Buying property in Saudi Arabia step by step on the official platform
Foreigners buy property in Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Properties platform, run by the Real Estate General Authority (REGA). Residents sign in with their iqama (residence permit) number. People abroad first get a digital identity through a Saudi embassy or consulate, then a Saudi phone number and bank account. A lawyer checks the deal before you pay.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
At a glance
- Who this is for
- Foreigners who are ready to buy a property in Saudi Arabia, whether they live there or abroad. Not sure yet whether you can own one? Start with who can own what, and where.
- Can it be handled from outside Saudi Arabia?
- Partly. The platform is online, and the digital identity starts at a Saudi embassy or consulate in your country. Some steps may need you, or someone you appoint, in person.
- What usually decides the route
- Whether you live in Saudi Arabia, and whether the property is finished or sold off-plan (before it is built).
- What you usually need first
- The listing link and where you live. No documents yet.
- First step with us
- Send us the listing link by WhatsApp, phone or email, before you pay anything.
- Working languages
- Arabic and English
Can you complete a Saudi property purchase from outside Saudi Arabia?
Partly. The platform and its payments are online. A lawyer can act for you in some steps under a power of attorney. But the digital identity starts with a visit to a Saudi embassy or consulate in your country.
The Saudi Properties platform sets out the order for people who live abroad. First, you book an appointment through the website of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the embassy or consulate, you hand in the documents it asks for and give your biometrics, such as fingerprints. You are told when your digital identity has been issued.
The platform’s guide then lists what comes next:
- get a Saudi SIM card in your name from a Saudi mobile provider’s website;
- activate the SIM card in Nafath, the Saudi government’s login app, and your digital identity in Absher, the Ministry of Interior’s online services platform;
- open a personal Saudi bank account through a Saudi bank’s website.
After that, you register on the platform and complete the remaining steps online. A lawyer can act for you in some of them under a power of attorney signed in your own country. Before Saudi offices accept it, it usually needs official stamps added in your country: an apostille or legalisation. Our page on documents from abroad explains which one your country uses.
Banks and mobile providers set their own requirements. We tell you early if a step needs you, or someone you appoint, in person.
What do you need before you start buying property in Saudi Arabia?
You need a Saudi identity number to sign in to the platform, a Saudi mobile number and a way to pay electronically. If you live in Saudi Arabia, that starts with your iqama. If you live abroad, it starts with the digital identity.
| What you need | If you live in Saudi Arabia | If you live abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Your identity on the platform | Your iqama number, used to sign in through Nafath | A digital identity, applied for at a Saudi embassy or consulate |
| A Saudi phone number | Your registered Saudi mobile number | A Saudi SIM card in your name, activated through Nafath |
| A way to pay | Electronic payment through the channels the platform shows | A personal Saudi bank account, opened through a Saudi bank |
The platform shows the current steps, and they can change. We check them with you on the day you start.
What happens on the Saudi Properties platform?
The Saudi Properties platform is where non-Saudis apply to own property in Saudi Arabia. It is run by REGA, the government body that regulates real estate. You register as an individual and sign in through Nafath.
REGA’s guide describes the order on the platform. You confirm your category, such as resident or non-resident. You prepare your documents and check the zone where the property is. Then you choose the property and submit your application. The platform’s own steps add uploading documents, paying fees and recording the contract.
The purchase ends with the title deed, the official record of who owns the property. It is issued through the Real Estate Registry, the national register of property and the rights over it. For the transfer itself, the Saudi Properties platform passes you to the Real Estate Registry’s own platform.
The platform also has an inquiry service. It lets you check whether you meet the ownership requirements before any legal steps start. The platform also shows the official zone map. Designated zones are the areas where non-Saudis may own property. Our page on who can own what, and where explains what decides it.
How do you pay for a property in Saudi Arabia as a foreigner?
You pay electronically, through the official channels the platform shows. REGA’s guide says payments linked to the purchase must use electronic payment methods. These follow the rules of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Be careful with any request to pay a deposit some other way.
If you need financing, it comes from a bank, not from the platform. The platform lists the banks approved for property finance. Each bank decides whom it lends to, so ask the bank early.
A government fee may also apply. So may the Real Estate Transaction Tax, a tax on property transfers. ZATCA, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, collects it. The official pages have the current details. Our own fees are agreed in writing before any work starts. See how legal fees work in Saudi Arabia.
What does a lawyer check at each step of a Saudi property purchase?
A lawyer checks that each step matches the deal you agreed and the official records. The table shows what is usually checked at each step. Our page on checks before you pay goes into more detail.
| Step | What a lawyer checks |
|---|---|
| Choosing the property | That the zone and the type of property fit your situation, and that the listing matches the property |
| The seller and the broker | The seller’s identity and right to sell, and the broker’s FAL licence, REGA’s licence for property brokers |
| The contract | The price, the payment schedule, the handover and what happens if something goes wrong. If the contract is in Arabic, we explain it in English. |
| The application on the platform | That your details and the property’s details match the title deed |
| Payment | That you pay through an official channel, and that you get a receipt |
| The title deed | That it is issued in your name and recorded in the Real Estate Registry |
How does buying property in Saudi Arabia work, step by step?
Buying through the platform usually has eight steps. The order below follows the platform and REGA’s guide as they stood on 19 October 2026. The platform always shows the current steps.
Check that you can own the property. What you may own, and where, depends on your residency, the type of property and the official zone map. See who can own what, and where. Where a lawyer helps: confirming how the rules apply to you before you commit.
Set up what the platform needs. If you live in Saudi Arabia, that is your iqama number and a Nafath login. If you live abroad, it is the digital identity, a Saudi SIM card and a Saudi bank account, in the order the platform shows. Where a lawyer helps: telling you early if a step needs you, or someone you appoint, in person.
Register on the Saudi Properties platform. Create an account as an individual and sign in through Nafath. You use your iqama number or your digital identity number.
Choose the property and get the seller’s details. The platform says you can see property offers through licensed brokers. Ask who is selling, the title deed number and the broker’s FAL licence. Where a lawyer helps: checking that the broker is licensed and that the listing matches the property.
Check the deal before you pay anything. This means the title deed, any mortgage or dispute on the property, and the seller’s right to sell. See checks before you pay. Where a lawyer helps: checking the deed, the seller and the contract against the official records before any money moves.
Agree the contract and the payment schedule. The contract is recorded through the platform’s official channels. Read every term, including the payment schedule, before you approve it. Where a lawyer helps: reviewing the price, the payments, the handover and what happens if something goes wrong. If the contract is in Arabic, we explain it in English.
Pay through the channels the platform shows. Payments are electronic. Keep every receipt, and be careful with any request to pay some other way. Where a lawyer helps: checking the payment channel and the receipt.
Receive the title deed and keep your details up to date. The transfer is completed through the Real Estate Registry, and the title deed is issued there. Keep your Saudi phone number and your contact details on the platform up to date. Where a lawyer helps: checking that the deed is in your name and recorded correctly.
What to prepare before you buy
Have these ready before you contact us:
- the listing link, or a short description of the property;
- where you live: in Saudi Arabia with an iqama, or abroad;
- if you live abroad, the documents the digital identity appointment asks for;
- the broker’s or developer’s name;
- how you plan to pay: your own money or bank financing;
- anything you have already signed or paid, such as a reservation form or a deposit receipt.
Keep them ready — don’t send them yet.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner get a mortgage to buy property in Saudi Arabia?
The bank decides, not the platform. Financing comes from a bank, and the Saudi Properties platform lists the banks approved for property finance. Each bank decides whom it lends to. So ask the bank before you agree a price that depends on a loan.
Can someone buy property in Saudi Arabia for me with a power of attorney?
For some steps, usually yes. The official transfer service, for example, accepts an agent who holds a valid power of attorney. Steps tied to you in person, such as giving your biometrics for the digital identity, you do yourself. The wording of the power of attorney must cover what your agent will do. See power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroad.
How long does buying property in Saudi Arabia take?
There is no standard timeline, and we don’t publish one. It depends on the steps you need first, such as the digital identity, on the checks before you pay, and on the platform. The platform shows the status of your application as it moves forward.
Do I need to keep my Saudi phone number after I buy?
Yes, keep it active. The platform sends verification codes to your registered Saudi mobile number, and Nafath, the login app, relies on it too. Messages about your property may also reach you there.
Official sources
This page draws on 5 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- Real Estate General Authority (REGA) · Saudi Properties portal (in Arabic and English) · checked
- Real Estate General Authority (REGA) · Guide to Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis (PDF) (in English) · checked
- Real Estate General Authority (REGA) · Non-Saudi Real Estate Ownership in Saudi Arabia (in English) · checked
- Real Estate Registry · Home | Real Estate Registry (in English) · checked
- Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · Saudi Central Bank Pending verification
What usually comes next
General information about Saudi law, not advice on your situation. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.