How a non-Saudi can own near the Haram

A non-Saudi has seven lawful routes to a stake in Makkah or Madinah property, each suited to a different need. Buying in your own name inside a designated zone gives a title deed and is the simplest. Off-plan through Wafi spreads the payment, usufruct gives use for up to 99 years without ownership, and a Saudi company you own can hold the deed at the cost of running a company. Premium Residency adds the right to live in the Kingdom, and listed shares and licensed funds give a stake without a key.

Updated 13 September 20268 min read

In brief

Article 2(4) of the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis (Royal Decree M/14, in force 22 January 2026) limits the non-Saudi right to own property (تملك) and to acquire other real rights over it in Makkah and Madinah to Muslim natural persons, and the right it restricts is ownership itself, so a Muslim individual may own inside the designated zones and is not limited to usufruct.
REGA · 25 Jul 2025
In Makkah and Madinah, non-Saudi purchases are only possible inside the designated geographic zones; the 'one residence outside zones' right for residents does not apply to the two holy cities.
REGA · 25 Jul 2025
Executive Regulations Art. 2 set three prerequisites for a non-resident non-Saudi individual before owning: a digital ID, a bank account in the Kingdom in their own name, and a Saudi phone number in their name linked to the digital ID.
Umm Al-Qura · 3 Jul 2026
Under Executive Regulations Art. 8(3), a Saudi-incorporated company that is not listed on the Saudi Exchange and has one or more non-Saudi shareholders may own property, or acquire other real rights over it, inside the designated geographic scope (including Makkah and Madinah) without obtaining Ministry of Investment approval.
Umm Al-Qura · 3 Jul 2026
REGA's official Q&A on the updated law states that ownership in Makkah and Madinah is restricted to Muslim individuals and to Saudi companies with non-Saudi shareholders.
REGA
Real Estate Transaction Tax is 5% of the transaction value (RETT Law M/84 of 1446H, effective 10 April 2025).
ZATCA · 10 Apr 2025

The routes follow from who may own. The 2026 law limits ownership in the two holy cities to Muslim natural persons, and REGA’s own guidance names them and Saudi companies with non-Saudi shareholders as the only owners the cities admit, so a home you mean to use is bought in your own name inside a designated zone. Each of the other six routes answers a different need, and each is set out below with who can use it and what it costs.

The table below compares the seven routes, and the sections after it say what each involves and where the risks lie. This is not legal advice, and each route should end with a licensed professional; we can introduce you to one.

The routes compared

What each route gives you, what it adds to the price, how long it takes and what it leaves you running. We recommend the two marked for a buyer abroad.

What the route gives	RecommendedBuy in your own nameA home you will use for Umrah, Ramadan, family or retirement	RecommendedBuy off-plan through WafiA new build in a zone, with the price spread over construction	Right to useLong-term usufructUse of a home for decades without a purchase price	OwnershipThrough a Saudi company you ownInvestors who already run a Saudi business, or want the deed held corporately	Ownership + residencyWith Premium ResidencyLiving in the Kingdom as well as visiting it	ExposureShares in listed developers and REITsA stake below the price of a unit, tradable any day	ExposureLicensed real-estate fundsShariah-screened, managed exposure to Makkah and Madinah assets
What you hold	A title deed in your name, inside a designated zone.	The same deed at handover; until then a Wafi-licensed contract with money held in escrow.	A registered right to use and benefit from a property for up to 99 years; the title stays with the owner.	The deed in the company's name; a non-listed Saudi company with non-Saudi shareholders may own inside the zones without Ministry of Investment approval.	Ownership in the zones as a Muslim individual, plus the right to live, work and sponsor family.	A financial interest in a company or REIT that owns holy-city property, with no key and no deed.	Units in a CMA-licensed fund that may hold holy-city property; the manager buys and runs the assets.
Who can use it	Muslim individuals, resident or living abroad.	Muslim individuals, as for any purchase in the zones.	Muslim individuals in the zones; Premium Residency holders under their own law.	Anyone who registers a Saudi company; the text sets no faith condition on shareholders.	Holders of any Premium Residency product; the Real Estate Owner product is built around SAR 4m of developed, unmortgaged residential property.	Any foreign individual with a Saudi brokerage account; no faith condition in the CMA rules.	Non-Saudis have been able to subscribe since 2021.
Money in	The full price, paid through the portal before title transfers.	No more than 5% to reserve; the balance by milestones into the developer's escrow account.	Whatever the grantor charges for the term, as a lump sum or rent.	The price, plus what it costs to register the company, fund its capital and open a Saudi bank account.	SAR 800,000 once or SAR 100,000 a year for the standard permits, or the qualifying asset for the product-based ones.	From one share; a single foreign investor stays below 10% of an issuer and all non-Saudis below 49%.	The fund's minimum ticket; the SEDCO Capital and Wahed suite announced in September 2026 has not published one.
Costs on top	5% transaction tax and the 2% non-Saudi fee; a broker's 2.5% if you use one.	5% transaction tax applies to off-plan sales; developer unit sales in the licence period are 0% for the non-Saudi fee.	A usufruct of more than 50 years falls inside the 5% transaction tax; the 2% fee applies to every real right.	The same 5% and 2% on the purchase; MISA's property-ownership registration for companies is free.	The purchase fees as for any owner; a SAR 4,000 application fee.	Brokerage only; no transaction tax or non-Saudi fee on shares.	The fund's management fee, in its terms.
Financing	Your own funds from abroad, since bank finance is for residents only.	The developer's payment plan, with escrow released as the building progresses.	Usually none, since you pay for the term itself.	Whatever the company can borrow on its own standing.	The qualifying property may not be financed or mortgaged.	Not needed.	Not applicable.
Time to complete	Three prerequisites first (a digital ID from a Saudi mission, plus a Saudi bank account and Saudi number), then the portal.	The same prerequisites, then the build, and you own on completion instead of at signing.	As for a purchase: prerequisites, then registration.	Registration with MISA (10 working days standard), a national unified number, then the portal as a company.	The residency application first, then a purchase like any resident.	Opening a brokerage account.	Subscription windows set by the fund.
Complexity	Lowest of the ownership routes	Low, if the project is on Wafi	Low to medium, since the contract does the work	Highest, because you are running a company	Medium, with two processes and two authorities	Lowest	Low
Ongoing overhead	None beyond owning: no company, no filings.	Watching milestones until handover.	The right ends with the term; nothing to sell at the end.	Disclose owners, keep a Saudi-ID representative, notify MISA within 15 days of any 5% transfer, annual filings.	Keep the qualifying property, and renew the annual permit each year.	None.	None beyond reading the reports.
Residency	No	No	No	Not from the property; the Investor residency needs SAR 7m and ten jobs.	Yes, which is the purpose of this route.	No	No

Complexity is our own assessment of the paperwork each route carries. Information, not legal advice.

Ask about your case

Our assistant answers from the sources on this site.

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Buying in your own name

Most families take this route. Article 2(4) of the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis grants a Muslim natural person the right to own property, meaning ownership itself, inside the designated zones of the two cities, whether the buyer lives in the Kingdom or abroad. Outside the zones an individual has no route at all, because the one-residence right that resident expatriates have elsewhere does not apply in Makkah and Madinah.

What it takes is set out in Article 2 of the Executive Regulations: a digital ID, a bank account in the Kingdom in your own name, and a Saudi phone number linked to that ID, all before you own. The digital ID for someone abroad starts at a Saudi embassy or consulate; residents apply directly with their Iqama number. Since July 2026 a Saudi bank may open the account remotely on the digital ID, a passport copy, your home address, the Saudi number and an authenticated statement from your home bank. Payment is completed through the portal before the title transfers in the Real Estate Registry.

On top of the price come the 5% real estate transaction tax, the 2% non-Saudi ownership fee that applies in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, and a broker’s 2.5% if you engage one. Finance is harder, because Saudi banks’ home finance is written for residents (Al Rajhi’s, for instance, is open to Saudis and resident expatriates with a salary from SAR 7,000), and market guides agree that a buyer abroad pays from their own funds or through a developer’s plan.

Buying off-plan through Wafi

A new unit in a zone is usually sold before it is finished, and the Kingdom regulates that sale through Wafi. A developer marketing off-plan must hold a Wafi licence and an escrow agreement with a licensed Saudi bank, may take no more than 5% of the unit’s value as a reservation, and must pay everything you hand over into escrow. Escrow is released to the developer against construction progress, which is what protects your instalments.

The tax position is the same as a ready unit: an off-plan sale is inside the 5% transaction tax. The 2% non-Saudi fee is zero-rated on a developer’s unit sales within its licence period plus one year. The cost is time, since you own at handover instead of at signing, so the developer’s Wafi listing and its disclosed handover terms are the documents to read first.

A long-term usufruct

Usufruct (حق الانتفاع) is a registered right to use and benefit from a property for a fixed term while the title stays with the owner. In the two cities it is available for up to 99 years, and on the official zone cards that figure is the maximum usufruct duration, shown separately from the allowed ownership percentage. It suits someone who wants decades of use for less than a purchase would cost, or whose position is framed in usufruct terms, such as a Premium Residency holder under that law’s own wording.

There are two costs to model. A usufruct of more than 50 years is within the 5% transaction tax, calculated on the present value of the right or of the rent for the whole period, whichever is higher. The 2% fee also applies to any real right a non-Saudi acquires, ownership or otherwise. When the term ends the right ends with it, and there is nothing to sell.

Through a Saudi company you own

This route draws the most questions. Under Article 3 of the law a Saudi-incorporated company with non-Saudi shareholders may own in the zones, while a company incorporated abroad cannot own in the two cities at all. The Executive Regulations make the holy-city position explicit: Article 8(3) lets a non-listed Saudi company with one or more non-Saudi shareholders own inside the designated scope, including Makkah and Madinah, without Ministry of Investment approval, while the purpose test and the approval requirement in Article 8(1)–(2) apply to its purchases outside the zones.

You also take on the company. Article 3 of the regulations requires it to register with the Ministry of Investment, disclose its direct and indirect owners, appoint a representative who holds a Saudi ID, open a Saudi bank account, and notify the Ministry within 15 days of any transfer of 5% or more of its shares. The Ministry’s Investor Guide gives a standard 10 working days for an investment registration and lists the registration of a non-Saudi company for the purpose of property ownership as a free service on the same timescale. REGA’s portal then treats the company as its own track: register through Invest Saudi, obtain a national unified number, complete the purchase electronically.

A business outlet reported shareholding caps for such companies in the two cities, 49% non-Saudi ownership in total and 5% per non-Saudi shareholder, that do not appear in the regulations as published. Confirm the position on the zone’s official card and with the Ministry before you build a structure around it. The property does not bring residency with it either, since the Investor Premium Residency is built around SAR 7 million and ten jobs.

With Premium Residency

Premium Residency is a residency permit that can be combined with ownership. A Muslim holder owns in the zones under the 2026 law, because Article 5 of that law preserves Premium Residency rights. The permit brings the right to live in the Kingdom with family without a sponsor, to travel without exit and re-entry visas, to work and do business, and to sponsor relatives’ visits.

The standard permits are priced at SAR 800,000 once, or SAR 100,000 a year, with a SAR 4,000 application fee. The Real Estate Owner product is built around residential property worth at least SAR 4 million, developed, free of mortgages and valued by an accredited valuer. The qualifying property may not be bought with financing or mortgaged afterwards. Whether a holy-city unit counts toward that threshold is a question for the Premium Residency Centre, and our residency guide sets out what the sources say.

Shares and funds

If you want an investment instead of a home, the exchange is open to you. Since 27 January 2025 foreigners may buy shares or convertible debt of Saudi-listed companies that own property in Makkah and Madinah, with combined non-Saudi ownership capped at 49% and foreign strategic investors excluded. Since 1 February 2026 a foreign individual can hold listed shares directly through a Saudi brokerage, with any single non-resident foreign investor kept below 10% of an issuer. Jadwa REIT Al Haramain, which holds Makkah hotels, is the main holy-city example.

With a fund, a manager buys and runs the assets for you. Non-Saudis have been able to subscribe to real-estate funds investing in the two cities since 2021, and Tadawul-listed companies, licensed funds and special-purpose vehicles may own holy-city property under the CMA’s rules. SEDCO Capital and Wahed announced a publicly offered, Shariah-compliant Makkah and Madinah suite on 7 September 2026, without a launch date or minimum. Neither route gives you a key or a residency. The companies and funds we can source are on one page, shares and funds, with what each owns beside the Haram in its own words and its exchange symbol.

Three special cases

Resident expatriates

Inside the zones a Muslim resident buys like anyone else, applying directly on the portal with an Iqama number, and, unlike a buyer abroad, can borrow from a Saudi bank. The one-residence right outside the zones does not reach the two cities, and a spouse and children under 25 count as the resident’s dependants for it.

GCC nationals

The GCC ownership statute, preserved by Article 5 of the 2026 law, gives GCC citizens the same treatment as Saudis when buying, leasing and inheriting property. A&O Shearman reads the 2026 law as removing the statute’s old holy-city exclusion, so that Muslim GCC nationals own in the two cities on the same footing as Saudis.

Inheritance and gifts

Division of an estate is a zero-rated disposal for the 2% fee, and ZATCA treats estate division within lawful shares and notarised gifts to a spouse or close relatives as outside the transaction tax. How a non-Saudi’s holy-city property passes on death is a question to put to a Saudi lawyer when you buy.

Arrangements to avoid

If you buy in a Saudi friend’s or relative’s name, the deed is theirs and you own nothing. The 2026 regulations carry fines of 0.1% to 5% of the value of the right, capped at SAR 10 million, and a forced sale where the breach was intentional misrepresentation. A company incorporated outside the Kingdom cannot own in the two cities. Check any listing that promises a unit “in a zone” against the official map.

Choosing a route

For a home, buy in your own name. For a new build, buy off-plan through Wafi, and for use without title, take a usufruct. Set up a company only if you would run one anyway, add Premium Residency if you want to live here, and buy shares or fund units if you want an investment without a key. Then ask us which projects are selling in which zone, what each developer has published, and which licensed professional should look at your contract.

Common questions

Or ask us, and our assistant answers from the same sources.

Which route is right for a family that wants a home to use for Umrah and Ramadan?

Buying in your own name inside a designated zone. It puts a title deed in your name with no company or permit to keep up, and a Muslim individual qualifies whether resident or abroad.

Can I set up a company just to hold the apartment?

A Saudi-incorporated company with non-Saudi shareholders may own inside the Makkah and Madinah zones without Ministry of Investment approval under Executive Regulations Art. 8(3). You take on a company to register, disclose and maintain. One press report also describes shareholding caps for such companies in the two cities that the regulations as published do not contain, so confirm the position on the zone’s official card before choosing this route.

Can I get a mortgage from abroad?

Saudi banks’ home finance is offered to Saudis and resident expatriates; market guides agree that a buyer living abroad funds the purchase from their own money or through a developer’s payment plan. The SAMA rule of July 2026 lets a bank open an account for the purchase and says nothing about lending against it.

Does buying give me residency?

Not by itself. Premium Residency’s Real Estate Owner product is built around SAR 4 million of developed, unmortgaged residential property; the Investor product around SAR 7 million and ten jobs. A Muslim holder can own inside the zones under the 2026 law.

What about buying in a Saudi friend's or relative's name?

The deed would be theirs, so you would not own the property, and the 2026 regulations carry fines of up to 5% of the property’s value and a forced sale for intentional misrepresentation. All seven routes put the right in your own name, your company’s or a regulated fund’s.

Is a REIT or fund the same as owning?

No. A unit or share is a financial interest you can sell on the exchange; it gives no right to occupy and no residency. It suits a budget below the price of a unit, or someone who wants a stake without the work of owning one.

Sources

REGA — law text, Art. 2(4) · 25 Jul 2025
Article 2(4) of the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis (Royal Decree M/14, in force 22 January 2026) limits the non-Saudi right to own property (تملك) and to acquire other real rights over it in Makkah and Madinah to Muslim natural persons, and the right it restricts is ownership itself, so a Muslim individual may own inside the designated zones and is not limited to usufruct.
REGA — law text, Art. 2(3) · 25 Jul 2025
In Makkah and Madinah, non-Saudi purchases are only possible inside the designated geographic zones; the 'one residence outside zones' right for residents does not apply to the two holy cities.
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 2 · 3 Jul 2026
Executive Regulations Art. 2 set three prerequisites for a non-resident non-Saudi individual before owning: a digital ID, a bank account in the Kingdom in their own name, and a Saudi phone number in their name linked to the digital ID.
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 8(3) · 3 Jul 2026
Under Executive Regulations Art. 8(3), a Saudi-incorporated company that is not listed on the Saudi Exchange and has one or more non-Saudi shareholders may own property, or acquire other real rights over it, inside the designated geographic scope (including Makkah and Madinah) without obtaining Ministry of Investment approval.
REGA — Q&A on the updated Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis
REGA's official Q&A on the updated law states that ownership in Makkah and Madinah is restricted to Muslim individuals and to Saudi companies with non-Saudi shareholders.
ZATCA — RETT · 10 Apr 2025
Real Estate Transaction Tax is 5% of the transaction value (RETT Law M/84 of 1446H, effective 10 April 2025).
Gulf Business — REGA clarification · 8 Jul 2026
The non-Saudi ownership fee is set at 2% in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah under Executive Regulations Art. 9; the law caps it at 5%.
Premium Residency Law (English, MISA) · 1 Nov 2024
Usufruct rights in Makkah and Madinah of up to 99 years remain available (zone cards show 99 years; Premium Residency Law Art. 2(1)(e)).
REGA — Wafi off-plan sales and lease platform
Under Wafi's marketing licence conditions a developer may not receive more than 5% of the value of each real estate unit as a reservation amount.
Gulf News — Premium Residency options · 11 Jan 2024
The Premium Residency Real Estate Owner track requires residential property worth at least SAR 4 million, developed, free of mortgages, and valued by a Taqeem-accredited valuer.
CMA announcement via GlobeNewswire · 28 Jan 2025
On 27 January 2025 the Capital Market Authority allowed foreign investors to buy shares or convertible debt of Saudi-listed companies that own real estate in Makkah and Madinah, with combined non-Saudi ownership capped at 49% of a company's shares and foreign strategic investors excluded.
CMA announcement via GlobeNewswire · 28 Jan 2025
Non-Saudis have been permitted since 2021 to subscribe to real estate funds that invest within the boundaries of Makkah and Madinah, according to the Capital Market Authority.
REGA — system enters into force · 22 Jan 2026
In Makkah and Madinah, non-Saudi ownership and real rights are limited to Muslim natural persons (Law Art. 2(4)); REGA states this applies whether residing inside or outside the Kingdom.
REGA — Non-Saudi Property Ownership System Enters into Force as of Today · 22 Jan 2026
REGA states that residents apply directly on the Saudi Properties portal with their Iqama number, while for non-residents the journey begins at Saudi embassies and representations abroad, which issue the digital identity used to complete the application on the portal.
SAMA Rulebook — 200.2.4 Non-Saudi Natural Persons Outside Saudi Arabia Covered by the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis · 1 Jul 2026
SAMA rule 200.2.4, added by circular 482004268 of 1 July 2026, lets Saudi banks open accounts for non-Saudi individuals living abroad who are covered by the ownership law, on presentation of the digital ID, a passport copy, the home address and a Saudi contact number linked to the digital ID, any contract with a licensed broker or developer, and bank details plus an authenticated statement from the customer's home bank.
Saudi Gazette — Saudi Arabia unveils detailed rules for foreign property ownership (3 July 2026) · 3 Jul 2026
All financial transactions for a non-Saudi's property purchase must be completed through electronic payment systems approved under Saudi Central Bank regulations before the title is transferred through the Real Estate Registry (Regulations Art. 6).
Real Estate Registry · 9 Sep 2026
The property must be registered in the Real Estate Registry (rer.sa); unregistered deeds are looked up at the Ministry of Justice.
REGA — Real Estate Brokerage Law · 9 Sep 2026
Broker commission defaults to 2.5% of the transaction value unless agreed otherwise in writing, paid by the party who engaged the broker (Brokerage Law Art. 14).
Al Rajhi Bank — Home Finance
Al Rajhi Bank offers its Home Finance to Saudis and resident expatriates with a salary from SAR 7,000 (with salary transfer) or SAR 10,000 (without), at least 3 months in service, terms up to 30 years, up to age 70 and up to SAR 5 million — residency in the Kingdom is a condition.
Omnia Capital Group — Common pitfalls when buying property in Saudi Arabia from abroad · 10 May 2026
Market guides published between January and August 2026 agree that Saudi bank mortgages are in practice not available to non-residents living abroad, because banks require Saudi residency and locally evidenced income, so non-resident buyers generally fund in cash or through developer payment plans.
REGA — Wafi off-plan sales and lease platform
A Wafi off-plan licence requires an escrow account agreement between the developer and a licensed bank in the Kingdom, and a developer that takes reservation amounts during marketing must deposit all of them into that escrow account.
Raghdan Real Estate — Complete guide to off-plan sales in Saudi Arabia (Wafi) · 17 Dec 2025
Two secondary guides state that buyer payments in a Wafi project are held in the project escrow account and released to the developer according to construction progress, with disbursement depending on completion percentages assessed by the supervising engineering office.
ZATCA — Detailed Guideline for the Real Estate Transaction Tax, version 6 (May 2026), section 4.3 table
An off-plan sale of a real estate unit is a taxable RETT transaction, with the tax due on or before the date the ownership transfer is notarised.
National Law Review — implementing regulations · 6 Jul 2026
Zero-rated cases for the non-Saudi fee include estate division, court orders, donations to the state or waqf, resale to the original owner within 180 days, co-owner partition, and developer unit sales within the licence period plus one year.
REGA — Wafi off-plan sales and lease platform
Wafi requires the developer to disclose the current status of the project and future plans, and to use a sales agreement form with handover dates specified by day.
Saudi Properties portal — zone card labels (zones.rules, English)
On the Saudi Properties portal's zone cards, allowed ownership percentage and usufruct duration are two separate labelled fields, each filled from its own value, so the 99 years is the longest usufruct term a card can show and does not limit ownership.
Legal 500 / Batic Law Firm — Premium Residency documents · 5 Dec 2024
The Real Estate Owner product accepts either ownership or a usufruct right over qualifying residential property worth at least SAR 4 million, and the residency lasts as long as that ownership or usufruct lasts.
ZATCA — Detailed Guideline for the Real Estate Transaction Tax, version 6 (May 2026), section 4.2
A usufruct right granted for more than 50 years is within the scope of RETT, calculated on the present value of the fair market value of the usufruct right or of the rent for the whole period, whichever is higher.
REGA — law text, Art. 9 · 25 Jul 2025
The non-Saudi ownership fee is levied by REGA on 'the value of a non-Saudi's disposition of real rights in property in the Kingdom' (Law Art. 9; Executive Regulations Art. 9), wording that does not state whether purchase, sale or both are covered.
Greenberg Traurig — implementing regulations · 6 Jul 2026
Foreign-incorporated companies and non-profits cannot own in Makkah and Madinah; Saudi-incorporated companies with foreign shareholders may own inside the zones (Law Art. 3).
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 8(1)–(2) · 3 Jul 2026
Outside the designated scope, Executive Regulations Art. 8(1)–(2) let a non-listed Saudi company with non-Saudi shareholders own property only to carry on its activities or to house its workers, and only with prior Ministry of Investment approval — a purpose test that does not apply to its purchases inside the zones.
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 3 · 3 Jul 2026
Executive Regulations Art. 3 require a non-Saudi company to register with the Ministry of Investment, disclose its direct and indirect owners, appoint a representative who holds a Saudi ID, open a Saudi bank account, and notify the Ministry within 15 days of any transfer of 5% or more of its ownership.
MISA — Investor Guide, 13th edition · 1 Jun 2026
MISA's Investor Guide (13th edition, 2026) lists a standard processing time of 10 working days for a foreign investment registration, with the registration fee set by the Ministry on approval and payable within 15 business days.
MISA — Investor Guide, 13th edition · 1 Jun 2026
MISA's Investor Guide lists a dedicated service, "Registration of Non-Saudi Companies for the Purpose of Real Estate Ownership", with no fee and a 10-working-day processing time, requiring an embassy-authenticated commercial register, the articles of association and a representative's authorisation.
REGA via PR Newswire — Saudi Properties portal to accept applications · 23 Jun 2026
REGA's 23 June 2026 announcement describes three tracks on the Saudi Properties portal: residents apply with their residency number and automated eligibility checks; non-residents first obtain a digital ID from Saudi missions abroad; non-Saudi companies register with the Ministry of Investment through Invest Saudi and obtain a national unified number before completing ownership electronically.
Arab News — five new Premium Residency products · 10 Jan 2024
The Investor Premium Residency grants permanent residency for an investment of SAR 7 million that creates at least 10 jobs within the first two years, backed by an investment registration and a commercial registration.
REGA — law text, Art. 2(4) read with Art. 5 · 25 Jul 2025
A Premium Residency holder who is a Muslim natural person may own property inside the designated zones of Makkah and Madinah under the 2026 Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis (Art. 2(4)), because Art. 5 of that law preserves Premium Residency rights; the older Premium Residency Law wording (ownership only outside the two holy cities, usufruct of up to 99 years inside) no longer states the governing rule for such a buyer.
REGA — law text, Art. 5 · 25 Jul 2025
Article 5 of the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis states that the law does not prejudice the Premium Residency Law, the GCC-citizen ownership rules, or any other law giving non-Saudis better ownership rights.
Al-Thomali Lawyer — Premium Residency 2026 categories · 7 Sep 2026
Premium Residency holders may live in Saudi Arabia with eligible family members without a sponsor, travel in and out without exit and re-entry visas, work in the private sector, do business under the investment rules, issue visit visas for relatives and employ domestic workers.
Henley & Partners — Saudi Arabia Premium Residency
Premium Residency is priced at a one-time SAR 800,000 for the unlimited-duration permit or SAR 100,000 per year for the renewable permit, with a SAR 4,000 application fee per product.
Legal 500 / Batic Law Firm — Premium Residency documents · 5 Dec 2024
For the Real Estate Owner product the property may not be bought with real estate financing and may not be mortgaged before or after the residency is granted.
Greenberg Traurig — Saudi Arabia abolishes QFI status · 15 Jan 2026
The Capital Market Authority announced on 6 January 2026, effective 1 February 2026, that all categories of foreign investors, institutional and individual, may invest directly in the Saudi main market through licensed Saudi brokerages without Qualified Foreign Investor status, keeping the 49% aggregate and 10% single-investor ownership caps and sector-specific restrictions.
Gibson Dunn — Saudi CMA liberalises foreign investment access · 29 Jan 2026
Under the CMA rules in force from 1 February 2026 a non-resident foreign investor that is not a strategic investor may not own 10% or more of a listed issuer's shares, the Qualified Foreign Investor regime is abolished, and foreign individuals may hold listed securities directly.
Jadwa — REIT Al Haramain · 10 Sep 2026
Jadwa REIT Al Haramain is a closed-end Shariah-compliant traded REIT focused on Makkah and Madinah whose assets include the Tharawat Al-Taqwa hotel (acquired 2017 for SAR 250 million), Tharawat Al-Andaloseya hotel (2017, SAR 379 million) and the Tharawat Wadi Ibrahim hotel redevelopment (2020, SAR 160 million), all in Makkah.
REGA — law text · 25 Jul 2025
Tadawul-listed companies, licensed funds and SPVs may own real estate Kingdom-wide including Makkah and Madinah under CMA rules (Law Art. 4).
PR Newswire — SEDCO Capital × Wahed · 7 Sep 2026
The SEDCO Capital and Wahed suite is described as an intended, publicly offered, Shariah-compliant real estate investment suite focused on Makkah and Madinah for eligible investors including Wahed's 500,000 global investor base; no launch date, minimum ticket or fund terms were given in the 7 September 2026 announcement.
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 7 · 3 Jul 2026
Under Executive Regulations Art. 7 a resident non-Saudi's spouse and non-Saudi descendants count as dependants for the one-residence right: none of them may separately own a home unless the marriage ends or the descendant turns 25.
Bureau of Experts — Statute of Real Estate Ownership by GCC Citizens
The GCC Statute of Real Estate Ownership by GCC Citizens, in force in Saudi Arabia, lets GCC nationals and wholly GCC-owned entities buy, lease and inherit land and buildings for residential or investment purposes with the same treatment as citizens, subject to developing land within four years of registration.
ZATCA — Detailed Guideline for the Real Estate Transaction Tax, version 6 (May 2026)
ZATCA's RETT guideline treats a transfer resulting from the division of an estate within the lawful shares, and a notarised gift to a spouse or a relative up to the third degree, as outside the 5% real estate transaction tax.
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations, Art. 12 · 3 Jul 2026
Executive Regulations Art. 12: breaches of the ownership rules carry a fine of 0.1% to 5% of the value of the real right, capped at SAR 10 million, a forced sale where the breach was intentional misrepresentation, and a correction period set by REGA's committee of between 10 and 180 days.
Saudi Properties portal — zones · 23 Jun 2026
The official interactive map of designated zones is published on the Saudi Properties portal at saudiproperties.rega.gov.sa/zones.
Reported by Enterprise AM
Enterprise AM — Mapping the real estate foreign ownership zones · 30 Jun 2026
Enterprise AM reported that a Saudi company with foreign shareholding may own in Makkah and Madinah only if non-Saudi ownership of the company does not exceed 49% and no single non-Saudi shareholder holds more than 5% — figures that do not appear in the Executive Regulations as published.
Reported by A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman — New foreign ownership law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · 14 Jul 2026
A&O Shearman's reading of the 2026 law is that it abrogates Article 4 of the GCC real-estate statute, which had excluded Makkah and Madinah from GCC nationals' ownership rights, so that Muslim GCC nationals may own in the two holy cities on the same footing as Saudis.

Where each fact above comes from, with the source’s own date where it gives one.

Information, not legal or financial advice.