Everyone knows that housing and commercial property prices move in cycles. The pattern of a long-sustained build-up in asset prices followed by a sudden decline has been observed in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for decades. It is also known that real estate returns are generally more stable in the years between peaks and troughs. Not all cycles, however, are equally severe, nor are markets equally volatile. For example, comparing what has happened in Dubai since 2021 with UK average prices clearly indicates how much more volatile this Gulf market has been. And, of course, Dubai has seen much more impressive house price growth in recent years: when both markets are indexed to January 2008 = 100, UK prices stand at 158.3 while Dubai reaches 233.7.

Dubai's residential real estate market concluded 2025 on a record-breaking note, with transaction volumes surpassing 200,000 and total values reaching AED 541.5 billion. Both off-plan and ready property segments outperformed 2024 levels, supported by robust investor appetite, strong end-user demand, and a steady stream of new project launches. Off-plan transactions accounted for 72.9% of total market activity, up from 69.3% in 2024, reflecting the market's increasing focus toward future developments. While this trend has driven growth, it has also created concentration risks, as the market has become heavily reliant on continued launch momentum and sustained buyer sentiment.

An immense commitment to Public Private Partnership (PPP) There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is now home to one of the world’s largest and most successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes. From early water and cogeneration projects (where gas-fired plants simultaneously produce electricity while capturing waste heat for industrial steam) launched in 2003, followed by electricity projects and the […]

Dubai’s retail and warehouse markets delivered a strong performance in Q3 2025, supported by resilient demand, constrained supply, and improving investor confidence. Retail sales activity accelerated sharply during the quarter, with transaction volumes rising quarter on quarter and total deal value surpassing the AED 1 billion mark for the first time in a single quarter, driven primarily by robust off-plan activity.