Amaal Awards $490 Million Contract for Mansory Branded Luxury Tower in Dubai UAE: Amaal has awarded a $490 million contract to Citic Middle East Contracting for the construction of Mansory Residences in Dubai, a luxury branded residential tower scheduled for completion in Q4 2028. The project is backed by Citic Construction and represents the world’s first residential development under the Mansory brand. The contractor will manage full construction works, including structural

India Construction Costs Surge Sharply, With Retail and Luxury Housing Bearing the Highest Pressure INDIA: In India, construction costs have risen significantly, with retail, luxury housing and premium real estate segments facing the steepest increases. According to industry analysis, mall construction costs have surged by around 13.9% over the past two years, while luxury housing costs have increased by about 12.8%, driven by higher design complexity, rising material prices

Iran Conflict Pushes Up Construction Costs and Disrupts Housing and Agriculture in Australia AUSTRALIA: The ongoing Iran war is driving significant economic pressure across Australia, particularly in construction and agriculture. Rising global fuel and material costs are increasing home building expenses, worsening the country’s housing shortage and threatening delivery of new housing targets. Builders and economists warn that affordability challenges may intensify if cost in

London Housing Crisis Worsens as 42,000 Planned Homes Are Abandoned UNITED KINGDOM: London’s housing shortage has deepened after developers scrapped or repurposed plans for at least 42,000 homes over the past three years, according to industry analysis. Of these, around 30,000 had already received planning permission, while 12,000 were part of local development plans. Many of these sites are now being converted into warehouses, data centres, self-storage facilities and hotels

India Allocates US$10.8 Billion Under Urban Challenge Fund to Accelerate City Projects INDIA: India has launched a major urban infrastructure push under its Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), with ₹900 billion (US$10.5 billion) of the ₹1 trillion (US$11.7 billion) fund earmarked to partially finance around 60 categories of city projects. These include infrastructure upgrades, old city revitalization, market redevelopment, flood prevention, waste recycling, and multi-level parking. H

South Korea to Launch 62,000 Public Housing Units This Year in Major Supply Push SOUTH KOREA: South Korea’s government plans to begin construction on 62,000 public housing units in the capital region in 2026, more than double the average annual starts over the past five years and the largest supply push since 2020. The move is aimed at offsetting weak private-sector construction caused by high interest rates and rising costs, while easing concerns over a potential housing sup

Kenya Urges African Nations to Adopt Affordable Housing Model Kenya: Kithure Kindiki has called on African countries to adopt Kenya’s affordable housing model to address urban housing challenges. He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the Second Africa Urban Forum held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. The housing programme, introduced under the administration of William Ruto, includes more than 200 construction sites and has contributed to employment g

Australia Reports Rise in Housing Construction Amid Policy Debate Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics released building activity data for the December quarter of 2025, reporting that the number of homes commencing construction during the year increased by 16.4 per cent compared to 2024. This included a 5.6 per cent rise in detached house commencements and a 35.3 per cent increase in multi-unit developments. The data indicates a recovery in housing construction, support

Financing Secured for Affordable Housing Project in San Francisco USA: Mission Housing Development Corporation, in partnership with Mission Economic Development Agency, has secured a financing package of USD 77.9 million for the first phase of an affordable housing development in the Mission District of San Francisco. The funding structure includes Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and construction financing provided by Western Alliance Bank. The project, known as The Marvel in

Delhi Expands Transit-Oriented Development Policy to Support Housing Supply India: The Government has expanded the Transit-Oriented Development framework under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 through the introduction of the Regulations for Transit Oriented Development and Charges, 2026. The policy aims to promote development linked to public transport infrastructure and increase the availability of housing in the National Capital Territory. It focuses on planned urban growth by

Maharashtra Approves Land Acquisition for Affordable Housing in Borivali India: The Government of Maharashtra, led by Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the acquisition of land from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in Borivali to support housing development. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority held at Sahyadri Guest House. The land parcels, covering 28.84 acres in Gorai and Shimpoli, are plann

Construction Employment Rises in March Despite Cost and Economic Pressure USA: Construction employment in the United States increased by 26,000 jobs in March 2026, indicating a monthly rebound despite ongoing economic challenges such as higher fuel prices and borrowing costs. Non-residential construction led the growth, adding 12,200 jobs, including gains in non-residential building (4,500), specialty trades (3,900), and heavy and civil engineering (3,800). Overall industry e

MahaRERA Approves Over 1,000 Projects Around Gudhi Padwa India: The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) approved a total of 1,060 real estate projects around the Gudhi Padwa period through a combination of new registrations, timeline extensions and corrections to existing projects. Of these, 486 projects received new registration numbers, while 426 projects were granted extensions to their completion timelines and 148 projects were allowed corrections. A t

Housing Construction Activity Shifts Towards Smaller Counties Amid Rising Costs USA: Recent data from the United States highlights a clear shift in housing construction patterns in the second half of 2025. Single-family building fell across most regions, with large metro core counties recording the steepest decline of 12.8%, while micro counties were the only segment to post growth, rising 1.6% for the seventh consecutive quarter. In terms of market share, small metro core co

Qatar Qatar: Qatar real estate market recorded a 29% year on year increase in total sales value, rising from approximately US$7.3 billion in 2024 to US$9.4 billion in 2025, according to data from Real Estate Regulatory Authority Aqarat. Land and villa transactions remained the dominant segments, contributing the largest share to overall sales despite a slight decline in their individual values. Apartment and building transactions also maintained steady activity, supporting ov

Saudi Fund Launches Social Housing Project in Djibouti SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudi Fund for Development has inaugurated a social housing project in Djibouti, reinforcing long-standing development cooperation between the two countries. Valued at over $30 million, the initiative involves the construction of 520 housing units aimed at improving living conditions for low-income communities. Beyond residential development, the project includes supporting infrastructure such as roads,

Construction Labour Force Falls as Retirements Drive Workforce Decline CANADA: Construction employment and labour force levels fell by 50,600 workers over the year to January 2026, according to BuildForce Canada, mainly due to retirements among workers aged 55 and above. This group accounted for most of the decline, while the number of women in the workforce also dropped significantly. In contrast, younger cohorts showed growth, with 15 to 24-year-olds increasing by 2.3% (4,5

Sharp Decline in New Home Sales Amid Affordability Pressures USA: New single-family home sales in the United States fell by 17.6% in January 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 587,000, reflecting weaker demand driven by high costs, adverse weather and ongoing affordability challenges. Although mortgage rates averaged around 6.1%, economic uncertainty, elevated construction expenses and tariff concerns continued to weigh on the market. Builders are increasingly offer

Construction Spending Falls in January Amid Decline in Residential Investment CANADA: Investment in building construction declined by 1.9% to $23.4 billion in January 2026, according to Statistics Canada. Residential spending fell by $504.3 million to $16.4 billion, mainly driven by a $255.2 million drop in the single-family segment, which was linked in part to weaker permit activity in the previous month. Overall, both residential and broader construction investment weakened

Building Construction Investment Rises in December Across Residential and Non-Residential Sectors CANADA: Building construction investment increased by 1.9% to $23.7 billion in December 2025, driven by growth in both residential and non-residential sectors. Residential investment rose 2.4% to $16.8 billion, supported by gains in multi-unit housing (up 2.6%) and single-family homes (up 2.3%). Ontario and Alberta led growth in multi-unit projects, while Ontario and British Colu