating financing and enabling Saudi families to own their first home.

The number of new units exceeded 344,000 during the past year, enhancing the diversity and increasing the supply of high-quality units with appropriate prices.

The start-to-finish construction process is one of the indicators that reflects the development of the number of new housing units established with Sakani program in partnership with the private sector.

The average prices of residential apartments during Q1 of 2021 dropped to below $133,000 since 2020. The average selling prices of land and homes stabilized during the same period, according to the Center.

It explained that the drop in prices reflects the provision of housing solutions and options that meet the Saudi families’ desires in partnership with real estate developers in all cities and regions across the Kingdom.

The bulletin touched on residential real estate deals that exceeded 255,000 in 2020, according to the data of the Ministry of Justice.

During the Q1 of 2021, over 82,000 sales contracts for residential real estate were released.

According to data from the General Authority for Statistics, paid rent dropped 16 percent compared to its level in 2018.



Gold Firms on Weaker Dollar, Ukraine Peace Uncertainty

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File photo
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File photo
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Gold Firms on Weaker Dollar, Ukraine Peace Uncertainty

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File photo
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File photo

Gold prices edged up on Monday, helped by a weaker dollar, while a delay in finding peace in Ukraine and concerns over the US tariff policy fueled safe-haven demand for the metal.

Spot gold added 0.1% to $2,860.25 an ounce by 0750 GMT. US gold futures rose 0.8% to $2,872, said Reuters.

The dollar index fell 0.3% from a more than two-week high hit in the previous session, making bullion less expensive for other currency holders.

"Today's early Asian bullish tone in gold is likely to be driven by geopolitical risk factors due to the pushback of the anticipated peace deal between Ukraine and Russia," said Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst, Asia Pacific, at OANDA.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's meeting with US President Donald Trump ended in disaster on Friday, adding uncertainty to financial markets already jittery due to weakening economic data and volatility around US trade policies.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday that tariffs on Canada and Mexico would come into effect on Tuesday, but Trump would determine whether to stick with the planned 25% level.

Trump said he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods on Tuesday, effectively doubling 10% duties imposed on February 4.

Data released on Friday showed that US consumer spending unexpectedly fell in January, but a pickup in inflation could provide cover for the Federal Reserve to delay cutting interest rates for some time.

Although bullion is considered a hedge against geopolitical uncertainty, it loses its allure in a high interest rate environment.

Among other metals, spot platinum shed 0.3% to $945.25 an ounce and palladium added 0.4% to $923.

Demand for industrial precious metals platinum and palladium will likely fall if tariffs proposed by the Trump administration on US auto imports dampen vehicle sales, analysts said.

Spot silver was down 0.1% at $31.13.