There have been plenty of false dawns before, but Saudi Arabia is at last about to get a mortgage law, after almost 10 years of discussion. In early July, the Council of Ministers announced that the draft law had been approved, starting a process that should bring it into force by October.
For the country’s banks it opens up a large new area of business. There is certainly substantial pent-up demand for housing finance in Saudi Arabia, but the willingness of banks to lend to consumers has yet to be properly tested, as has the interest of developers in turning away from luxury developments and towards more affordable housing.
The cautious nature of banks and regulators in Saudi Arabia, and the conservative nature of the country as a whole, means that a slow evolution of the market seems more likely than rapid transformation.
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