Searches for UK residential property from GCC investors hit the highest level since research started in December 2024, Nomo data reveals.

It found searches during the second quarter of this year for UK residential property from GCC investors have risen by 48% since the first quarter of 2026.

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.

Research shows that 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.

The digital bank says property investment opportunities in Wigan, and indeed the wider North West, fit the profile of what many overseas buy-to-let investors are seeking.

Nomo head of property finance sales Layla Hamidian says: “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.”