Where real estate capital is being repriced in 2026
Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: three diverging cycles, not one regional story.
Three cycles, not one
The region is often read as a single real estate story. The numbers in our report point the other way: each of the three markets sits at a different point in its cycle.
Dubai
Q2 deals fell 31%, but nine-month sales are still the second highest on record.
Egypt
Sales value rose 2.9% on 5% fewer units. The growth is price, not volume.
Saudi Arabia
The new ownership law has been in force since 22 January 2026. The first registered deals under it are still to come.
Favor specific assets, structures and counterparties over broad country exposure.
Our view
Senior, well-covered credit screens better than EGP leverage or unproven entry.
For institutional and professional investors. Not investment advice.
Eighteen years in investment management, M&A and financial technology. A CFA Charterholder, he leads investment analysis, valuation and fund structuring across Significa's advisory and investment practices, and teaches valuation and fund structures in the CVC Builder curriculum. Concurrently Chief M&A and Growth Officer at AlternativeSoft in London; co-founder of MarkeScope, which developed the first stock-screening solution to incorporate risk measures. Treasurer of CFA Society Egypt; BSc Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Cairo University.