According to figures published by UK property research company DTZ Research, investors from the region invested £827 million ($1,292 million) in European property in 2001, a 225 per cent increase on 2000, of which 91 per cent was in the UK. The trend has continued and even accelerated in 2002: in the first nine months £875 million ($1,367) was invested in UK commercial property.

A report by US think tank The Council on Foreign Relations suggested that Saudi-based investors alone have withdrawn as much as $200,000 million from the US in recent months, although the figure is much disputed (MEED 23:8:02).