Real Estate: Saudi Arabia Is About To Open Up For Outsiders

Forbes

3 days ago

The King Abdullah Financial District «KAFD» (KAFD) is located in the city of Riyadh, and it is one ... More of its largest existing projects, and the only one of its kind in the Middle East, where this file will become an average of 1.6 million translators, the financial market, financial banks, financial banks, and banks Financial offices, in addition to other service institutions such as accountants, legal professionals, lawyers, analysts, financial advisors, rating offices, and service providers.
Earlier this year, I was invited to Saudi Arabia to speak at a conference. LEAP is a technology show, and normally, wild horses wouldn't be able to drag me to such an event. However, the charismatic CEO of Tahaluf lured me there – not with the promise of fat appearance fees, but with the simple pitch: 'You just have to see it.'
A long time ago, when bitcoin was young, I made a little YouTube video where I said, 'It doesn't matter how bad times are – whether there's a recession, a market crash, political uproar, war, or famine – somewhere out there, there's a party going on. The trouble is, you're not invited.' The party, of course, was crypto. The point was that you need to be on the lookout for that metaphorical party, find its location, and gatecrash it.
That party could be an asset like bitcoin, a new tech theme exploding onto the scene – like quantum computing did earlier this year – or even a place, like Tokyo in 1999, or for that matter, Silicon Valley when I first stepped foot there in the early 1980s. (Why, oh why, did I leave?)
So when a bigwig like Michael Champion at LEAP says, 'There is something going on here, and you need to see it,' I listen.
In short: the party is in Saudi.
From a distance, Saudi Arabia may appear to sit squarely in the swirling morass of the Middle East. But if you've spent time living in Dubai, like I have on and off over the years, you realize the region is highly diverse. The difference between Syria and Qatar, for instance, is vast.
LEAP was a bit of a revelation for me in terms of what's happening in Saudi Arabia. The country is changing – fast.
Now, I'll admit: give me a future potential and I'm your guy. I'm all in, trying to make something happen a decade or so before it becomes the next big thing. I moved into Docklands when it was still industrial wasteland. I get into industries before they're even fully invented. That's just what floats my boat. Google my trail of OG-ing since my teens – it's borderline pathological. But I'm older and slower now, and not quite the pioneer I used to be. Still, I can look at a desert and see unbounded potential – or more accurately, I can go to a huge tech expo and realize that something big is underway.
(Disclosure: I'm NOT on anyone's payroll. I'm just genuinely enthusiastic.)
So here's the challenge: How do you invest in Saudi and its potential? The answer: not easily. You could say you can't – not as a regular person without private jet-level money.
But wait. That's about to change.
Now, I'm not a real estate fan myself, but I know it's a global obsession. I'm that odd person who doesn't yearn for bricks and mortar. I own some, but more because I believe in diversification than out of any real affection. I have real estate in Dubai – it's been good to me – but I'm not lining up to buy more. I love stocks. I loathe illiquid assets. Again, I know it's weird. But I also know a lot of my readers love real estate, and what I'm about to share will pique their interest.
So here it is: Saudi Arabia is going to open up to foreign ownership of real estate at the end of this year. Starting January 1, 2026, it's been announced that foreign investors will be able to buy property in Saudi Arabia – just like they can in Dubai.
I learned this while at the LEAP show, where I managed to grab a few minutes with Rachel Sturgess, the head of Cityscape, the definitive property event in Saudi. I asked her as much as was decent about what's coming.
In short: the kick-off date for foreign property ownership is 1/1/26, and non-Saudis will be allowed to buy into developments in Riyadh and Jeddah. Reading between the lines, it'll likely be pre-build sales – condos and villas – mirroring Dubai's model. Think big developers launching marquee projects with all the marketing glitz we've come to expect. That formula has worked brilliantly in the UAE, and Saudi Arabia seems poised to follow suit.
Now, I don't give investment advice. I offer thoughts for readers to reflect on. This article is simply a heads-up for those interested in property. One of the world's most dynamic and wealthy countries is about to open its real estate market to outsiders – for the first time. If that's your kind of thing, then January 1, 2026 is when the doors open. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for further announcements about what this will look like in practice.
As with all investment opportunities, it's always better to hear about them before they happen than to find out after the opportunity has passed.