Where foreigners can buy in Makkah and Madinah

A Muslim buyer from abroad can only own inside the geographic zones the Cabinet approved on 23 June 2026. The Saudi Properties portal draws twelve of them in Makkah and ten in Madinah, and its map is the authority for any plot.

Updated 10 September 20268 min readNext What will it cost?

In brief

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
The Cabinet approved the Executive Regulations (decision 9) and the geographic scopes (decision 10) on 23 June 2026, and applications opened the same day on the Saudi Properties portal.
SPA · 23 Jun 2026
The designated zones named in Makkah are Abraj Makkah, Al-Manar, Burj Ajyad, King Salman Gate, Tilal Village, Jabal Omar, Thakher (Dhakhir) Makkah, Dahiyat Sumou, Masar, and Makkah Zones 1 and 2, eleven named areas in all.
Arab News · 24 Jun 2026
The designated zones named in Madinah are Al-Ghurra, Madinah Zones 1 and 2, Al-Mahwa, Darat Al-Hijra, Downtown Madinah, Diyar Al-Maqar, Rua Al-Madinah, Knowledge Economic City, and Mishraf, ten named areas in all.
Arab News · 24 Jun 2026
The official interactive map of designated zones is published on the Saudi Properties portal at saudiproperties.rega.gov.sa/zones.
Saudi Properties portal · 23 Jun 2026
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

Every zone by walking time

Makkah

Each walk is the least it can take, from the zone’s nearest edge to the Grand Mosque at the published pace. Any route on foot takes longer.

Burj Ajyad برج أجياد 5–6 min none listed
Abraj Makkah أبراج مكة 5–6 min none listed
Jabal Omar جبل عمر 7–8 min 1 project
King Salman Gate بوابة الملك سلمان 10–12 min 1 project
Masar مسار 12–14 min 4 projects
Makkah Zone 2 مكة المكرمة – منطقة (2) 18–22 min none listed
Thakher Makkah ذاخر مكة 28–33 min 1 project
Makkah Zone 1 مكة المكرمة – منطقة (1) 35–41 min none listed
Makkah Zone 3 مكة المكرمة – منطقة (3) 52–62 min none listed
Tilal Village تلال فيليج 6.4 km, too far to walk none listed
Al-Manar المنار 14.6 km, too far to walk 1 project
Dahiyat Sumou ضاحية سمو 16.7 km, too far to walk none listed

Madinah

Each walk is the least it can take, from the zone’s nearest edge to the Prophet's Mosque at the published pace. Any route on foot takes longer.

Rua Al-Madinah رؤى المدينة 10–11 min 1 project
Madinah Zone 1 المدينة المنورة – منطقة (1) 10–12 min none listed
Downtown Madinah داون تاون المدينة 42–51 min none listed
Madinah Zone 2 المدينة المنورة – منطقة (2) 44–53 min none listed
Darat Al-Hijra دار الهجرة 44–53 min 1 project
Knowledge Economic City مدينة المعرفة الاقتصادية 4.8 km, too far to walk 1 project
Al-Mahwa المهوى 8.3 km, too far to walk none listed
Mishraf مشراف 8.9 km, too far to walk none listed
Al-Ghurra الغرة 10.8 km, too far to walk none listed
Diyar Al-Maqar ديار المقر 12.4 km, too far to walk none listed

Ask about your case

Our assistant answers from the sources on this site.

Ask a question

Where can a foreigner buy in Madinah?Film, 1:08Zullfa

The zone rule in Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina) is stricter than elsewhere in the Kingdom, because a resident’s right to one home outside the zones does not apply in the two holy cities. Applications opened on the Saudi Properties portal on 23 June 2026, the day the Cabinet approved the list of zones together with the executive regulations. Each of the portal’s 22 zones, twelve in Makkah and ten in Madinah, permits both full ownership and a usufruct of up to 99 years for Muslim individuals. Earlier press lists named eleven Makkah areas, which is why counts differed.

What a zone is, legally

The Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis gives a Muslim individual the right to own in the two holy cities whether they live in Saudi Arabia or not. But that text does not say where. That question is answered by a separate Cabinet decision on “geographic scopes”, approved on 23 June 2026 as decision 10, at the same sitting that approved the executive regulations as decision 9.

A zone is therefore an area the Cabinet has named in that decision, whatever a developer or an estate agent calls a district. Inside it the ownership right applies, and outside it, in Makkah and Madinah, the right does not exist. The “one residence outside the zones” allowance that residents enjoy in other Saudi cities does not apply to the two holy cities.

Zones and the Haram boundary

Two lines get confused, and they are drawn by different authorities for different purposes. An ownership zone says who may buy: a mapped area named by the Cabinet, inside which a non-Saudi’s right to own exists and outside which, in these two cities, it does not. The Haram boundary says where the sacred precinct ends: it runs along the rainwater divide on the surrounding ridges and is marked on the ground; its nearest marker is about 5.2 km from the Kaaba, at Al-Tan‘eem, and its farthest about 21.2 km away, on Jabal al-Muwashshah to the west. It carries the ihram rules and, in Makkah, the restriction of entry to Muslims, and it says nothing about ownership.

The two overlap without matching. A development can sit inside the sacred precinct and outside every ownership zone at the same time: NHC describes Rihab Makkah Gate as its first integrated residential destination inside the Haram boundary, and it is not in any designated zone. Being outside the zones does not mean being outside the Haram, and a project close to the mosque is not open to a foreign buyer for that reason alone.

The Real Estate General Authority (REGA) implements the system but does not draw the zones itself. When EnterpriseAM asked in August 2026 whether the zones could grow, REGA described the geographic scope as “a regulatory tool to guide real estate growth and align ownership prospects with cities’ development needs and growth capacity”. The zones are policy and can change, so treat the current map as today’s answer.

The Makkah zones

The Makkah Zone Plate · the 4 km around the Grand Mosque2026-09-19 edition

Within an hour on foot
Beyond an hour on foot
Residential building only
Sacred precinct, signposted

Boundaries: Saudi Properties portal, 19 Sep 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0. Drawing © Zullfa.

The figure’s data as a table

Every designated zone on The Makkah Zone Plate, from the boundaries the Saudi Properties portal published on 19 Sep 2026. Distances are measured on the full boundary.
Zone	Register code	On the register	Area	Nearest edge	Farthest edge	On foot, at least	What may be built
Burj Ajyad	L197	Ajyad tower · برج أجياد	0.6 ha	310 m	430 m	5–6 min	All six property uses
Abraj Makkah	L1048	Makkah Towre Building · أبراج مكة	1.3 ha	320 m	510 m	5–6 min	All six property uses
Jabal Omar	L008	Jabal Omar · جبل عمر	24 ha	450 m	920 m	7–8 min	All six property uses
King Salman Gate	L062	Rou’a Al Haram Al Makki · بوابة الملك سلمان	96 ha	690 m	1.7 km	10–12 min	All six property uses
Masar	L051	Masar · مسار	1.4 km²	820 m	4.6 km	12–14 min	All six property uses
Makkah Zone 2	L056	Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Zone (2) · مكة المكرمة – منطقة (2)	69 ha	1.3 km	2.7 km	18–22 min	All six property uses
Thakher Makkah	L052	Thakher Makkah · ذاخر مكة	30 ha	2.0 km	3.0 km	28–33 min	Residential building only
Makkah Zone 1	L055	Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Zone (1) · مكة المكرمة – منطقة (1)	70 ha	2.4 km	3.9 km	35–41 min	All six property uses
Makkah Zone 3	L337	Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Zone (3) · مكة المكرمة – منطقة (3)	1.3 km²	3.7 km	5.4 km	52–62 min	All six property uses
Tilal Village	L360	Tilal Village · تلال فيليج	34 ha	6.4 km	7.2 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Al-Manar	L053	ALMANAR · المنار	57 ha	14.6 km	15.9 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Dahiyat Sumou	L054	Sumou suburb · ضاحية سمو	1.7 km²	16.7 km	18.7 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses

29 signposted crossings of the Makkah sacred precinct are drawn on this figure, 5.5 km to 21.3 km from the Grand Mosque. The sacred precinct is drawn on this figure as a line, for orientation. It runs through the 29 signposted crossings, taken in bearing order from the Grand Mosque; the signs are real objects and the line between them is ours. Nothing on this site is measured from it, and it decides nothing about ownership: the precinct and the designated zones are two different lines. Where it matters where the boundary runs, the signs on the ground are the authority. Zone boundaries: Saudi Properties portal, retrieved 19 Sep 2026, simplified to 10 m for drawing. Roads, rail, stations, landmarks and precinct signage: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0, retrieved 19 Sep 2026. Drawing © Zullfa, zullfa.com.

The Makkah areas named in the June 2026 decision are Abraj Makkah, Al-Manar, Burj Ajyad, King Salman Gate, Tilal Village, Jabal Omar, Thakher (Dhakhir) Makkah, Dahiyat Sumou, Masar, and Makkah Zones 1 and 2.

Many of these names are also the names of large projects, so the zone map and the project map overlap. The projects listed on this site inside them are:

Masar, where the Masar Destination’s website lists 22 developers with plots, including Arabian Dyar (Diyar Al Haram), Al Rajhi United, Retal (Roya Al Haram), Al Ramz, Rekan (Jiwar Tower) and Dar Al-Majed (Majdiah).
Jabal Omar, where the Jabal Omar Development Company told the Saudi Exchange on 28 June 2026 that it will offer 400 existing hotel residential units for sale during 2026 as a first phase.
King Salman Gate, where the PIF project next to the Haram plans around 50,000 residential units and 16,000 hotel keys, describes itself as open to all Muslims worldwide, and has not launched sales; only interest registration is open.
Thakher Makkah, with hotel apartments under the Novotel Residence Makkah and Radisson Residence Makkah brands, marketed by Thakher Development with the line “own and live in your hotel apartment now”.
Al-Manar, home of ROSHN’s Almanar community, launched for sale in February 2025 with 727 townhouses and villas about 20 minutes from the Haram.

Abraj Makkah, Burj Ajyad, Tilal Village and Dahiyat Sumou are on the list; no project inside them is listed on this site yet, so their pages carry the zone’s rules and the map, and we add the projects as developers publish them.

What the numbered zones are

Two entries on each city’s list carry numbers in place of names. No official English description of the districts these numbered zones cover has been published, as far as we have found. One third-party Saudi property guide, updated on 27 June 2026, lists a “Zone (3)” for Makkah alongside Zones (1) and (2), which would explain why some reports count twelve Makkah zones and others eleven. That is one guide’s reading. If a seller tells you a building is “in a numbered zone”, open the official map and look.

The Madinah zones

The Madinah Zone Plate · the 4 km around the Prophet's Mosque2026-09-19 edition

Within an hour on foot
Beyond an hour on foot
Residential building only
Sacred precinct, approximate

Boundaries: Saudi Properties portal, 19 Sep 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0. Drawing © Zullfa.

The figure’s data as a table

Every designated zone on The Madinah Zone Plate, from the boundaries the Saudi Properties portal published on 19 Sep 2026. Distances are measured on the full boundary.
Zone	Register code	On the register	Area	Nearest edge	Farthest edge	On foot, at least	What may be built
Rua Al-Madinah	L048	Rua Al Madinah · رؤى المدينة	1.4 km²	650 m	1.8 km	10–11 min	Residential building only
Madinah Zone 1	L354	Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah – Zone (1) · المدينة المنورة – منطقة (1)	59 ha	710 m	1.7 km	10–12 min	All six property uses
Downtown Madinah	L200	Downtown Madinah · داون تاون المدينة	41 ha	3.0 km	4.2 km	42–51 min	All six property uses
Madinah Zone 2	L300	Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah – Zone (2) · المدينة المنورة – منطقة (2)	58 ha	3.1 km	4.4 km	44–53 min	All six property uses
Darat Al-Hijra	L011	Dar Al Hijrah · دار الهجرة	1.1 km²	3.2 km	5.1 km	44–53 min	All six property uses
Knowledge Economic City	L023	Knowledge Economic City · مدينة المعرفة الاقتصادية	6.8 km²	4.8 km	9.2 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Al-Mahwa	L316	Al-Mahwa · المهوى	30 ha	8.3 km	9.1 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Mishraf	L211	Mishraf · مشراف	47 ha	8.9 km	9.7 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Al-Ghurra	L311	Al-Ghurrah · الغرة	2.4 km²	10.8 km	13.3 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses
Diyar Al-Maqar	L312	Diyar Al-Muqarr · ديار المقر	19 ha	12.4 km	13.0 km	Beyond walking distance	All six property uses

The sacred precinct is drawn on this figure as a line, for orientation. No surveyed boundary for the haram of Madinah is published as open data, so this outline is traced from a circulated boundary map and fitted to the road network. It is approximate, to roughly 200 m. Nothing on this site is measured from it, and it decides nothing about ownership: the precinct and the designated zones are two different lines. Where it matters where the boundary runs, the signs on the ground are the authority. Zone boundaries: Saudi Properties portal, retrieved 19 Sep 2026, simplified to 10 m for drawing. Roads, rail, stations, landmarks and precinct signage: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0, retrieved 19 Sep 2026. Drawing © Zullfa, zullfa.com.

The Madinah areas named in the decision are Al-Ghurra, Madinah Zones 1 and 2, Al-Mahwa, Darat Al-Hijra, Downtown Madinah, Diyar Al-Maqar, Rua Al-Madinah, Knowledge Economic City, and Mishraf.

The projects listed on this site inside them are:

Knowledge Economic City (KEC), where the Tadawul-listed master developer describes its Al-Alya project as around 2,000 residential units of apartments, serviced apartments and 70 villas, plus a Hyatt Centric hotel, 10 minutes from the Prophet’s Mosque. KEC reported that 231 of the 351 units in the phase on sale were reserved by non-Saudi buyers by July 2026.
Rua Al-Madinah, where the PIF company markets Fairmont Residences Rua Al Madinah, next to the Prophet’s Mosque, through registrations of interest while sales are not yet open.
Darat Al-Hijra, where Rua Al Madinah Holding offers Dar Al Hijrah to investors as three shell-and-core hotel towers and four office towers, 10 minutes from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is a commercial offer with no homes for families.

Al-Ghurra, Al-Mahwa, Downtown Madinah, Diyar Al-Maqar and Mishraf are on the list, with no project listed on this site yet.

Why the counts differ

You will read different zone counts in different places. The Arab News list of 24 June 2026 names eleven Makkah areas, while EnterpriseAM reported twelve on 30 June 2026 and again on 13 August 2026, when it gave the full national picture as Jeddah 57, Riyadh 9, AlUla 17, Makkah 12 and Madinah 10. The explanation is the numbered “Zone (3)” described above: the portal lists it as Makkah’s twelfth zone, about 1.29 km² some 3.7 km south-west of the Grand Mosque, after one third-party guide had reported it. None of this changes what you can buy, and the map settles it for any plot.

How to read the official map

The official interactive map of the zones is published on the Saudi Properties portal at saudiproperties.rega.gov.sa/zones. REGA describes the portal as “the official platform for the Law” and lists a contact address and phone number for it, Saudiproperties@rega.gov.sa and 920017183.

To check a place, open the map, search for the neighbourhood or location you have been offered, and look at whether ownership is shown as available or not available there. Do this yourself, on the portal, before you rely on anything a seller has sent you. Do not rely on a screenshot in a brochure.

Ownership and usufruct in a zone

Inside a zone a Muslim individual owns, because Article 2(4) of the 2026 law restricts the right to own property in Makkah and Madinah to Muslim natural persons, and REGA states this applies whether the buyer lives inside or outside the Kingdom. Usufruct rights of up to 99 years remain available in both cities for a buyer who wants a long-term right without full ownership. On the official portal’s zone cards the 99-year figure is the maximum usufruct duration, shown as a separate field from the allowed ownership percentage. A post reproducing the Makkah card shows an allowed ownership percentage of 100% alongside that 99-year usufruct maximum, which we record from that post until we can read the card on the portal itself.

The zone pages on this site show, for each zone, who can buy, the allowed ownership percentage and the maximum usufruct term. The eligible buyer list is the same for every zone in the two cities: Muslim individuals, Saudi-incorporated companies with foreign shareholders inside the zones, and Tadawul-listed companies, licensed funds and SPVs under Capital Market Authority rules.

How the zones may expand

Nothing in the sources we have seen says the list is final. When EnterpriseAM asked whether the zones could expand, REGA said implementation outcomes will be monitored within the existing governance framework and that any changes to the approved zones will be announced only once its own review and approval procedures are complete. The same report noted that REGA attached no timeline to any expansion. Both statements come from a single press report, and we name it on each figure until REGA publishes them itself. If the list changes, our tracker page records the change as a new dated fact.

Checking a listing’s zone

Sellers will use the word “zone” freely. A short routine protects you:

Find the property on the official map yourself, using the neighbourhood name and the location, and confirm ownership shows as available.
Match the name to the Cabinet list and ignore marketing names, since “near Masar” is a different place from Masar.
Ask which named zone the deed sits in, and ask for the deed number, so you can check the title in the Real Estate Registry.
Remember that an advertisement itself needs a REGA licence, so ask for the ad licence number and check it.
If the seller cannot show the plot on the official map, stop.

Our verification guide goes through each of these checks step by step.

Start with the map

The zone system comes down to a list, one official map, and a rule for Muslim individuals that applies across all of it. Confirm on the portal that the building you are offered sits inside a named area, and only then look at price, developer and payment plan.

Common questions

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

What is a "zone" in legal terms?

A zone is an area named in the geographic scopes decision the Cabinet approved on 23 June 2026 alongside the executive regulations. Inside it a Muslim individual of any nationality can own; outside it, in Makkah and Madinah, a non-Saudi cannot buy at all.

How many zones are there in Makkah?

The Arab News list names eleven areas, while other outlets report twelve; one third-party guide lists a numbered “Zone (3)” that would explain the difference. The official map on the Saudi Properties portal is the authority for any specific plot.

Will more zones be added?

REGA has not ruled it out. In August 2026 it told EnterpriseAM the geographic scope is a regulatory tool and that any change to the approved zones would be announced only after its own review and approval procedures. It gave no timeline, and this is a single press report.

Can I check whether a specific building is inside a zone?

Open the interactive map on the Saudi Properties portal, search the neighbourhood, and view whether ownership shows as available there. Rely on the map, whatever a listing says.

Do I get full ownership or a long lease inside a zone?

Ownership. A Muslim individual can own inside the zones under Article 2(4) of the 2026 law; the portal’s zone cards show the allowed ownership percentage as its own field. Usufruct of up to 99 years remains available as an alternative, and the 99-year figure on the cards is the usufruct maximum and places no limit on ownership.

Where this applies

MasarZone in Makkah · 12–14 min on foot, at least
Jabal OmarZone in Makkah · 7–8 min on foot, at least
King Salman GateZone in Makkah · 10–12 min on foot, at least
Thakher MakkahZone in Makkah · 28–33 min on foot, at least

Sources

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.
SPA — Cabinet session · 23 Jun 2026
The Cabinet approved the Executive Regulations (decision 9) and the geographic scopes (decision 10) on 23 June 2026, and applications opened the same day on the Saudi Properties portal.
Arab News — zones list · 24 Jun 2026
The designated zones named in Makkah are Abraj Makkah, Al-Manar, Burj Ajyad, King Salman Gate, Tilal Village, Jabal Omar, Thakher (Dhakhir) Makkah, Dahiyat Sumou, Masar, and Makkah Zones 1 and 2, eleven named areas in all.
Arab News — zones list · 24 Jun 2026
The designated zones named in Madinah are Al-Ghurra, Madinah Zones 1 and 2, Al-Mahwa, Darat Al-Hijra, Downtown Madinah, Diyar Al-Maqar, Rua Al-Madinah, Knowledge Economic City, and Mishraf, ten named areas in all.
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.
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.
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.
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)).
Saudi Properties portal — zone list
The portal lists twelve designated zones in Makkah and ten in Madinah; the twelfth Makkah zone is 'Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Zone (3)', code L337 — about 1.29 km², its nearest boundary roughly 3.7 km south-west of the Grand Mosque, with the same ownership rules as the others.
Saudi Properties portal — zone list and ownership-rules cards
On the Saudi Properties portal every designated zone in the two holy cities carries an ownership-rules card allowing a 100% ownership share, a usufruct of up to 99 years and all ten real-rights types (ownership and usufruct among them) for Muslim natural persons.
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.
SPA — "رحاب بوابة مكة" مشروع نوعي من NHC بالعاصمة المقدسة · 17 Feb 2026
NHC's Rihab Makkah Gate is described by the Saudi Press Agency as the company's first integrated residential destination inside the Haram boundary, in the Makkah Gate destination on Prince Mohammed bin Salman Road, with 1,900 units on more than 217,000 m² and apartments of up to 164 m².
Masar Destination — Developers
The Masar Destination website lists 22 developers with plots inside the destination, including Arabian Dyar (Diyar Al Haram), Al Rajhi United, Retal (Roya Al Haram), Al Ramz, Rekan (Jiwar Tower) and Dar Al-Majed (Majdiah).
Saudi Exchange — Jabal Omar announces its strategy to capitalize on the inclusion of Jabal Omar within the geographic areas where non-Saudis may own real estate · 28 Jun 2026
In a Saudi Exchange announcement dated 28 June 2026, Jabal Omar Development Company said it will offer 400 existing hotel residential units for sale during 2026 as a first phase, with proceeds directed primarily to reducing the company's debt.
King Salman Gate — FAQ · 9 Sep 2026
King Salman Gate plans around 50,000 residential units and 16,000 hotel keys next to the Haram and describes itself as open to all Muslims worldwide; sales have not launched and only interest registration is open.
Thakher Development — home page
Thakher Development's website presents two residential hotel brands at Thakher Makkah, Novotel Residence Makkah and Radisson Residence Makkah, invites buyers to 'own and live in your hotel apartment now', and takes enquiries at 920010088 and info@thakher.com.sa.
BusinessWire — ROSHN Almanar · 18 Feb 2025
ROSHN launched sales of Almanar, its first fully integrated community in Makkah, in February 2025, with 727 townhouses and villas about 20 minutes from the Haram.
Knowledge Economic City press release — KEC continues the sales of Al-Alyaa residential project · 30 Sep 2025
KEC's press release of 30 September 2025 describes Al-Alya as around 2,000 residential units of contemporary apartments, serviced apartments and 70 villas, plus a Hyatt Centric hotel with 144 rooms and 480 Hyatt House serviced apartments, 10 minutes from the Prophet's Mosque.
Zawya — KEC non-Saudi sales · 24 Jul 2026
Knowledge Economic City reported that 231 of 351 units in its Al-Alya project in Madinah were reserved by non-Saudi buyers, worth more than SAR 547 million, by July 2026.
Rua Al Madinah Holding — home page
Rua Al Madinah Holding, a Public Investment Fund company, markets Fairmont Residences Rua Al Madinah next to the Prophet's Mosque with a 'register your interest' page at fairmontresidencesruaalmadinah.com rather than open sales.
Rua Al Madinah Holding — Dar Al Hijrah project
Rua Al Madinah Holding offers Dar Al Hijrah to investors as three shell-and-core hotel towers of approximately 380, 380 and 614 keys and four office towers, 10 minutes from the Prophet's Mosque and 5 minutes from Quba Mosque, within a masterplan of over 1.1 million sqm.
REGA — Non-Saudi Real Estate Ownership in Saudi Arabia (platform page)
REGA describes the Saudi Properties portal as 'the official platform for the Law' on real estate ownership by non-Saudis, and publishes a contact address (Saudiproperties@rega.gov.sa) and phone number (920017183) for it.
Skyline Holding — Foreign property ownership map in Saudi Arabia 2026 · 26 Jun 2026
To check a location, open the interactive zones map on the Saudi Properties portal, search for the neighbourhood or location, and view whether ownership is shown as available or not available there.
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).
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).
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 — ad licence inquiry service · 16 May 2024
Anyone can verify a real estate advertisement licence through REGA's ad-licence inquiry service by licence number, contract number or deed.
Saudi Properties portal — zone boundaries
Zone areas and distances on this site come from the boundaries the Saudi Properties portal publishes for each zone; a distance is the straight line from the nearest point of that boundary to the Grand Mosque or the Prophet's Mosque, so the walk is always longer.
FHWA — Capacity Analysis of Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities (FHWA-HRT-98-107) · 1 Feb 1998
The US Federal Highway Administration's pedestrian capacity study recommends a walking speed of 1.2 metres per second for most conditions, and 1.0 metres per second where more than a fifth of the people using a facility are aged 65 or over.
Reported by EnterpriseAM
EnterpriseAM — mapping the zones · 30 Jun 2026
Reported zone counts differ: one outlet reports 12 zones in Makkah and 10 in Madinah, while the Arab News list names 11 areas in Makkah and 10 in Madinah; the official map is the authority.
Reported by بوابة تعظيم البلد الحرام
بوابة تعظيم البلد الحرام — حدود الحرم المكّي الشريف
The boundary of the sacred precinct of Makkah (the Haram) runs along the rainwater divide on the surrounding ridges and is marked on the ground by boundary markers; the nearest marker is at Al-Tan‘eem to the north, about 5.2 km from the Kaaba, and the farthest is on Jabal al-Muwashshah on the western boundary, about 21.2 km away.
Reported by EnterpriseAM
EnterpriseAM — REGA leaves door open on more foreign-ownership zones, but won't say when · 13 Aug 2026
Asked in August 2026 whether the zones could expand, REGA told EnterpriseAM the geographic scope is 'a regulatory tool to guide real estate growth and align ownership prospects with cities' development needs and growth capacity', without attaching a timeline to any expansion.
Reported by Mulk KSA
Mulk KSA — REGA designated zones for foreign property ownership (2026) · 27 Jun 2026
A third-party Saudi property guide updated on 27 June 2026 lists twelve Makkah zones including a numbered 'Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Zone (3)' alongside Zones (1) and (2), which would account for the twelve-zone count; no official English description of what the numbered zones cover has been published.
Reported by EnterpriseAM
EnterpriseAM — REGA leaves door open on more foreign-ownership zones, but won't say when · 13 Aug 2026
EnterpriseAM reported on 13 August 2026 that the official map gives Jeddah 57 designated zones, Riyadh 9, AlUla 17, Makkah 12 and Madinah 10, with the last two restricted to Muslim buyers.
Reported by X post reproducing the portal's Makkah zone card
X post reproducing the portal's Makkah zone card
A post reproducing the Makkah zone card on the Saudi Properties portal shows ownership rules of all property types allowed, all right types allowed except priority credit (أولوية الائتمان), a usufruct duration of 99 years, an allowed ownership percentage of 100%, and the right to own limited to Muslim natural persons.
Reported by EnterpriseAM
EnterpriseAM — REGA leaves door open on more foreign-ownership zones, but won't say when · 13 Aug 2026
REGA said in August 2026 that implementation outcomes of the zones will be monitored within the existing governance framework and that any changes to the approved zones will be announced only once its own review and approval procedures are complete.

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

Information, not legal or financial advice.