Saudi Arabia's Housing Supply Grows 29%

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

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.



Saudi Minister of Finance Approves 2025 Annual Borrowing Plan

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Minister of Finance Approves 2025 Annual Borrowing Plan

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Abdullah Al-Jadaan approved on Sunday the Annual Borrowing Plan for the fiscal year 2025, following its endorsement by the Board of Directors of the National Debt Management Center.

The plan highlights key developments in public debt for 2024, initiatives related to local debt markets, and the funding plan and its guiding principles for 2025, in addition to the 2025 issuances’ calendar for the Local Saudi Sukuk Issuance Program in Saudi Riyal.

According to the plan, the projected funding needs for 2025 are estimated at approximately SAR139 billion. The amount is intended to cover the anticipated budget deficit of SAR101 billion for the fiscal year 2025, as outlined in the Ministry of Finance’s Official Budget Statement, and the principals’ repayment of the debts maturing in the current year, 2025, amounting to approximately SAR38 billion.

To boost the sustainability of the Kingdom's access to various debt markets and broaden the investor base, Saudi Arabia aims in 2025 to continue diversifying local and international financing channels to efficiently meet funding needs.

This will be achieved through the issuance of sovereign debt instruments at fair pricing, guided by well-defined and robust risk management frameworks.

Additionally, the Kingdom plans to benefit from market opportunities by executing private transactions that can promote economic growth, such as export credit agency financing, infrastructure development project financing, capital expenditure (CAPEX) financing, and exploring tapping into new markets and currencies based on market conditions.