Saudi foreign ownership property law won't overheat market, says Dar Global CEO
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has frozen rent in Riyadh for five years to contain soaring prices.
LONDON — Saudi Arabia’s easing of foreign ownership rules for real estate will not put pressure on its middle-income housing market, despite soaring property and rental prices across the kingdom, according to the CEO of Dar Global, one of the Middle East's largest real estate companies.
From Jan. 1, 2026, foreign individuals and entities will be able to own property in designated zones across Saudi Arabia, a once-ultraconservative kingdom all but closed off to international investment and tourism. The new law will attract foreign investment by permitting ownership of commercial, residential and operations projects in these zones, with special regulations for holy cities Mecca and Medina.
The move is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy away from reliance on oil by the end of the decade by heavily investing in other sectors such as AI, clean energy, real estate, sports and tourism.
Homeownership momentum
