Bank of London and The Middle East

@Estates Gazette reports that the Birmingham office market has seen a surge in small to mid-sized investment transactions in 2025, with the intention of repurposing for residential use. Check out the full article here: costar.com/article/950337…

@Zawya reports that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are poised to lead the Gulf’s economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private sector performance, resilient domestic demand, and renewed investment momentum. Read the full analysis here: zawya.com/en/economy/gcc…

@CoStar reports that investment into Scottish commercial real estate hit £460 million in Q3, up on £430 million in the previous quarter. Check out the full report here: costar.com/article/207584…

Estates Gazette reports that B Grade office space (buildings that balance quality, affordability and functionality) could be due for a resurgence. See the full report here: estatesgazette.co.uk/news/to-the-le…

@CoStar reports that headline rents have continued to lift in London’s prime office market, with rents rising by 0.4% this quarter. Check out the full story here: costar.com/article/113487…

Savills’ City Investment Watch found that the volume of transactions from January 2025 to September 2025 in the City of London surpassed the total for 2024. See the full report here: ow.ly/zRAK50Xtvnl

GCC economies are expected to grow by 4.3% in 2027 according to the Statistical Centre for the GCC, reports Zawya. Check out the full story here: ow.ly/fqZR50XtuUg

Economic growth in the GCC is projected to accelerate to 4.4% by 2026, reports @Zawya. With growth expected to be 3.5% this year, it points to the economic expansion of the GCC, particularly in the growth of non-oil industries. See the full report here: ow.ly/CenP50Xq7VI

CoStar reports on how investment in digital connectivity and smart technology in the UK’s capital is leading to significant rental premiums across London. Check out the full article here: ow.ly/5etr50Xq7RO

Zawya reports on the latest data from the GCC Statistical Centre which reveals that GCC countries recorded positive growth during the first quarter of 2025. Check out the full article here: ow.ly/Vrt750Xmo87

CoStar reports that UK regional office space yields continue to grow in Q3 of 2025. Signs point to a busier end of the year, with investors continuing to look outside of London for commercial real estate opportunities. Check out the full article here: costar.com/article/253348…

Last week, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves travelled to Riyadh to strengthen the UK-Gulf relationship, focusing on building trade and investment opportunities. Zawya reports that the UK-GCC trade deal is a priority for the Government ow.ly/thRk50XmjPc

Islamic Finance News reports on the ‘new dawn’ for Islamic finance in the UK, noting BLME as one of the five Islamic banks in Britain. The London Stock Exchange now hosts around 35% of all USD Sukuk listings worldwide. Check out the full article here: ow.ly/Hz8v50XbeXK

Estates Gazette reports that the total value of UK retail assets sold has more than doubled this year, rising from £27.9m to £56.2m. Find out more here: ow.ly/3OcR50XbeMX

BLME is featured in this piece from Be Clever With your Cash as one of the top ethical banks in the UK – check it out here: ow.ly/V1V450X4RHx

CoStar reports on differences in office vacancy rates across London’s West End market. The research has found that areas with access to the Elizabeth line have seen increased demand. Check out the full article here: ow.ly/93sM50X4Rxg

The global Islamic finance market is projected to reach $7.7 trillion by 2033, according to a new report by Allied Market Research. Read more here: ow.ly/tzvj50WYb4F

Demand for prime office space is outpacing construction in regional cities across the UK, according to The Times. Many large firms downsized their office space during the pandemic and now wantto move back into larger offices. Read the full story here: ow.ly/MZY650WYaTy

Middle East investors are increasingly targeting the UK industrial and logistics sector due to strong growth prospects, according to research from Knight Frank. Find out more here: spearswms.com/wealth/why-mid…

The UK continues to be the leading Western hub for Islamic finance, according to Fitch ratings. The London Stock Exchanges remains the largest venue for hard-currency sukuk, making up over 40% of the global share as of H1 2025. Find more details here: ibsintelligence.com/ibsi-news/uk-l…