GCC Affordable Housing

Executive Summary

The widening gap between the demand and supply of affordable housing in the GCC, is pressing the governments in the region to have a closer look at the issue and implement steps to address the problem of housing the region's low and middle income groups. The demand for affordable housing is primarily driven by the region's fast growing population, while the supply is constrained by tightening credit markets, rising cost of building materials and shrinking margins of developers.

The report looks at the issue of affordable housing shortages in the GCC region, and the factors inherent in the system leading to such a chronic shortage. The report also lists and discusses the demand drivers, provides estimates of demand for affordable housing country-wise, the supply side bottlenecks, and the key trends in the sector. Lastly, it prescribes policies to address the shortage, and elaborates on the initiatives taken by the GCC governments.