Middle Eastern Investors Still Prefer U.S. Real Estate In These Two Core Markets
For Middle Eastern commercial real estate funds and investment firms, the U.S. market is still the most desirable.
By the close of Q2, Middle East investment in global commercial property assets reached $10.1B, and the U.S. remained one of the top destinations for capital. America garnered $3.9B in the year leading up to Q2, though this was down from the $10.3B Middle Eastern firms spent during the same period in 2016.
Among the top three cities to receive that capital were New York, which received $820M in investment, and Washington, D.C., which saw $469M, respectively. London came in as the primary city target earning $1.68B from Middle East investment activity.
“Investors from the Middle East remain active buyers in the global real estate market and continue to target core assets with long leases in safe-haven locations. The recent decline in oil price only strengthened the case for investors to diversify their income streams, both in terms of asset classes and geographies; they are taking a long-term view,” CBRE Global President Capital Markets Chris Ludeman said in a statement.
Unlike most foreign investors, Middle Eastern buyers focus investments on alternative asset classes such as hotels, residential, student housing, healthcare and infrastructure. The Middle East currently represents 8% of total cross-regional investment in the U.S.
CORRECTION, NOV. 9, 11:24 A.M. ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed U.S. cities as the top recipients of Middle Eastern firms' real estate investment. London received the largest allocation of capital as of Q2, followed by New York City and Washington, D.C. The story and headline have been updated.
