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RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council equities recorded their second consecutive monthly gain in October as the MSCI GCC index rose by 1.2 percent, reflecting stronger regional sentiment amid policy easing and global market resilience.  

A report by Kamco Invest said the advance was led by broad-based sectoral gains and a rebound in investor confidence toward the end of the month.  

The improvement followed interest rate cuts by most GCC central banks, excluding Kuwait, as well as a pick-up in trading activity and renewed optimism in key markets.  

Regional performance, however, remained mixed, with Oman, Bahrain and Dubai advancing while Qatar extended its losing streak.  

The GCC’s equity gains in October align with broader regional optimism reflected in recent outlooks from major research houses.  

Fitch Ratings’ GCC Cross-Sector Outlook report, published in February, maintained a neutral stance for non-financial issuers but underscored the region’s resilient fundamentals and investment momentum supported by stable oil prices and sustained capital spending.  

The economic environment also remains robust, with separate projections indicating that GCC economies are set to expand by 4.4 percent in 2025, driven largely by non-oil sector growth.   

These assessments support Kamco Invest’s findings, indicating that continued policy support, diversification initiatives, and stable corporate performance across the Gulf are underpinning the region’s sustained market resilience. 

In its latest report, Kamco Invest stated: “The gains reflected progress on trade and tariff talks between US and its trading partners that continued until the end of the month as well as speculations over rates cut that was implemented at the close of the month with the US Fed and the rest of the GCC central banks, barring Kuwait, lowering policy rates by 25 bps (basis points).”  

Oman led the region with an 8.3 percent monthly gain, followed by Bahrain at 5.9 percent and Dubai at 3.8 percent.  

Qatar was the only market to decline, slipping 0.9 percent amid weakness in large-cap stocks. 

Across the year to date, Oman’s steady rally lifted its gain to 22.6 percent, while Boursa Kuwait retained the top position with a 22.7 percent rise.  

Large-cap sectors such as banking, energy, telecommunications and real estate outperformed in October, outweighing losses in a few smaller categories.  

Kamco Invest said diversified financials led with a 6.6 percent increase, followed by retailing at 6.4 percent and utilities at 4.8 percent. Energy climbed 3.8 percent, and banks added 0.7 percent. 

On the downside, consumer durables and apparel fell 10.7 percent, while hotels, restaurants and leisure declined 2.2 percent, and food and drug retailing eased 1.2 percent.  

In Kuwait, mid- and small-cap stocks drove gains, lifting the All-Share Index by 2.7 percent to 9,031.9 points, breaching the psychological mark of 9,000 points, the report said.  

Monthly trading volumes surged by nearly 52 percent to 16.2 billion shares, while traded value rose 43.5 percent to 3.3 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($10.74 billion), the highest monthly level on record.  

��������’s Tadawul All Share Index added 1.3 percent in October, trimming its year-to-date loss to 3.2 percent.  

Utilities led with a 10.9 percent rise, supported by consumer discretionary and energy stocks. 

Banking shares slipped 0.6 percent as investors assessed the potential impact of expanded foreign ownership rules. 

Kamco Invest highlighted that “Saudi Aramco completed the acquisition of 375.97 million ordinary shares in Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. representing about 22.5 percent of its capital,” while ACWA Power, Badeel and Aramco “signed financing agreements for five solar energy projects with a target combined capacity of 12,000 megawatts.”  

In the UAE, Abu Dhabi’s FTSE ADX gained 0.9 percent and Dubai’s DFM rose 3.8 percent, pushing the latter’s year-to-date performance to 17.5 percent.  

Qatar’s market fell for a third straight month, with real estate stocks down 4.1 percent and trading activity at its lowest since December 2024, as the value of traded shares fell 22.9 percent to 7.1 billion Qatari riyals ($1.9 billion).  

Bahrain ranked as the region’s second-best performer in October with a 5.9 percent increase to 2,062.9 points, driven by a 22.2 percent jump in materials and broad gains across financials.  

Oman also extended its rally for a fourth consecutive month, led by a 9 percent rise in services and an 8.3 percent gain in financials.  

Across the bloc, the total traded value reached $58.7 billion. Kamco Invest summarized the tone of October as a “risk-on period” for GCC assets, supported by rate cuts and strength in energy-linked sectors.

RIYADH: Dubai’s property market hit a new record in 2025, with sales climbing to 559.4 billion dirhams ($152 billion) by October, already surpassing the emirate’s previous full-year high, a new analysis showed. 

According to data from real estate brokerage fam Properties, Dubai registered 19,875 property transactions worth 59.4 billion dirhams in October alone, bringing the total for the first ten months of 2025 to 178,244 deals. 

The continued momentum reflects a broader trend across the Gulf Cooperation Council, where property values and sales are rising across residential, commercial, and hospitality segments, driven by ongoing economic diversification efforts. 

This sustained performance ensures that 2025 will mark another milestone year for Dubai’s real estate sector, following 2024’s record 180,900 transactions worth 522.1 billion dirhams. 

Firas Al-Msaddi, CEO of fam Properties, said: “The market overall is undeniably strong, and on a global scale, Dubai remains one of the best real estate markets to invest in, whether as an end user or investor.” 

He added: “But it doesn’t mean every developer will win just because the market is healthy. Nor does it mean investors can make impulsive or uninformed decisions and expect success. The only consistent way to win is by making well-informed, data-backed decisions, whether you’re an individual investor or an institution.” 

Citing data from DXB Interact, the report noted that apartment sales dominated transactions in October, with 16,238 deals worth 31 billion dirhams — a 3.4 percent year-on-year increase in volume. 

During the same month, villa sales totaled 15.5 billion dirhams, while land acquisitions amounted to 11 billion dirhams. 

The sharpest year-on-year growth was recorded in the commercial sector, with 689 transactions valued at 1.9 billion dirhams — a 61.7 percent rise compared with October 2024. 

The report added that the average property price increased by 6.7 percent year on year to 1,692 dirhams per square foot. 

Off-plan sales from developers dominated activity in October, accounting for 13,926 transactions worth 38.7 billion dirhams, compared with 5,949 resales valued at 20.7 billion dirhams. 

The most expensive property sold during the month was a luxury villa in Jumeirah Second for 220 million dirhams, while the priciest apartment fetched 155 million dirhams at Bulgari Lighthouse Dubai on Island 2.