Saudi Arabia officially opens real estate market to foreign buyers

26/01/2026 05:50 AST

Saudi Arabia's Real Estate General Authority (REGA) has announced that the new laws allowing foreign companies as well as expats to own a wider range of local real estate assets have officially come into effect.

The legislation took effect on January 22 and is being implemented as part of the national real estate legislative system. With this, all provisions are now enforceable under the national real estate framework.

Announcing this, REGA said the system allows foreign individuals, companies and entities to own property across Saudi Arabia, with ownership permitted in major cities including the capital Riyadh and port city Jeddah.

However, property ownership in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah remains restricted to Saudi companies and Muslim individuals, in line with a regulatory framework based on the Geographic Zones document, which is set to be announced in the first quarter of 2026.

According to REGA, the applications for property ownership by non-Saudis will be accepted exclusively through the official digital platform, Saudi Arabia Real Estate.

This service is available to residents and non-residents, as well as non-Saudi companies and entities, subject to specific regulatory requirements and procedures. The application process varies by ownership category.

Foreign residents in Saudi Arabia may apply directly through the portal using their residence permit, with legal requirements verified automatically and the process completed electronically, it stated.

For non-residents, the rules are slightly different as they are required to initiate their applications through Saudi embassies and consulates abroad to obtain a digital identification number, which enables them to finalise the process via the platform.

Foreign companies and entities without a presence in the Kingdom must first register with the Ministry of Investment through the "Invest Saudi" platform and obtain a unified registration number (700) before completing ownership procedures electronically, said the statement from REGA.

The Saudi Arabia Real Estate portal serves as the official digital gateway for all ownership procedures, ensuring regulatory compliance and direct integration with the national real estate registry to enhance transparency and protect property rights.

The new system is expected to boost the quality of real estate projects by attracting international developers and specialised firms, stimulating growth in the residential, commercial, industrial, and tourism sectors, and creating employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen the real estate sector's sustainable contribution to the Kingdom's non-oil gross domestic product, it added.

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