Saudi Arabia’s real estate offers more profit than stock market investments: CMA chairman

Real estate investment trusts will offer more profit than stock market investments, said Mohammed bin Abdullah Elkuwaiz, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority. 

Addressing the Real Estate Future Forum on Feb. 23 in Riyadh, the CMA chairman revealed that REITs offer returns up to 5 percent, higher than stock market profits. 

He also noted that the volatility of REIT funds is less than the volatility rates of stocks. 

Talking about the new investment strategy, Abdullah Elkuwaiz said the main focus will be to increase the capital in the existing funds, instead of creating new funds. 

According to the CMA chairman, listing real estate companies in the financial market is a crucial factor to ensure the sustainability of these businesses. 

He added that the pace of listing applications in 2022 will be higher than in 2021 due to the increase in corporate governance.