Buying and owning property in Saudi Arabia as a foreigner

Common situations we help with

We advise foreigners buying and owning property in Saudi Arabia and check the deal before they pay. Start with the question closest to yours.

Can a non-Saudi own property in Saudi Arabia, and where?

Non-Saudis who live in Saudi Arabia, non-Saudis who live abroad and non-Saudi companies can all apply under the new law. What you can own, and where, depends on where you live, the type of property and the government’s official zone map. See who can own what, and where.

How does buying property in Saudi Arabia work, step by step?

Applications, payments and title deeds (the records of who owns a property) go through one official online platform, called Saudi Properties. If you live abroad, you first need a digital identity issued through a Saudi embassy or consulate, a Saudi bank account and a Saudi phone number. See buying property in Saudi Arabia step by step.

What should you check before you pay for a Saudi property?

Check the title deed, any mortgage or dispute on the property, the seller’s right to sell, and the broker’s or developer’s licence. Do these checks before any money moves, including a deposit. See checks before you pay for property in Saudi Arabia.

We are also writing pages on these questions:

• Which steps can be done from your own country, and how a representative can help.

  Buying Saudi property without travellingComing soon

• Buying before a building is finished, and what to check about the developer.

  Buying off-plan in Saudi Arabia: protections and risksComing soon

• When a business holds property for its premises or for staff housing.

  Owning property through a company in Saudi ArabiaComing soon

• What to do when a developer or seller does not deliver.

  Developer delays and property disputesComing soon

• How leases are registered, and what tenants and landlords should know.

  Renting in Saudi Arabia: Ejar, renewals and depositsComing soon

• What to plan for when you sell a property or pass it on.

  Selling, inheriting or passing on property you own in Saudi ArabiaComing soon

How buying property in Saudi Arabia usually works, step by step

Buying and owning property in Saudi Arabia usually has six stages. Not every buyer needs all of them. The government body in charge is the Real Estate General Authority (REGA), which regulates real estate.

1. Check whether you can own the property, and where. What you can own depends on where you live, the type of property and where it is. REGA’s official map shows the designated zones, the areas where non-Saudis may own property. See who can own what, and where. Where a lawyer helps: confirming how the rules apply to you before you commit.

2. Prepare what the platform needs. If you live in Saudi Arabia, you apply with your iqama number, the number on a resident’s permit. If you live abroad, you first get a digital identity through a Saudi embassy or consulate. You then open a Saudi bank account and get a Saudi phone number in your name. See buying property step by step. Where a lawyer helps: explaining what each step asks for.

3. Check the deal before you pay. Check the title deed, the seller, any mortgage or dispute, and the broker’s or developer’s licence. See checks before you pay. Where a lawyer helps: checking these against official records, and reviewing the contract before you sign or pay.

4. Buy on the official platform. You apply on the Saudi Properties platform, REGA’s official platform for ownership by non-Saudis, and pay through the electronic channels it shows. The ownership is then recorded in the Real Estate Registry, the national register of property. Buying off-plan (before a building is finished) and buying through a company have their own steps. Where a lawyer helps: checking that the application matches the title deed and the contract.

5. Own and use the property. Owning brings later questions: renting the property out, a problem with a developer or seller, or how owning fits with your residency. Our pages on these are coming soon.

6. Sell it or pass it on. Selling a property, or passing it on to your heirs (the people who inherit from you), has its own steps. It helps to plan for this when you buy.

Can you buy property in Saudi Arabia without travelling there?

Partly. The platform is online, and a lawyer can act for you in some steps under a power of attorney signed in your country. If you live abroad, you start with a digital identity issued through a Saudi embassy or consulate.

Next, you open a Saudi bank account and get a Saudi phone number in your name. The bank and the platform set out what they need from you. We tell you early if a step needs you, or someone you appoint, in person.

A power of attorney is a signed document that lets someone, such as a lawyer, act for you. You sign it in your own country, in front of a notary or another official who is allowed to do this. It then usually needs an apostille (one official certificate) or legalisation (a chain of official stamps), depending on your country. See power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroad and whether your country uses an apostille or legalisation.

What are the ways a foreigner can own property in Saudi Arabia?

There are four usual routes. You can buy a finished property in your own name, buy off-plan, buy through a company, or buy from abroad through a representative. Some people rent instead. Which route fits depends on where you live, the property and your plans.

What should you do first if you live in Saudi Arabia, or outside it?

Your first steps depend on whether you live in Saudi Arabia, with an iqama, or live abroad. The checks before you pay are the same for everyone.

If you live in Saudi Arabia

• Apply on the Saudi Properties platform with your iqama number. The platform checks whether you can own the property you choose.
• Look up the property on REGA’s zone map before you sign anything.
• Check the deal before you pay, including any deposit.
• Pay only through the electronic channels the platform shows.

If you live outside Saudi Arabia

• Start with a digital identity, issued through a Saudi embassy or consulate.
• Then open a Saudi bank account and get a Saudi phone number in your name.
• If someone will act for you, sign a power of attorney in your own country.
• Check the deal before you pay. Be careful with any request to pay a deposit outside the official channels.

What should you prepare before contacting a Saudi lawyer about property?

A short outline is enough for a first message. Have these facts ready:

• Where you live: in Saudi Arabia with an iqama, or abroad.
• The listing link, or a short description of the property.
• Whether you will buy yourself or through a company.
• How you plan to pay: your own money or a bank loan.
• The broker’s or developer’s name, if there is one.
• Anything already signed or paid, such as a reservation form or a deposit receipt.

Keep them ready — don’t send them yet. We tell you which ones to send after we agree to act.

What’s changed recently

• 22 January 2026. The law on property ownership by non-Saudis started to apply. Since then, non-Saudis can apply to own property through the Saudi Properties platform.
• 23 June 2026. The Council of Ministers, the Saudi cabinet, approved the law’s implementing regulations (its detailed rules) and the designated zones.

Our what’s changed page keeps a dated list of changes like these.

How we help with property in Saudi Arabia

We act for foreign buyers and owners of property in Saudi Arabia. For buyers who live outside Saudi Arabia, we consider each matter separately after you speak with a lawyer. If we agree to act, we explain each step in plain words and check the deal before you pay.

It starts with a short outline from you. We tell you whether we can help, what we need and how fees are agreed. Work starts only after an engagement letter, the written agreement between you and the firm, is signed.

We then check the deal before you pay: the title deed, any mortgage or dispute, the seller’s right to sell, the licences and the contract. If the contract is in Arabic, we explain it in English. Where a matter needs it, we act for you under a power of attorney.

Legal fees are arranged directly with the firm, never on this site. Raed AlJuhani, the firm’s Founding Managing Partner, is a licensed Saudi lawyer.

• How we work with clients outside Saudi Arabia
• Finding and checking a lawyer in Saudi Arabia
• Company details

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Handling a Saudi legal matter from outside the Kingdom
• Investing in Saudi Arabia as a foreign company or investor
• Finding and checking a lawyer in Saudi Arabia