Saudi Arabia has launched a digital portal that allows non-Saudi residents and non-resident investors to apply for property ownership in newly designated zones across the kingdom, formalising a market that has historically been closed to most foreign buyers.
The portal, operated by the General Real Estate Authority, guides applicants through eligibility, zone selection and document submission, and issues an electronic ownership certificate on approval. The tool is the operational layer of an expansion first announced under Vision 2030 and refined over the past 18 months through amendments to the kingdom's property ownership rules.
Where foreigners can buy
The initial zones cover parts of Riyadh, Jeddah and NEOM, plus specific tourism and giga-project districts. Additional zones are expected to be added on a rolling basis as the authority processes early applications and beds down the underlying land registry linkages. Purchases outside the designated zones remain restricted, and the portal enforces the geographic boundary at the application stage.
Ownership types available at launch include full freehold in the flagship zones, long-term usufruct in specific tourism districts, and off-plan purchase for approved developer projects. Each category has its own documentation profile, and the portal walks applicants through the differences before submission.
Who can apply
Individual foreign residents already living in Saudi Arabia under a valid Iqama can apply directly. Non-resident individuals and corporate buyers must submit through an authorised representative, typically a licensed brokerage or law firm. The portal supports both single-property applications and multi-property portfolios up to a set limit, above which the transaction routes to a separate review track.
Financing has been a common question in the launch briefings. Saudi banks are permitted to offer mortgages to eligible foreign applicants, but each bank sets its own underwriting criteria and loan-to-value caps. Cross-border financing arranged offshore is also permitted, subject to standard anti-money-laundering documentation.
Impact on the market
Domestic developers, particularly those with inventory in Riyadh, Jeddah and NEOM, have welcomed the portal as a source of incremental demand at a moment when the Saudi construction pipeline is heavily front-loaded. Analysts covering Saudi real estate expect a measured pickup in transaction volumes over the next two quarters, with the greatest activity likely in mid-market apartments and in specific tourism-zone plots.
The move brings Saudi Arabia closer in line with UAE practice, where non-nationals have been able to buy freehold in designated areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi for more than two decades. It also underscores a broader Gulf trend of using property ownership as a lever for talent retention, investment inflow and tourism development.
What to watch
Attention now turns to how fast approvals flow through the portal, how quickly additional zones are added, and how the kingdom's tax framework treats foreign owners. Officials have signalled that the framework will remain stable as the market beds in, and that any adjustments will be signposted well in advance.
