The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce is delighted to have hosted, in collaboration with our distinguished Platinum Member, The Saudi Luxury Real Estate Show, a roundtable and networking reception at their inaugural event at The Peninsula Hotel, London.
Bringing together a distinguished panel of experts and moderated by Rita Massoud, the roundtable explored opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s luxury real estate market in light of the newly introduced foreign ownership framework, demographic change, and recent extensive public and private sector activity.
The role of giga-projects as market makers creating opportunities for private enterprise was emphasised by Harry Goodson-Wickes FRICS. Stephen Cheesebrough further added that, as in the case of AMAALA, giga-projects like that spearheaded by Red Sea Global actively involve private sector firms, from architects to operators. He also emphasised the unique experience Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea destinations offer.
Beyond the flagship developments, Peter Harrigan also identified Saudi Arabia’s provinces as holding significant potential attractive to international investment and its youthful population as a catalyst for increasingly liveable cities and a more mixed housing stock. Alexander Troeller expanded on the impact of this demographic change, arguing that Saudi Arabia’s real estate market has a fundamental underpinning not based on speculation. He also raised the examples of Real Estate General Authority and the Wafi and Ejar regulatory platforms contributing to greater market confidence.
Meeting this demand, Motaz S. outlined how Mohammad Al Habib Real Estate Co. prioritises quality of life and integrated urban design, focusing on community spaces and what happens between buildings. Tim Stonor added that alongside creating national and international emblems that are architecturally pioneering, Saudi Arabia is leveraging data at the granular level to inform urban design and planning.
The session brought together investors, Saudi real estate developers and market leaders, creating valuable opportunities to discover exceptional projects, exchange insights, build connections and explore new opportunities between Saudi Arabia and the UK. The roundtable was followed by a networking reception, which presented an opportunity for attendees to connect and build on the discussions of the day.
In her opening remarks, Rita Massoud highlighted the importance of the SLRE in spotlighting the extensive opportunities and developments in Saudi Arabia, and the ABCC’s continued role in supporting trade between Britain and the Arab world.
She was joined by representatives from Mohammad Al Habib Real Estate Co., Midad Real Estate and Almajdiah, who presented the variety of opportunities to invest in the developments they are bringing to the Saudi luxury real estate market.
We extend our sincere thanks to our partners, members, speakers and participants for their contributions to the success of this exceptional event, and look forward to advancing these conversations further and building on the connections made.