Premium Residency through property
Saudi Arabia grants Premium Residency to someone who owns residential property worth at least SAR 4 million, already built, free of any mortgage and valued by a Taqeem-accredited valuer. Whether a home in Makkah or Madinah counts towards that threshold is not settled in writing.
The property route
- Property worth at least
- SAR 4 million
- The property
- A built home, free of any mortgage and valued by a Taqeem-accredited valuer
- Held by
- Ownership or a usufruct right, for as long as the residency lasts
- Financing
- Not allowed, before or after the residency is granted
- A Makkah or Madinah home
- Not settled in writing
If you are moving here for work
You do not need Premium Residency to buy. A Muslim may own inside the zones whether or not they live in the Kingdom, and a resident applies on the Saudi Properties portal with an Iqama number.
The residents’ route, step by stepWhat the residency gives you
- Live in the Kingdom with your family, without a sponsor
- Leave and return without exit and re-entry visas
- Work in the private sector, or run a business under the investment rules
- Issue visit visas for relatives, and employ domestic workers
All four are in the law.
Or buy the permit outright
Property is one of seven Premium Residency products, and two of them ask for no property at all. 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. If the residency matters more to you than the home, compare these before you commit.
For a business here, look at the Investor product instead. 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.
Does a Makkah or Madinah home count?
A Premium Residency holder who is a Muslim may own a home inside the designated zones under the 2026 ownership law, because Article 5 of that law preserves Premium Residency rights.
Whether that home counts towards the SAR 4 million threshold is an administrative question about how the Premium Residency Center applies the rule, and no official text we can reach answers it. One Saudi law firm still reads the older wording as excluding holy-city property.
Get it in writing
If residency is your reason for buying, ask the Premium Residency Center before you sign anything, and keep the reply.
Your case is different? Ask us about it
Sources
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.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.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.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.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.Real Estate Saudi — Premium Residency 7 types, fees and rules · 9 Sep 2026
Premium Residency has seven products: Unlimited Duration (SAR 800,000 one-time), Limited Duration (SAR 100,000 a year), Special Talent, Gifted, Investor, Entrepreneur and Real Estate Owner, the last five each carrying a SAR 4,000 fee.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.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.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.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)).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.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.
Where each fact above comes from, with the source’s own date where it gives one.
The long version, with the seven products, the texts and what the law firm disputes, is in the Premium Residency guide.
Information, not legal or financial advice. Read how we check.