UAE International Investment Council completes senior leadership structure UAE bank assets reach $1.53trln in May, central bank says Bahrain set for major e-invoicing push Dubai Taxi migrates core systems to du's sovereign cloud platform Saudi Aramco considers new pricing for Sidi Kerir oil exports to Asia, sources say PDO to supply up to 200 MW to Oman grid under five-year power deal Invest in Oman secures $1.1bln in projects during H1 2026 Oman achieves new milestone in government digital transformation journey UAE, Jordan sign Memorandum of Understanding to establish Joint Consular Committee UAE reinforces global food standards at Codex meetings in Geneva Bahrain Bourse appoints Al Ramz Capital to expand equity research coverage Al Ansari enters Western Union Partnerships in Bahrain and Kuwait Oman advances in global environmental index QCB grants license to set up first insurance price comparison website in Qatar Saudi PIF set to win EU nod for Electronic Arts deal under subsidy rules, sources say IMF says UAE economy remains resilient despite regional tensions UAE non-oil trade rises 13.1% to $527.5bln in first half of 2026 Bahrain pushes ahead with Muharraq city redevelopment plan Halliburton wins multi-year Aramco gas development contract Saudi: Kent secures long-term deals with Aramco for future EPC projects Oman and Jordan launch $100mln investment firm Modon, ADIB introduce Abu Dhabi’s first off-plan home financing solutions Abu Dhabi launches maritime investment guide to attract global businesses Saudi Arabia inaugurates over 900km of roads to boost connectivity Gulftainer unveils $2bln global trade infrastructure strategy Saudi Arabia's trade surplus surges 60% to over $24bln in Q1 2026 Sharjah Chamber registers 30,000 memberships in H1 Dubai's AMIS breaks ground on Jacob & Co.’s villa community; targets $10bln IPO in three years UAE's new government work model to deploy Agentic AI in public services Indonesia, Kuwait strengthen strategic energy partnership

Log in

عربي

Media Centre

Home » Media Centre

Kuwait’s real estate sees shift in investor behavior

Kuwait’s real estate sees shift in investor behavior

Kuwait’s real estate sees shift in investor behavior

Feb 04, 2026

KUWAIT CITY - Amidst the transformations witnessed in the local real estate market, the performance in January 2026 reflected a clear shift in investor behavior and investment trends, with notable variations across sectors in terms of the number and value of transactions.

While the volume of transactions increased, the total value remained stable, indicating a repositioning within the market dynamics.

The local real estate market recorded 442 transactions in January 2026, with a total value of KD251.8 million, compared to 405 transactions valued at KD252.4 million in January 2025.

This increase in the number of transactions, along with stability in value, reflects a change in the nature of transactions and a trend among investors towards smaller, more diversified investment volumes. Private real estate accounted for the largest share of total transactions, recording 307 deals worth KD133.9 million, compared to 282 deals worth KD105.9 million in January 2025 -- 8.8 percent increase in the number of deals and a 26.4 percent increase in value.

This performance confirms the continuous growth of demand for private housing, supported by genuine housing needs, improved transaction activity, and the implementation of the law against land speculation.

The number of investment transactions reached 114, valued at KD74.6 million, compared to 107 transactions worth KD119.2 million during the same period last year.

Despite the 6.5 percent increase in the number of transactions, the value recorded a significant decline of 37.4 percent, reflecting investors’ shift towards lower-value or mid-sized properties amid the reassessment of returns and a changing risk profile.

The commercial sector witnessed a huge leap in January 2026, with eight transactions totaling KD27.3 million, compared to three transactions totaling KD5.2 million in January 2025 -- 166.6 percent increase in the number of transactions and 425 percent increase in value, indicating selective activity and high-quality opportunities in this sector.

The industrial real estate sector experienced a disparity between the number and value of transactions. Twelve transactions were recorded, totaling KD11.5 million, compared to 11 transactions totaling KD14.6 million last year. This is a slight increase in the number of transactions (nine percent), but the value decreased (21.2 percent), suggesting a cautious equilibrium linked to industrial and service sector activity. One transaction was recorded in the coastal strip, valued at KD4.5 million, compared to no transaction in January 2025.

This entails the limited but notable presence of such type of property, which is often associated with selective, high-value deals. In contrast, January 2025 witnessed two transactions for warehouses valued at KD7.3 million, while no similar transactions were recorded in January 2026, indicating a decline in activity for this type of property in the current period.