Saudi- Real estate prices expected to drop this year 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The increasing real estate prices will decline in 2013, Ayed Al-Qahtani, head of the Real Estate Committee in the Eastern Chamber, told a local newspaper.

During a symposium on real estate in Dhahran last week, Al-Qahtani said that real estate prices in some areas of the Kingdom rose during the past four years by 150 percent. The Saudi market overcame all the consequences of the global crisis of 2008.

"This gave way to a great confidence in the country's real estate market," he said.

The Eastern Province has the highest number of real estate auctions, and the most diverse new products in the sector, despite the obstacles it is facing. "A developer must obtain a so-called Aramco document, before any new land scheme can be approved. That is the biggest obstacle for the sector," said Al-Qahtani.

The problem of liquidating assets, which distressed real estate contributions, was resolved in 2012 through the direct supervision of the Ministry of Commerce.

"The mortgages finance regulation was approved last year, with its many passages and codes. This is considered to be a strong driver for the real estate market in the Kingdom, with the inclusion of mortgage, leasing finance, executive judiciary and assessment," said Al-Qahtani.

He said that assessment law is the most difficult of all, and should only be applied with a clear and precise mechanism. He mentioned the US mortgage crisis that led to the collapse of the property sector. He stressed that the establishment of a commission for assessment is a good step forward to implement the law.

For 2013, Al-Qahtani predicted, "Residential units still fall short to cover the demand in the Kingdom. The market here needs more than 300 thousand units, against the 120 thousand units provided by developers annually," he concluded.