Nomo, the digital bank powered by the Bank of London and the Middle East that provides Sharia-compliant UK property finance to residents in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, has revealed that searches during Q2 of 2026 for UK residential property from GCC investors have risen by 48% since Q1 of 2026, their highest level since the research began.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) drove this trend, with 57% of searches originating from there, a 10-percentage point increase from last quarter. Qatar (16%), Saudi Arabia (12%), Kuwait (10%), Bahrain (3%) and Oman (2%) make up the rest of the searches, staying relatively consistent with searches in Q1.
Nomo’s quarterly Property Pulse report provides crucial insights on the current state of the market, helping brokers understand the scale of GCC demand for UK property. The research is made available via the Nomo Academy, launched this year, which provides vital learning materials, product updates and guidance for brokers supporting GCC residents with residential property purchases in the UK.
Westminster, London, remains the most desirable location for GCC investors, making up 6.5% of searches, though search interest dropped marginally by 0.6 percentage points compared with the previous quarter. This is followed by Salford and Edinburgh, both making up 3.8% of searches.
There has been a notable increase in searches in Wigan, Manchester, which saw zero searches in Q1, jumping to 9th in popularity this quarter. Most of these came from Qatar, followed by the UAE. Property investment opportunities in Wigan, and indeed the wider North West, fit the profile of what many overseas buy-to-let investors are seeking – strong affordability, rental demand and high yields compared to London and other major cities.
Layla Hamidian, Head of Property Finance Sales and Servicing at Nomo, said:
“With its large community of British expats, the UAE has consistently led Rightmove’s GCC search data. This is also reflected in the number of cases placed with us, which increased by 45% in 2025. This is the most significant quarterly increase in searches since Nomo’s analysis began and demonstrates continued interest in UK property among both expatriates and GCC nationals.”
