Saudi Arabia's Real Estate General Authority (REGA) has opened applications for foreigners to acquire property through its Saudi Properties portal, the official channel under the foreign property ownership law that took effect in January, the authority said on June 24.

The launch operationalises a significant opening of the Saudi property market to foreign buyers, as the kingdom seeks to draw investment into a sector being reshaped by urban growth, mega-projects and the expansion of tourism, hospitality and entertainment under Vision 2030.

The law's geographic scope and regulatory framework have also been approved.

The portal allows prospective owners, whether resident in the kingdom or not, to begin the ownership process through an official digital channel that covers all regulatory procedures electronically, including access to validated property opportunities, eligibility checks, application submission, and case tracking.

Non-Saudis resident in the kingdom can apply directly through the portal using their residency number, with eligibility verified automatically.

Non-resident applicants must obtain a digital identity card from Saudi diplomatic missions abroad before completing the online application, while non-Saudi companies and entities not yet established in the kingdom must register with the Ministry of Investment on the Invest Saudi platform and obtain a unique national number.

The system allows non-Saudi individuals, companies and entities to acquire property across different regions of the kingdom while regulating ownership in Mecca and Medina.

Property ownership in the two holy cities is restricted to Saudi companies and Muslim individuals, whether or not they reside in the kingdom.

REGA said the portal was the official channel for foreign property acquisition applications and for accessing essential information on property ownership in the kingdom, directing prospective owners to a government website which is blocked to non-Saudi IP addresses, according to investigations by IntelliNews. 

Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector attracted rising foreign interest in 2025, but the year did not yet produce a definitive official tally for property-specific foreign investment.

The most reliable numbers available show total FDI inflows of SAR 22.8bn in Q2 2025, alongside a broader push to liberalise foreign real estate ownership, which culminated in the new law taking effect in January 2026.