How to buy property in Saudi Arabia, step by step

Nine steps from the first viewing to the deed in your name. Almost all of it runs through government platforms rather than paperwork, which is why it moves faster than most people expect — the deed itself usually issues within about a day of signing.

Part of the guide to buying property in Saudi Arabia. The bill for all of this is itemised in costs and taxes.

The nine steps

1. Check the zone before anything else

   Confirm on the Saudi Properties portal that someone in your position may own at that exact address. Not the city — the address. This is free, it takes minutes, and it is the step that stops a bad purchase before it starts.

2. Read the deed

   The deed is pulled electronically and checked for a mortgage, a dispute, an inheritance claim or a restriction. We do this before any money moves and before we let you make an offer.

3. Agree the price and the terms in writing

   Including the one term people forget: who pays the 5% transaction tax. It is usually the seller and it is always negotiable, so it belongs in the contract rather than in somebody’s memory.

4. Security approval

   Obtained through Absher where the case requires it. A resident buying their one permitted home needs Ministry of Interior approval; a non-resident buying in an approved zone goes through the portal instead.

5. Register as a non-Saudi buyer

   On the Saudi Properties portal, which is the official route for the new law. This creates the record the transfer will be checked against.

6. Pay the real estate transaction tax

   5% of the price, declared and paid before transfer. No proof of payment, no transfer — the system will not let it complete.

7. Transfer the deed through Najiz

   Electronic, and the money moves inside the real estate wallet rather than hand to hand. That is the protection: the seller is paid when the deed moves, not before.

8. Sign with Nafath

   The national identity service confirms who is signing. If you are outside the Kingdom, this is the step a properly attested power of attorney covers.

9. Receive the deed in your name

   Usually issued within about a day of signing. Keep the electronic copy; it is the document everything else refers back to.

If you cannot be in the Kingdom

You do not have to be. A power of attorney, notarised and attested through the Saudi embassy in your country, lets us act on the steps that need someone present. Get it drafted for this purchase specifically — a general POA is often refused, and a narrow one protects you anyway.

How long it takes

The government steps are fast: the transfer and the deed are typically a matter of days once the paperwork is right. What takes time is everything before — finding the property, the zone check, the deed check, the negotiation, and the attestation of a POA if you need one. Budget weeks for that part, not days, and be suspicious of anyone promising otherwise.

Where we are in each step

We run steps one and two before you commit to anything, negotiate step three, prepare the paperwork for four and five, and take you through six to nine. You will know our fee before any of it starts, and brokerage in the Kingdom is capped at 2.5%.