Gulf investors look beyond Prime Central London as interest in UK property grows

Nomo said the Hammersmith and Fulham result was unexpected, and may signal a broader shift in GCC buyer appetite away from traditional Prime Central London postcodes.

Outside London, Milton Keynes accounted for 6.6% of searches — double its share from the previous quarter — while Liverpool reached 5.3%, up 2.4% over the same period.

The figures are drawn from Nomo’s latest Property Pulse report, which the bank produces to help brokers assess the scale and distribution of GCC demand for UK property.

The UAE remains the dominant source of GCC searches at 47%, though its share has declined from the prior quarter. Saudi Arabia accounts for 20%, followed by Qatar (14%) and Kuwait (13%). Bahrain recorded the largest quarterly increase, doubling its share from 2% to 5%, while Oman accounted for 2%.

“UK residential property continues to resonate with GCC investors looking for stability, transparency and long term value,” said Layla Hamidian, head of property finance sales and servicing at Nomo. “As overseas buyers reassess where to allocate capital, the UK’s well regulated property market remains an attractive destination.”