New reforms to boost Saudi real estate opportunities: Kaden CEO

Eng Abdullah Alfassam, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kaden Investment

Saudi Arabia-based Kaden Investment is a relatively new real estate developer. To begin with, the up and coming real estate developer is currently working on two major projects, including The Logistics Park and a waterfront destination - Riyadh Front - in the Kingdom.  

In an exclusive interview with Argaam, Eng Abdullah Alfassam, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kaden, talks about how the new Saudization policies and the government stimulus will help drive the company’s future plans.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: Give us an overview of the projects that Kaden is currently working on in Saudi Arabia?

A: We as Kaden have two mega projects, namely Riyadh Front and The Logistics Park.

The Logistics Park is a one million square meters single gated project that incorporates integrated logistics warehouses, supported by a plethora of safety and security services, in addition to special technical and operational services.

Riyadh Front is a mixed-use project that comprises offices, shopping, entertainment, and hospitality. Located north of Riyadh near King Khaled Airport, the project offers office spaces along with two hotels, featuring conference halls and gyms. It also offers a lifestyle area for shopping, entertainment, and fine dining with international brands.

Riyadh Front is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Q: What are your plans for expansion in the GCC in 2019?

A:  Currently we are focusing to expand within Saudi Arabia; we are planning to start different logistics and mixed-use projects in the Eastern and Western provinces. We plan to expand to the rest of GCC after 2020.

Read: Top 9 projects due to open in Saudi Arabia in 2019

Q: How was 2018 been for you in terms of financial performance?

A:  2018 has been great for us while demand and attention has been drastically increasing since Q3 2018.

This can be attributed to the fact that we really care about the quality of our tenants, not to mention, the architectural design and attention to detail and high standards which is a great indicator for 2019.

Q: With increasing nationalization levels and new government stimulus, how will that affect the Saudi real estate?

A: The nationalization came in a perfect time for Saudi Arabia as there is a lot of young up and coming local talent who are eager to achieve and have a great entrepreneurial spirit. If such talent is added to all the government and semi-government projects that have been announced in 2018, it will take the real estate industry to a whole new level in 2019 and beyond.

Read: Saudi real estate set for long-term growth on government stimulus

Q: What kind of response have you received for the Riyadh Front project from investors?

A:  The response has been amazing on a consumer and corporate level. With the increasing demand, we have been able to have high-quality tenants such as KPMG, Raytheon Saudi Arabia, Jolly Chic, Noon, and ServCorp to name a few.

In entertainment and retail, we have signed with VOX Cinema to open an 18-screen multiplex which will be the biggest in the Kingdom so far. We have also signed with Virgin to open the biggest Virgin Megastore in the world in Riyadh Front in addition to high-quality food and beverage (F&B) brands.

Q: Do you expect to see any particular trends in the Saudi property market in 2019?

A:  With the government initiatives that have been announced recently, we will see positive effects in the market in 2019 and will open a lot of opportunities for other developers in the market.

Q: Do you have any projects in the pipeline for 2019?

A:  We are expected to announce two more projects in 2019 and they will carry the quality and architectural brilliance of the current projects.

Write to Paromita Dey at paromita.d@argaamplus.com