Real Estate Market Creates Positive Momentum in Saudi Market

Real estate in Makkah, western Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Real estate in Makkah, western Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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Real Estate Market Creates Positive Momentum in Saudi Market

Real estate in Makkah, western Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Real estate in Makkah, western Saudi Arabia (SPA)

In its first year, the Saudi real estate exchange recorded approximately 619,000 real estate transactions valued at over $273 billion (SAR 1.025 trillion), covering a total area of more than 5.4 billion square meters. Around 2.1 million beneficiaries have taken advantage of these transactions, according to the Saudi Ministry of Justice.

Real estate experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the real estate exchange has had a positive impact on the behavior of all market participants.

The market has allowed buyers and investors to make purchase decisions with greater confidence, security, and speed. The exchange has also played a key role in simplifying and streamlining real estate procedures and enhancing transparency, which constituted major challenges in the past.

The experts recommended further steps to boost its effectiveness, including providing detailed and specialized real estate indicators, offering accurate analytical reports on market trends throughout the year, expanding property evaluations to cover all regions of the Kingdom, and leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to analyze real estate data.

Real Estate Expert Eng. Ahmed Al-Faqih told Asharq Al-Awsat that the real estate exchange has created a positive shift and significant impact on the behavior of all market participants, including sellers, buyers, investors, regulators, and market observers. He noted that the platform is characterized by transparency and governance, and its launch coincided with the digital transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia.

Regarding the additional services proposed for the market, Al-Faqih said he believes it lacks detailed and specialized real estate indicators. He also noted that the platform still needs property classifications for certain types of real estate and improvements in search filters to provide more precise results.

For his part, Real estate expert Saqr Al-Zahrani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the real estate exchange has brought a significant transformation in the management of real estate during its first year of operation.

It has had a clear positive impact on the market by streamlining procedures and enhancing transparency, he underlined, noting that the exchange has allowed both buyers and investors to make decisions with greater confidence.

Al-Zahrani suggested enhancing the exchange by adding more services, including providing detailed analytical reports on market trends throughout the year. He also recommended expanding property evaluations to cover all regions of the Kingdom more comprehensively and accurately.



Oil Prices Steady after Days of Losses

A view shows an oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view shows an oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Oil Prices Steady after Days of Losses

A view shows an oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view shows an oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Oil prices steadied on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent holding above $77 a barrel, after steady sell-offs driven by expectations of reduced Chinese demand and diminishing concerns the conflict in the Middle East could spread and disrupt supply, Reuters reported.

Brent crude futures were up 14 at $77.34 a barrel by 1142 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was 10 cents higher at $73.27.

Since peaking above $82 on Monday last week, Brent had shed 6.2% of its value by the end of trading on Tuesday, closing at a two-week low of $77.20. WTI fell 7.5% in the same period.

As expectations swirl economic weakness in China, the world's biggest crude importer, will subdue demand, stocks in the United States, the world's biggest producer and consumer of oil, are set to rise.

US crude oil stocks were forecast to have risen last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Gasoline and distillate stocks fell, however, according to the sources.

Official US government inventory estimates are set to be released on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. (1430 GMT).