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By Abeer Allam in Riyadh. This article originally appeared on ft.com

In the land of his birth, reports of the death of Saudi-born Osama bin Laden in Pakistan surfaced early on Monday morning, sparking mixed emotions ranging from cheers, mourning, denial, to a stream of conspiracy theories.

While the government has not yet issued a formal statement, Saudis on Monday expressed mixed views in online forums. Some alleged pictures of a dead bin Laden on the internet to be a fake, citing the shape of his face and grey hair as proof. Such claims are a consistent refrain in the region, where many continue to doubt bin Laden’s involvement in the September 11 attacks and believe that videotaped confessions are products of Hollywood. Continue reading »

Rumours about the imminent approval of the Saudi mortgage law continue to circulate, but have yet to materialise.

The Shura Council, the unelected consultative body, approved a draft nearly two years ago, but Saudi officials continue to refine details, with attention to compliance with Islamic law and averting excesses witnessed in Dubai or overseas.

In Saudi Arabia, real estate is driven mainly by domestic demand rather than speculative money. Less than 35 per cent of Saudis own their own homes and more than a million units will be needed in the coming five years. Continue reading »