The application of the real estate ownership system for foreigners in Saudi Arabia begins next January
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will begin implementing the updated system for non-Saudis to own real estate and acquire in rem rights over it within the Kingdom’s borders starting from the beginning of 2026.
The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid Al-Hoqail, explained that January will witness the implementation of the real estate ownership system for foreigners at the residential level in all Saudi cities, with the exception of 4 cities, which include Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, and Riyadh. The Minister pointed out that there will be areas where ownership is permitted for foreigners from outside the Kingdom, while residents have the right to own one residential unit.
Al-Hoqail clarified that for the commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors, ownership will be open to foreigners in all cities of the Kingdom without any exceptions.
Legal Controls for Ownership
The system for non-Saudis’ ownership of real estate aims to regulate the ownership of real estate by non-Saudis, both individuals and entities, within a specific geographical scope and with clear legal controls, with specific and limited exceptions.
The system stipulates that a non-Saudi is permitted to own real estate or acquire in rem rights over it within the Kingdom, in the geographical scope determined by the Council of Ministers, based on a proposal from the Board of Directors of the General Real Estate Authority and the approval of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. This includes defining the type of in rem rights that can be acquired, maximum ownership percentages, and related controls.
The system allowed a non-Saudi resident, who is a natural person, to own one residential property, outside the specified geographical scope, with the exception of the cities of Mecca and Medina. It is stipulated that the person must be Muslim if the ownership is within these two cities.
The system granted companies not listed on the Saudi financial market, which…
United News Network – UNN Arabic
An independent media platform that provides reliable news and objective analysis, and seeks to promote peace and cultural dialogue around the world, to convey the truth and build bridges of understanding between peoples.
For more news, you can visit our homepage:
