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Written by Dave Platter, Global PR DirectorTSaudi Arabia is making a historic move by opening its residential real estate market to non-resident foreign buyers starting January 2026. This marks a pivotal shift that could reshape the entire Gulf property landscape, positioning the Kingdom alongside Dubai and Abu Dhabi as a regional investment magnet. Juwai IQI Group CEO Kashif Ansari believes this will provide a clear path for foreign ownership and anticipates strong momentum from high-net-worth investors—particularly in cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. Major projects like The Line, Laheq Island, and the Red Sea development showcase Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in scale, design, and sustainability, with The Line envisioned as a 170 km-long linear city. Already, engagement from Chinese firms has tripled, contributing over US$19 billion in developments. While Makkah and Medina attract Muslim buyers, Riyadh and Jeddah are set to lead international interest. The anticipated introduction of golden visa-style residency incentives, similar to those in Dubai, could further supercharge demand. As these mega-developments come to life, Saudi Arabia isn’t aiming to compete with its neighbors but to elevate the Gulf region into a globally dynamic investment corridor. This is just the beginning of a transformational journey. For more countries updateDownload Now!

The contents of this article were contributed by Taco Heidinga, IQI Global Strategic Advisor.In the second half of 2025, global real estate investors are focusing on markets that combine strong rental yields, capital appreciation, and strategic growth potential. The United Arab Emirates—particularly Dubai—continues to lead with robust price growth, high liquidity, and investor-friendly policies, while Seoul and Tokyo offer stability and consistent capital gains due to limited supply and institutional interest. Portugal’s Lisbon remains attractive for EU residency and property growth, with its interior regions gaining traction post-Golden Visa reforms. Georgia presents an early-stage opportunity with 8–12% rental yields and liberal ownership rules, while Latin America (especially Colombia and Mexico) benefits from tourism, nearshoring, and resilient rental markets. Southeast Asian cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Manila, and Cebu are becoming increasingly appealing due to rapid urbanization and strong foreign demand, though better suited for experienced investors. Meanwhile, emerging European nations such as Moldova, Lithuania, and North Macedonia offer high yields and low entry costs, ideal for early adopters. South Africa’s Cape Town rounds out the top picks with strong luxury market growth and lifestyle appeal. For yield-focused strategies, the UAE, Georgia, and Latin America stand out; for capital growth and long-term value, investors should consider Seoul, Dubai, Lisbon, and Cape Town. For more countries updateDownload Now!

By Muhazrol Muhamad, GVP, Head of Bumiputra SegmentMalaysia’s property market reached a decade-high in 2024, recording over 420,000 transactions worth RM232.3 billion, with residential properties making up the majority. While Q1 2025 saw a slight cooldown—with transactions down 5.6% in volume and 12.9% in value—this appears more like a breather than a downturn. Johor led market activity, and new launches were concentrated in the RM300k–RM500k range. Landed homes continued to outperform high-rise units in sales. However, a sizable residential overhang persists, especially in high-rise and serviced apartments, particularly in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, and Selangor. Price trends reflect growing market polarization. While terraced and semi-detached homes saw modest price gains, high-rise units declined slightly. Demand is softening in the sub-RM500k segments, while the RM500k–RM1 million and above RM1 million categories showed resilience, indicating sustained buying power among higher-income groups. Despite a dip in new sales, residential development remains active, with a strong pipeline of completions and new starts. With lower financing costs and targeted incentives, Malaysia’s mid-market—particularly landed homes in well-located areas—offers promising potential for the rest of 2025. For more countries updateDownload Now!

Written by Irhamy Ahmad, Founder and Managing Director of Irhamy Valuers InternationalMalaysia’s data centre industry is experiencing rapid expansion, cementing its position as a key Southeast Asian digital hub. By Q1 2025, operational capacity reached 522 MW, with an additional 1.1 GW expected by year-end, pushing total capacity towards 5 GW. This growth is backed by strong government support and significant global investments. Major milestones include AWS launching its Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region in August 2024, Google beginning work on a US$2 billion facility in Selangor in October 2024, Microsoft’s first Malaysian cloud region scheduled for Q2 2025, and Alibaba Cloud opening its third local site in July 2025. In 2024, Tenaga Nasional Berhad boosted the national grid with nine projects adding 1.3 GW of maximum demand, while MIDA confirmed six operational sites by mid-year. Local players are also scaling up rapidly. Equinix expanded its KL1 facility by 450 cabinets in May 2025, bringing capacity above 4.5 MW, while Telekom Malaysia’s KVDC2 (9.2 MW) and IPDC2 (10 MW) are set to go live in late 2025. AIMS completed its Cyberjaya Block 2 (8 MW) in April 2024 and Block 3 (12 MW) in mid-2025. Growth is concentrated in Klang Valley and Johor, the latter expected to hit 1.6 GW by mid-2025 due to its strategic proximity to Singapore. As energy and water usage rise, the sector is increasingly shifting towards sustainable, high-efficiency solutions to support long-term growth. For more countries updateDownload Now!

Written by Shan Saeed, IQI Chief EconomistIn early April 2025, President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Liberation Day” tariffs rattled global markets, with fears of a trade war driving volatility in equities, currencies, and commodities. While the initial levies caused a sharp sell-off, a quick de-escalation—reducing most tariffs to 10% by April 9 and extending similar terms to China in May—helped financial markets rebound swiftly. Although macroeconomic uncertainty eased, tariffs remain a central part of the U.S. administration’s strategy. This backdrop has influenced commodity and currency markets, with gold and silver leading strong year-to-date gains, while the U.S. dollar index has fallen sharply. Equity markets tell a different story—market concentration in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels, with the top 10 stocks comprising a record 40% of the S&P 500’s market cap, up from 27% at the height of the dot-com bubble. Yet, these companies contribute only 30% of total earnings, raising questions about sustainability. The world’s largest companies, led by Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon, dominate both investor attention and market value. Berkshire Hathaway’s record $344 billion cash position underscores a cautious stance amid “considerable uncertainty,” driven by trade policy shifts and macroeconomic headwinds. For more infoDownload now!

Written by Hamid R. Azarmi, Head of Business DevelopmentIn September 2025, global markets are navigating a complex macroeconomic landscape marked by persistent but uneven disinflation, diverging monetary policies, and slowing yet resilient growth. U.S. core PCE inflation remains elevated at 2.8%, fuelling cautious optimism for a Federal Reserve policy shift. The Bank of England has begun gradual rate cuts, while the Bank of Japan maintains its stance amid upward inflation revisions. These differing approaches are adding volatility to interest rates, currencies, and capital flows, requiring investors to adopt a more strategic and risk-aware posture. Portfolio positioning now calls for a focus on quality, liquidity, and selective opportunity. Short-duration sovereign and investment-grade corporate bonds remain preferred to manage policy uncertainty, supported by diversified global exposure and currency hedging. In equities, defensive holdings in companies with strong balance sheets, stable cash flows, and pricing power are favoured, with Europe and select Asia-Pacific markets offering better value than the U.S. Real estate investments should prioritise structurally resilient sectors such as logistics, data infrastructure, and ESG-compliant residential, avoiding underperforming legacy office and retail. Selective exposure to emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia is attractive due to improving yields and strong domestic demand, but active management and currency vigilance remain key. 

Hong Kong’s property sector is sending a mixed picture. In June, the office market posted a positive net absorption of 44,200 square feet, led by financial tenants such as TPG 6th Street Partners expanding in Central. Yet office rents slipped 0.5 per cent, with Hong Kong East recording the sharpest drop.On the residential side, primary market transactions rose 16.7 per cent month-on-month to 2,147 units, driven by aggressive discounts and new launches. The Deep Water Pavilion sold all 138 units within a single day. Luxury demand also held firm, highlighted by a Mount Nicholson penthouse sold for HKD 609 million.While secondary activity remains subdued, the strength of the primary and luxury segments underscores Hong Kong’s enduring appeal, even as broader recovery momentum stays uncertain.Explore the full analysis and market updates from other countries here!Download

India has become the Trump Organisation’s largest market outside the United States, with seven luxury projects already delivered across major cities. Following Donald Trump’s election in 2024, the company announced six new developments in Gurugram, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida, and Bengaluru.Together these projects will add eight million square feet of branded luxury real estate, more than quadrupling the firm’s footprint since 2024. The asset-light model, based on brand licensing rather than direct construction, ensures strong profits with minimal capital risk.Once completed, the India portfolio will reach 11 million square feet, solidifying the country’s role as both the cornerstone of Trump Organisation’s global expansion and its most profitable international market.Explore the full analysis and market updates from other countries here!Download