Saudi Arabia Inks Agreements, MoUs of $2.66 Bln at Real Estate Future Forum

One of the sessions of the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh, in which ministers and officials participated (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the sessions of the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh, in which ministers and officials participated (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Inks Agreements, MoUs of $2.66 Bln at Real Estate Future Forum

One of the sessions of the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh, in which ministers and officials participated (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the sessions of the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh, in which ministers and officials participated (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has signed agreements and MoUs of more than 10 billion Saudi riyals ($2.66 billion) to set up four investment funds to develop commercial, tourism and residential projects.

A part of the investments will also be made in the field of real estate development and construction techniques.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism signed investment agreements worth SAR50 billion with the private sector over the past three years to build hotels until 2026, Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb revealed.

The minister also announced that the Kingdom wants to build 700,000 hotel units by 2030.

The agreements and announcements were signed and made at the Real Estate Future Forum held in Riyadh, in the presence of Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail.

Al-Hogail stated that the forum would deal with 10 strategic areas, the most important being the role of regions, governorates, ministries, and secretariats in harmonizing the empowerment in the real estate sector, future of investment, regulations and private sector participation.

During his participation in the Real Estate Future Forum, Al Khateeb pointed out that the contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP increased from 3% in 2019 to 4% by the end of last year, with the aim to reach 10% by 2030 to add $70-$80 billion to the GDP in turn.

For his part, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef revealed that work is underway with the Energy Ministry to develop petrochemical products for alternatives used in building and construction, so that this sector supports the sustainability of demand.

Other officials who participated in the forum mentioned that prominent investment opportunities in the region lie in the Kingdom’s vast lands and rural tourism. They stressed that government sectors are cooperating with all real estate companies.



World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025
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World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

The World Bank raised on Thursday its forecast for China's economic growth in 2024 and 2025, but warned that subdued household and business confidence, along with headwinds in the property sector, would keep weighing it down next year.
The world's second-biggest economy has struggled this year, mainly due to a property crisis and tepid domestic demand. An expected hike in US tariffs on its goods when US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January may also hit growth.
"Addressing challenges in the property sector, strengthening social safety nets, and improving local government finances will be essential to unlocking a sustained recovery," Mara Warwick, the World Bank's country director for China, said.
"It is important to balance short-term support to growth with long-term structural reforms," she added in a statement.
Thanks to the effect of recent policy easing and near-term export strength, the World Bank sees China's gross domestic product growth at 4.9% this year, up from its June forecast of 4.8%.
Beijing set a growth target of "around 5%" this year, a goal it says it is confident of achieving.
Although growth for 2025 is also expected to fall to 4.5%, that is still higher than the World Bank's earlier forecast of 4.1%.
Slower household income growth and the negative wealth effect from lower home prices are expected to weigh on consumption into 2025, the Bank added.
To revive growth, Chinese authorities have agreed to issue a record 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) in special treasury bonds next year, Reuters reported this week.
The figures will not be officially unveiled until the annual meeting of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, in March 2025, and could still change before then.
While the housing regulator will continue efforts to stem further declines in China's real estate market next year, the World Bank said a turnaround in the sector was not anticipated until late 2025.
China's middle class has expanded significantly since the 2010s, encompassing 32% of the population in 2021, but World Bank estimates suggest about 55% remain "economically insecure", underscoring the need to generate opportunities.