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Saudi Arabia: Real Estate Deals for Small Residential Units Increased by 151%

A building offering small housing units in Riyadh. (Dar Al Arkan Real Estate)
A building offering small housing units in Riyadh. (Dar Al Arkan Real Estate)
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Saudi Arabia: Real Estate Deals for Small Residential Units Increased by 151%

A building offering small housing units in Riyadh. (Dar Al Arkan Real Estate)
A building offering small housing units in Riyadh. (Dar Al Arkan Real Estate)

The Saudi real estate market has recently seen an increased demand for small residential units, ranging in size from 30 to 65 square meters, with real estate transactions for these units surging by 151% during the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, real estate experts and specialists attributed this trend to four main factors. They pointed out that the future in major cities like Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, and al-Dammam lies in small residential units, which will create new investment opportunities for developers, allowing them to expand their portfolios.

Real estate expert and appraiser Engineer Ahmed Al-Faqih stated that the future in major cities is for small apartments with an average size of 35 square meters. He added that most sales by developers and marketers in large cities are concentrated in small units, consisting of one or two rooms and studios.

Al-Faqih attributed this shift to four main reasons: changes in the demographic structure of major cities, especially Riyadh and Jeddah, due to large-scale migration, improved quality of life, and increased job opportunities.

These households tend to be smaller, with an average of three members. Additionally, new social groups are emerging, including women (either divorced or working women from outside the cities) and men who prefer independent living.

The third reason is a shift in social habits, with newlyweds and young families opting for fewer children and often waiting more than three years to have their first child, after achieving financial and housing stability.

The fourth factor is the rising cost of housing in major cities, leading smaller families and individuals to prefer smaller units, he explained.

Al-Faqih supported his points with data, indicating that real estate transactions for units sized between 30 and 65 square meters doubled, with the number of transactions rising from 242 units in the first three quarters of 2023 to 608 units during the same period this year, signaling a strong preference for this type of housing.

Real estate advisor and expert Al-Aboudi bin Abdullah described small residential units as a “rising star” in the Saudi real estate market.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he said these units have successfully attracted both developers and investors, offering an innovative and intelligent solution to the growing demand for housing. This trend aligns with the dynamic transformations in the Saudi real estate market and combines flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability.

Abdullah emphasized the need for diverse housing options driven by social and economic shifts in the Kingdom. He noted that younger generations of Saudis increasingly prefer independent, flexible living arrangements that meet their individual needs at prices suited to their purchasing power.

Abdullah also pointed out that population growth and the increasing influx of employees from international companies and investors have significantly boosted demand for small units in key cities like Riyadh, Jeddah and al-Dammam.

Demand for such units is expected to continue rising, which will reduce pressure on larger housing units and open up new investment opportunities in the real estate sector, he noted.

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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.