Editorial standards

One sentence, one source

A record is one English sentence that stands on its own, with the number, date, law or fee inside it. It keeps the source’s address, the source’s own date, the source’s words in the original language when we have them, and its standing: confirmed, reported by one source, or replaced by a later rule. Pages mark each figure with a small brass mark, and the Sources list at the end of each page lists each marked fact with its source and date.

What counts as a source

Official: REGA, the Cabinet through the Saudi Press Agency, ZATCA, the Umm Al-Qura gazette, ministry portals, the Real Estate Registry.
Developers: Developer and master-developer publications, sales-centre statements, partner feeds, each about the developer’s own project.
Press: Specialist and general press, and law-firm briefings.
Data: Statistical releases and indices.

A figure is given as fact with an official source, a developer’s own publication about its own project, or two independent sources. Anything else is shown as reported by the one source that carries it, however likely it looks.

When one source says it

A figure that only one publication carries reads “Reported by” with that publication named. It is never given as a plain fact and never as a warning, so you can see who says it and judge for yourself. 146 of the facts on this site are confirmed; the 43 that are not are listed in full at the end of this page.

Which date we show

Each figure shows the date its source published it (the gazette issue, the announcement, the guideline version), because that tells you whether a rule was in force when you read it. We do not stamp pages with a date of our own checking, which says nothing about the fact and is stale the day after it is printed. The “Updated” date at the top of a page is the newest date among the sources it cites.

We re-read each source on a schedule, and a person reviews any change before it reaches a page.

How a correction works

We never edit a record. When a fact changes, or we were wrong, we write a new record that points to the one it replaces, and both stay visible on the law tracker, so anyone can check the history of an answer.

Who reads law and fees

Anything on law, fees or residency is read by a person before it is published, whoever drafted it. Software drafts only summaries of facts that are already confirmed.

What this is not

Information, not legal or financial advice. A confirmed fact tells you what a source said on a date; it does not tell you how the rule applies to you. For that, we introduce you to a licensed professional.

For machines

The confirmed facts are published at facts.json, each with its sentence, its source and the source’s date. Assistants and crawlers may use them with attribution, as llms.txt and the licence describe.

Facts we have not confirmed

Reported by Umm Al-Qura
Umm Al-Qura — Executive Regulations · 3 Jul 2026
Which party bears the 2% non-Saudi ownership fee is not stated in the sources reviewed.
Reported by Al-Thomali Lawyer
Al-Thomali Lawyer — Premium Residency exceptions · 7 Sep 2026
Whether property in Makkah or Madinah can count toward the SAR 4 million Real Estate Owner threshold is not confirmed by an official source; a Saudi law firm (7 Sep 2026) states holy-city ownership is excluded for Premium Residency holders.
Reported by AGBI
AGBI — Jabal Omar to sell 400 flats · 29 Jun 2026
Jabal Omar plans to sell about 400 serviced apartments in 2026 following the eased ownership rules, with buyers applying through the Saudi Properties portal.
Reported by Arab News
Arab News — Knight Frank survey · 1 Mar 2024
In a Knight Frank survey of 506 Muslim high-net-worth individuals across nine countries, 82% wanted to buy property in Saudi Arabia and 92% wanted branded residences in Makkah or Madinah, with an average budget of about $4.7 million.
Reported by Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat — REGA on international interest · 28 Aug 2026
REGA's spokesman said in August 2026 that inquiries from UK investors and family offices cover Makkah and Madinah with particular attention.
Reported by Arab News
Arab News — GASTAT REPI Q2 2026 · 20 Jul 2026
GASTAT's Real Estate Price Index for Q2 2026 rose 1.3% year on year, with Makkah region +0.4% and Madinah −4.5%.
Reported by AGBI
AGBI — Rua Al Madinah sales · 15 Nov 2025
Rua Al Madinah expects off-plan apartment sales to begin in late 2026, with Fairmont-branded residences.
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 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 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.
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 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 Aqarmap
Aqarmap — Masar Corner by Alramz
Aqarmap's launch page for Masar Corner names Alramz as developer in Masar Makkah, shows a Wafi licence number 48/794 and a REGA advertisement licence number 7201017318, a booking amount of SAR 1,000, and says delivery is expected three years after the building permit with a possible one-year extension.
Reported by Aqarmap
Aqarmap — Masar Corner by Alramz
Aqarmap states that for clients who are not residents of Saudi Arabia its team will assist with the Saudi embassy registration process, and that the buyer's commission is treated as a non-refundable service fee for this support.
Reported by Gulf Construction
Gulf Construction — Understanding REGA's new marketing rules · 9 Sep 2026
Reported fine ceilings for advertising violations differ: a law-firm article of 9 September 2026 cites fines of up to SAR 40,000, doubled for repeat offences, with licence cancellation, while a brokerage guide of 14 February 2026 states the penalty for advertising without a licence can reach SAR 200,000.
Reported by Gulf News
Gulf News — Saudis can rent residential units to Hajj pilgrims · 25 Jan 2023
Gulf News reported in January 2023 that Saudi citizens can obtain permits to rent residential units to Hajj pilgrims, capped at three permits per person in one property, after an engineering inspection and a fitness certificate, with permits issued by the Pilgrims' Housing Committee.
Reported by Knight Frank
Knight Frank — Saudi Arabia residential market review (absence of yield data) · 1 Aug 2025
No published rental-yield figure for residential units in Makkah or Madinah was found in the Knight Frank, JLL or CBRE material reviewed on 10 September 2026; the available data covers prices, transaction volumes and hotel performance only.
Reported by Arab News
Arab News — holy cities gain appeal as investment access expands · 30 May 2026
Arab News reported on 30 May 2026 that Saudi Arabia targets 30 million Umrah pilgrims a year by 2030 and that about 1.7 million pilgrims performed Hajj in 2026.
Reported by Real Estate Saudi
Real Estate Saudi — Premium Residency 7 types, fees and rules · 9 Sep 2026
One secondary source states that several residential properties with a combined value of at least SAR 4 million may be aggregated for the Real Estate Owner product if each is residential and unmortgaged, and that a holder who sells generally has 90 days to replace the property.
Reported by Argaam
Argaam — CMA allows foreign investment in listed real estate firms in Makkah, Madinah · 27 Jan 2025
Argaam identified Jabal Omar Development, Taiba Investments, Makkah Construction and Development and Knowledge Economic City as the four listed companies previously closed to foreign ownership that the January 2025 CMA decision opened.
Reported by Saudi Property Guide (mulkksa.com)
Saudi Property Guide (mulkksa.com) — How to get your Absher digital ID to buy property from outside KSA · 27 Jun 2026
Third-party guides describe the non-resident digital ID procedure as creating an account on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, attaching documents, booking an appointment at the nearest Saudi embassy or consulate and attending in person with a passport for biometric activation; we found no MOFA service page confirming these steps.
Reported by Raghdan Real Estate
Raghdan Real Estate — Complete guide to off-plan sales in Saudi Arabia (Wafi) · 17 Dec 2025
A Saudi real estate consultancy describes the Wafi payment structure as a deposit of no more than 5%, a first payment of no more than 20% of the unit value, instalments tied to construction milestones confirmed by the supervising engineer, and a final payment on completion and handover.
Reported by Wisefields
Wisefields — Legal alert: New Off-Plan Sale or Rent of Real Estate Projects Law · 25 Jan 2024
A Saudi law firm states that the off-plan law requires developers to pay buyers financial compensation for delayed handover, other than delays beyond the developer's control, and to retain 5% of construction cost in escrow for one year after completion.
Reported by Arab News
Arab News — Saudi banks race to woo foreign buyers as property ownership opens · 7 Jan 2026
Arab News reported on 7 January 2026 that Saudi banks' mortgage rates for foreign residents ranged from about 4.10% to nearly 5%, with some banks requiring at least a 30% down payment and minimum monthly incomes such as SAR 19,000.
Reported by Retal
Retal — Roya Al Haram project page
The public project pages of Retal's Roya Al Haram in Masar and the Masar developers directory publish unit types but no payment-plan terms, deposits or prices, and direct buyers to the Saudi Properties portal or the developer.
Reported by Rakez
Rakez — Saudi real estate mortgages for non-residents 2026 · 23 Jan 2026
A Saudi property blog states that developer payment plans for non-residents usually take a 10% to 20% down payment with the balance spread over construction milestones.
Reported by Real Estate Registry (rer.sa)
Real Estate Registry (rer.sa) — services
The Real Estate Registry site rer.sa lists first registration, ownership transfer and title-document services but does not publish a fee schedule on its public pages.
Reported by Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem)
Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem)
Real estate valuations in Saudi Arabia are carried out by valuers accredited by the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem), and we found no published fee scale for a valuation report.
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 Nezams
Nezams — consolidated text of the Premium Residency Law with amendments
The Premium Residency Law was issued by Royal Decree M/106 of 10/9/1440H (17 May 2019) and last amended by Royal Decree M/84 of 11/6/1445H (December 2023); no later amendment aligning its Makkah and Madinah wording (Art. 2(1)(d)/(e)) with the 2026 ownership law was found in the sources reviewed as of 10 September 2026.
Sources differ
Al-Thomali Lawyer — Premium Residency exceptions · 7 Sep 2026
A Saudi law firm wrote on 7 September 2026 that 'even after the Non-Saudi Real Estate Ownership Law and its 2026 expansion, the two Holy Cities retain their exception' for Premium Residency holders — a reading that repeats the Premium Residency Law's older wording and does not address Art. 2(4) of the 2026 law, which grants ownership to Muslim natural persons.
Reported by Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co — Implementing Regulations of the Investment Law · 1 Sep 2025
Under the Investment Law (Royal Decree M/19) and its Implementing Regulations of February 2025, foreign investors register with the Ministry of Investment rather than obtaining a licence, and the list of activities excluded from foreign investment is published by a screening committee in the Investor's Guide.
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.
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 Arab News
Arab News — Saudi banks race to woo foreign buyers · 7 Jan 2026
Arab News reported on 7 January 2026 that Saudi banks' mortgage offers to resident expatriates ranged from about 4.10% to nearly 5%, that some required at least a 30% down payment, and that minimum monthly incomes of SAR 19,000 to SAR 25,000 were set by some lenders.
Reported by Argaam
Argaam · 27 Jan 2025
Argaam reported on 27 January 2025 that the four listed developers opened to foreign ownership by the CMA decision are Jabal Omar Development (4250), Taiba Investments (4090), Makkah Construction and Development (4100) and Knowledge Economic City (4310).
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 Jabal Omar Development Co. (sponsored content)
Jabal Omar Development Co. (sponsored content) · 17 Nov 2018
Jabal Omar Development Company's 2018 sales launch for Jabal Omar Address Makkah described its 741 hotel rooms, suites and penthouses as available for freehold ownership.
Reported by AGBI
AGBI — Medina off-plan apartment sales to begin next year
Whether units at Rua Al Madinah are sold as registered ownership or as a usufruct right is not stated in the developer and press material reviewed.
Reported by Al-Eqtsad
Al-Eqtsad — Umm Al Qura announcement · 24 Jun 2026
Umm Al Qura's announcement that the Masar destination is designated for non-Saudi ownership describes the zone; whether individual units are sold as registered ownership or as a usufruct right is not stated in the announcements reviewed.
Reported by Saudi Properties portal
Saudi Properties portal — zone list
The zone the portal names 'Makkah Towre Building' (أبراج مكة, code L1048) covers about 13,000 m² with its boundary some 320 m from the Grand Mosque — a single-building plot, and a different site from the Abraj Al Bait clock-tower complex.
Reported by The Islamic Information
The Islamic Information — registration opens for Fairmont Residences, Rua Al Madinah · 7 Sep 2026
Rua Al Madinah Holding opened registration for 120 Fairmont Residences beside the Prophet's Mosque on 6 September 2026, to Saudis and to Muslims of other nationalities whether resident in the Kingdom or not.
Reported by Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance — Tadawul closes · 19 Sep 2026
Monthly closing prices for the 6 Tadawul-listed companies and funds this site tracks are held as a dated snapshot; the Saudi Exchange refuses automated requests, so the closes are read from a third-party market-data source and labelled as such.

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