While much good work has taken place to
ensure the Gulf economies emerge strongly
from the global financial crisis, there is still
much more to be done. Growth can always
be improved, and efforts to attract foreign
investment can also be stepped up. While
it is, of course, impossible to accurately
forecast and navigate every factor that
will influence the growth of a national
economy, it is nevertheless imperative that
a culture of complacency is not allowed to
develop. New initiatives must be sought
in order to boost economic progress,
and governments must be patient in their
implementation – allowing them sufficient
time to grow and contribute organically.
It is vital, too, that GCC governments legislate
carefully over the coming months to ensure
the Gulf remains an attractive destination
for investment, one in which returns are
safeguarded and laws are enshrined that
protect investors.The international investment
community certainly sees value in the Gulf
countries – it is important governments do as
much as possible now to remind all parties
that the Gulf’s reputation for economic
and financial stability is set to continue.
The global financial downturn hit theGulf hard,
and itseffectswerefelt formorethanfouryears.
Mazaya Monthly Real Estate Report
August 2014
The recovery that is being felt now, across
all sectors, demonstrates that trust has
returned and it will be vital that this trust
is cultivated over the coming weeks and
months in order to return to the levels of
growth seen pre-crisis. Certainly, mega-
projects such as preparations for the World
Cup2022 inQatar and theWorldExpo2020
in Dubai are golden opportunities for Gulf
economies, stimulating huge investment
interest through the massive infrastructure
projects they will entail. Managed
correctly, these projects and others like
them, will generate huge FDI for the Gulf
economies and power economies forward.
The Al Mazaya Weekly Report suggests
that the smartest investors will be those
who find ways to capitalise on the best real
estate projects that are set to commence
over the short-term future as feasibility
studies are completed. In many cases,
these are projects that were delayed
by the financial crisis, but for which the
fundamentalsstillappearstrong.Totheright
investor, with access to sufficient liquidity,
these projects remain highly attractive and
the returns are forecast to be excellent.
2
Gulf real estate sectors enjoy strong H1
performance as volatility is eradicated –
prospects good for H2
