Kuwaitis lead GCC in cross-border property ownership
Fresh data shows Kuwaitis topping real estate purchases across UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi amid record regional mobility
KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (MNTV) – Kuwaitis have emerged as the leading Gulf property buyers across the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, according to new figures from the GCC Statistical Center’s Gulf Common Market review.
The data shows Kuwaitis owning 3,545 properties in the UAE, 2,600 in Bahrain, and 2,536 in Saudi Arabia, giving them the top position in all three markets.
Regionwide, GCC property ownership surged 162 percent to nearly 18,000 properties, signaling a sharp rise in cross-border investment, reported Kuwaiti Moments.
Inside Kuwait, Saudis remain the largest Gulf property owners with 237 holdings, followed by smaller numbers from Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Oman.
Travel between Gulf states also reached record highs in 2024: 6.6 million GCC nationals visited Kuwait, led overwhelmingly by 5.6 million Saudi travelers. Across the bloc, 41.4 million Gulf citizens crossed borders last year—almost triple the volume recorded in 2007.
Labor movement continues to climb. Roughly 2,111 Kuwaitis work across the Gulf, primarily in Saudi Arabia, while Kuwait hosts the largest number of Saudi employees along with thousands from Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar.
More than 11,900 Gulf citizens are enrolled in pension systems and 13,800 in social insurance schemes, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia leading participation.
Economic integration is intensifying as well. Intra-GCC trade now totals $146 billion, and 30 Gulf banks operate across member states.
Gulf-owned commercial activity is expanding rapidly, with 96,300 licenses issued regionwide—11,718 belonging to Kuwaiti nationals.
Kuwaiti investors also retain a notable presence in regional stock markets, particularly in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as the number of companies open to GCC shareholders rises by 30 percent.
The report highlights strong social-sector links too: around 43,200 Gulf students attend public schools across the region, 12,800 are enrolled in universities, and nearly 500,000 citizens received government-provided healthcare over the past year, underscoring the deepening integration of services and institutions across the Gulf.
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