The real estate sector in the GCC saw transactions reach $78.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a growth of between 20.5 percent and 22.3 percent, according to estimates from Sakan.

Dubai led the market with $38.7 billion in sales, which accounted for nearly half of the total transaction value across the region. This figure represents a 23.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Following Dubai, Saudi Arabia emerged as the second-largest market, reporting transactions of at least $20.3 billion and capturing 26 percent of the region’s market share. Collectively, the UAE regions, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman, constituted 65 percent of the total estimated transaction value in the GCC, underscoring the UAE’s pivotal role in the region’s property market growth.

Abu Dhabi showcased the largest year-on-year growth at 34.5 percent, with Sharjah and Ajman following at 31.9 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Kuwait also reported a notable growth of 24 percent.

Sakan’s CEO, Abdullah Al Saleh, indicated that their research revealed the GCC real estate sector recorded $383 billion in property transactions for 2024, reflecting a 25 percent growth. He noted that this growth trend is continuing into the first quarter of the current year, despite global economic tensions. Al Saleh emphasized that real estate remains a safe haven for investors in the GCC region and highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing real estate transactions. He anticipates sustained momentum in the property sector throughout the remainder of 2025.

While most GCC markets have released their Q1 results, data from Bahrain and Oman are still pending. Sakan has estimated transaction values for these countries based on historical and projected data. The Q1 figures for Saudi Arabia are based on transactions from January 1 to March 25.