MULKIYA · GUIDES
Buying Property in Saudi Arabia as a French National
Reviewed against the official register · Updated 2026-07-30
French citizens can buy Saudi property as non-resident foreigners inside 100+ designated zones under the 2026 law. Here is the path, the cash reality and the costs.
Your buyer class
A French citizen living in France buys as a non-resident foreign individual, the same class as most non-GCC nationalities. Under Royal Decree M/14, in force since 22-01-2026, that class may own property inside the designated zones. Council of Ministers Decision 43 of 23-06-2026 approved the Implementing Regulations and endorsed the designated zones document, more than 100 zones kingdom-wide. Registration of the purchase in the official real estate registry is a validity condition, not a formality after the fact.
The three prerequisites
Implementing Regulations Article 2 sets three prerequisites for a non-resident individual. First, a digital identity issued or approved by the Ministry of Interior, which non-residents obtain through a Saudi embassy, for the French the embassy in Paris. Second, a Saudi bank account in your own name. Third, a Saudi mobile number in your name, linked to the digital identity. Opening the account comes with standard checks on the source of your funds, so keep the documents that show where the money comes from. The remote mechanics for the account and the number are still evolving, so start the identity step early.
Makkah and Madinah: who can own
Direct ownership inside the designated holy-city zones is limited to Muslim individuals, resident or not, anywhere in the world. A French buyer who is Muslim may therefore own there directly; a French buyer who is not Muslim cannot, regardless of wealth or residency. Foreign companies are excluded from both cities entirely. One alternative exists: Premium Residency holders may hold usufruct rights for up to 99 years in Makkah and Madinah under the Premium Residency law.
Cash first, and the real costs
Saudi bank lending is structurally closed to non-residents today; no identity field exists for them in the lending process, so a French buyer purchases with cash. Nothing in the Saudi process changes your French tax position; that side is for a French adviser, not for this article. At purchase, the Real Estate Transaction Tax is 5% of the price, legally the seller's liability but commonly priced into the deal. Brokerage is capped at 2.5%, plus VAT on the commission, only if a broker is engaged. When you sell, a 2% disposal fee applies in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, and 0% elsewhere.
The market you are entering
Enter with clear eyes: this is a cooling market, not a boom. The official residential price index fell 3.6% year on year in the first quarter of 2026. Cooling markets favour patient cash buyers who verify the parcel and the developer instead of chasing momentum. Gross rental yields sit at roughly 7-9% in licensed yield data, a band rather than a promise. Rents inside Riyadh's urban boundary are frozen for five years. Confirm any specific parcel against the official Saudi register of designated zones before you price it.
The honest next step
Eligibility is decided by the law, not by an agent's opinion. Mulkiya's rules engine is deterministic and cites the law it applies. Mulkiya is not the seller and not the broker, takes no commission and no success fee, and the deals you see come direct from the developer. Licensed Saudi partners execute the regulated acts. The next step is the seven-question eligibility check: answer seven questions and see, cited to the law, which buyer class you fall in and which zones that opens.
Can a French citizen buy property in Makkah or Madinah?
Yes, if the buyer is Muslim. Muslim individuals from anywhere in the world, resident in Saudi Arabia or not, may own property directly inside the designated holy-city zones. Non-Muslim buyers cannot own in Makkah or Madinah, and foreign companies are excluded from both cities.
Does my EU citizenship change anything?
No. The law classes a French buyer as a non-resident foreign individual, the same as most non-GCC nationalities. Eligibility turns on your buyer class and the zone, not on your passport.
Do I need Premium Residency to buy in Saudi Arabia?
No. Premium Residency is a separate regime with its own rights, including usufruct of up to 99 years in Makkah and Madinah. A non-resident French buyer uses the designated-zones path under Royal Decree M/14 and the 2026 regulations, and does not need Premium Residency to own inside a zone.
Can a non-resident French buyer get a Saudi mortgage?
No. Saudi lending systems have no identity field for non-residents, so bank financing is structurally closed today. Cash is the correct plan.
Can I buy through my company instead of as an individual?
A foreign company without a Saudi establishment may own only inside the designated zones. It must first register with the Saudi investment authority, disclose its owners and appoint a representative with a Saudi ID. Companies are excluded from Makkah and Madinah, so most family buyers use the individual path.