Real Estate Exchange Figures Reflect Size of Saudi Market

The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Real Estate Exchange Figures Reflect Size of Saudi Market

The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

During the first week of its launch, the Real Estate Exchange, which is affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Justice, witnessed the trading of about 61 million square meters of properties in various regions of the Kingdom, with the total number of deals reaching 17,000, at a value exceeding SAR 17 billion ($4.5 billion).

The real estate exchange served over 500,000 visitors, illustrating its rapid impact on the Kingdom’s real estate sector.

Real estate experts said that these numbers reflect the size and magnitude of the real estate market in Saudi Arabia. They added that the platform will eliminate ambiguity, increase the market’s attractiveness to foreign investors, and become an indicator and a huge real estate database characterized by governance, transparency, and credibility.

Real estate consultant Matar Al-Shammari told Asharq Al-Awsat that the figures recorded by the Real Estate Stock Exchange in its first week reflect the size and magnitude of the Saudi real estate market, and give a clear indication of the large movement of transactions.

He added that the Real Estate Stock Exchange will represent an attractive factor for foreign investors to enter the Saudi market and access data and information issued by an official and reliable authority.

For his part, Real Estate expert and member of the Saudi Residents Authority, Eng. Ahmed Al-Faqih, noted that the Real Estate Stock Exchange would constitute a new era in the Saudi real estate market, with increased transparency and reliability.

The real estate exchange is part of the Real Estate Wealth Digitization initiative, a ministry project under Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program.

 

 



Oil Prices Rise as Concerns Grow over Supply Disruptions

Oil Prices Rise as Concerns Grow over Supply Disruptions
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Oil Prices Rise as Concerns Grow over Supply Disruptions

Oil Prices Rise as Concerns Grow over Supply Disruptions

Oil prices climbed on Tuesday reversing earlier declines, as fears of tighter Russian and Iranian supply due to escalating Western sanctions lent support.

Brent futures were up 61 cents, or 0.80%, to $76.91 a barrel at 1119 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 46 cents, or 0.63%, to $74.02.

It seems market participants have started to price in some small supply disruption risks on Iranian crude exports to China, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

In China, Shandong Port Group issued a notice on Monday banning US sanctioned oil vessels from its network of ports, according to three traders, potentially restricting blacklisted vessels from major energy terminals on China's east coast.

Shandong Port Group oversees major ports on China's east coast, including Qingdao, Rizhao and Yantai, which are major terminals for importing sanctioned oil.

Meanwhile, cold weather in the US and Europe has boosted heating oil demand, providing further support for prices.

However, oil price gains were capped by global economic data.

Euro zone inflation

accelerated

in December, an unwelcome but anticipated blip that is unlikely to derail further interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank.

"Higher inflation in Germany raised suggestions that the ECB may not be able to cut rates as fast as hoped across the Eurozone, while US manufactured good orders fell in November," Ashley Kelty, an analyst at Panmure Liberum said.

Technical indicators for oil futures are now in overbought territory, and sellers are keen to step in once again to take advantage of the strength, tempering additional price advances, said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of research at Onyx Capital Group.

Market participants are waiting for more data this week, such as the US December non-farm payrolls report on Friday, for clues on US interest rate policy and the oil demand outlook.