Yes — since 22 January 2026, under a new law that opened designated zones across the Kingdom to non-Saudi ownership for the first time. Here is exactly who qualifies, where you can buy, what it costs, and where restrictions remain.
Sourced from REGA official announcements, Royal Decree M/14, and ZATCA · Cross-checked against SAKK.AI's tracked KB anchors
Yes, foreigners can buy property in Saudi Arabia — but only within REGA-designated zones, not anywhere in the country. The law took effect 22 January 2026. Non-Muslim foreigners cannot own property in Makkah or Madinah. Total government charges run 7% of property value in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah (5% RETT at purchase + confirmed 2% disposal fee at exit). The disposal fee does not apply in the Eastern Province or other designated zones under current regulations.
For over two decades, foreign ownership of Saudi real estate was tightly restricted — largely limited to business premises or case-by-case approval. That changed with the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis, approved by Royal Decree M/14.
The new framework replaces a patchwork of case-by-case permissions with a single, published zone map — meaning eligibility can now be checked directly rather than inferred from a developer's marketing.
The law defines "non-Saudi" broadly. The following groups may acquire property within designated zones:
Ownership is confined to zones and named projects listed in the official Geographic Zones Document — covering all 13 administrative regions, from Kingdom-level giga-projects like NEOM, Red Sea, and Amaala, down to specific numbered development zones within cities like Jeddah.
Buying outside a designated zone is not legally valid. The Saudi Properties portal will not process registration for an out-of-zone property, and any attempt to complete a transfer outside the portal is illegal.
For the complete list of every zone, region, and named project — including Tadawul-listed developments — see our full REGA Geographic Zones reference.
The two holy cities carry a distinct restriction that applies nowhere else in the framework:
This exception reflects the religious significance of both cities and is unrelated to the general zone-eligibility rules that apply everywhere else in the Kingdom.
Two separate charges apply to a foreign buyer. The confirmed combined government cost is 7% of property value in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah — significantly below the 10% figure that was cited before the implementing regulations confirmed the operative disposal fee rate:
| Charge | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Transaction Tax (RETT) | 5.0% | All buyers, Saudi and non-Saudi alike · Kingdom-wide |
| Disposal fee | 2.0% | Non-Saudi sellers only · Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah · confirmed 8 Jul 2026 |
Beyond these two charges, buyers using the Premium Residency route toward long-term status should budget separately for the one-time Premium Residency fee. Run the exact numbers for your specific budget and city with the SAKK.AI calculator, which models the full cost waterfall including financing and net yield.
The law introduces meaningfully stricter enforcement than the framework it replaced. All non-Saudi ownership must be registered through the Saudi Properties portal and recorded in the national Real Estate Registry to be legally effective.
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