Dammam surges as Saudi Arabia’s hottest housing market amid Riyadh exodus
Dammam posts 60% YoY residential surge as buyers flee Riyadh’s pricing pressures.
Middle East
Dubai smashes Dh176b Q1 sales record led by off-plan investor frenzy
Dubai hits Dh176.7b Q1 sales across 48,000 transactions, off-plan dominates 70%.
Dubai real estate shrugs off Iran strikes with $100m+ deals powering forward
Dubai logs $100m+ deals despite Iran missile strikes shaking regional stability.
Kuwait cuts bank liquidity and capital ratios in stimulus push to keep credit flowing
Kuwait’s central bank has cut liquidity and capital ratios to support lending in a tense market.
Middle East wealth managers build Dubai-Riyadh hubs as ultra-rich clients demand digital, Shariah-compliant advice
Dubai and Riyadh are becoming the region’s key wealth-management hubs as assets and clients shift.
Saudi Arabia’s fintech licensing boom hits 261 firms as Gulf regulators race to widen digital finance access
Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector has reached 261 firms, while SAMA starts licensing open banking players.
UAE banks keep 17% capital adequacy and 146.6% liquidity coverage as conflict risk rises
The UAE central bank says banks remain resilient, with assets above AED 5.42 trillion.
Citi, StanChart evacuate Dubai offices, HSBC closes Qatar branches as fears grow
Citi and Standard Chartered evacuate Dubai staff while HSBC temporarily closes Qatar branches.
Iranian military warns Middle East banks are now targets, rattling Dubai’s financial hub
Iran’s military warns that banks linked to the US and Israel are now valid regional targets.
ADNOC, Aramco exporters scramble to reroute crude via Red Sea as Gulf shipping grinds to halt
ADNOC and Aramco max out Red Sea pipelines as Iranian naval action halts 20 mbpd Gulf crude through Hormuz Strait.
