Question: Can ownership take place outside the designated geographical zones?

Yes, but in a very limited manner. A non-Saudi resident with a valid residency permit is allowed to own only one residential property outside the designated geographical zones, provided that it is intended for their personal residence. The spouse or children may not be included in owning a separate property for the same purpose, unless the son reaches the age of 25 or the marital relationship ends. Nonresidents, however, are not permitted to own property outside the geographical zones at all.

Procedures and requirements

Question: How does the ownership process begin?

The ownership journey goes through five official steps according to the guide:

1. Eligibility verification: confirming a valid residency permit or digital identity for non-residents, opening a bank account inside the Kingdom, and providing a Saudi contact number
2. Property selection: through the Saudi Real Estate portal or any other source, while verifying that the property is located within the approved geographical zone
3. Verification of ownership requirements: completing the requirements verification service and obtaining an eligibility certificate
   Completion of purchase: finalizing purchase procedures and paying applicable fees and taxes electronically
4. Transfer and registration of ownership: completing the transfer process and registering the ownership in the real estate registry

Question: What are the basic requirements before applying?

In all cases, the property must be registered as a real estate asset in the national real estate registry. Foreign entities, including companies and organizations, must also disclose direct and indirect owners and controlling persons upon registration, appoint a legal representative holding an officially recognized identity under Saudi regulations, and open a bank account in the Kingdom in the name of the entity.

Question: Where are applications submitted and how are payments made?

All ownership applications are submitted exclusively through the Saudi Real Estate portal. All financial transactions related to ownership are carried out electronically in accordance with the payment systems of the Saudi Central Bank, SAMA.

Oversight and violations

Question: What are the penalties for violations?

The General Real Estate Authority is responsible for monitoring and documenting violations. The penalty system is gradual as follows:

• An official warning with a correction period ranging from 10 to 180 days depending on the nature of the violation
• A fine of up to 5 percent of the value of the real property right, capped at 10 million Saudi riyals, approximately 2.67 million US dollars
• In cases of fraud or providing misleading information, a fine of 10 million riyals is imposed, along with an obligation for the violator to sell the property in a public auction

Question: How does the authority receive official reports and notifications?

Official notifications are considered legally valid if sent through either of the following channels: the contact methods registered in the Saudi Real Estate portal, or SMS messages sent to the phone number linked to verified government platforms.