The Kaaba and the Grand Mosque in Makkah

Freehold residential brief · October 2026 · client edition

Makkah Freehold Brief.

Villas · Apartments · Community guidelines. Every project a non-Saudi Muslim can — and cannot — buy in Makkah after the 2026 ownership law, with the evidence level for each claim. Prices in SAR, indicative, and they move.

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The bottom line

The door is open, narrowly. A non-Saudi Muslim — resident or living abroad — can now buy in Makkah, but only inside 11 named zones. Outside them there is nothing to buy, whatever a listing says.
The real foreign-eligible stock is apartments in the Masar corridor — Masar Corner, Dyar Al Haram Phase 2 and the third-party Masar towers. Jabal Omar and Thakher sell hotel units, not homes.
Villas are the gap. Every Makkah Gate / Sakani / NHC villa scheme is Saudi-only; ROSHN Almanar and Dahia Residence sit inside named zones, but neither developer has confirmed non-Saudi eligibility.
Budget about 7% on top of price (5% transaction tax + 2% REGA fee) and route any rental income through a licensed operator — unlicensed pilgrim lettings carry fines of up to SAR 1m.

Evidence key

Verified — regulator, Tadawul filing or developer statement
Reported — press or broker figure, not confirmed by the developer
Unconfirmed — gap or assumption; confirm before any reservation

Prices in SAR, indicative, and move; sizes in sqm; n/p = not published.

Who can own what in Makkah.

Saudi nationals

Anywhere, and the only eligible buyers for subsidised Sakani / NHC projects, which make up most villa supply.

Law M/14; Sakani rules

Non-Saudi Muslim individuals — resident or overseas, including overseas Pakistanis

Only inside the Cabinet-designated zones. The resident's right to one home outside the zones does not apply in Makkah or Madinah. Non-residents need a digital ID issued via a Saudi embassy or consulate, a Saudi bank account in their own name and a Saudi mobile number linked to that ID.

Law in force 22 Jan 2026; Executive Regulations and Geographic Zones approved 23 Jun 2026; REGA Saudi Properties portal

Premium Residency holders

Same zone access as residents; buying does not reduce PR rights. The PR law separately grants a usufruct of up to 99 years in the holy cities — a long lease, not freehold. Real Estate Owner PR needs a qualifying home of SAR 4m or more.

PR law, REGA — whether the usufruct route works outside the zones is unconfirmed

GCC nationals (Muslim)

Designated zones only — the GCC right to buy outside zones elsewhere in the Kingdom excludes Makkah and Madinah.

Executive Regulations

Companies and funds

Foreign-incorporated companies and non-Saudi non-profits are barred. A Saudi-incorporated company with foreign shareholders may buy inside the zones without MISA approval, capped at 49% total non-Saudi ownership and 5% per non-Saudi shareholder; any 5%+ shareholding change after purchase must be reported within 15 days. Funds and SPVs carry no cap.

Executive Regulations

Indirect exposure

Since 27 January 2025 foreigners may hold shares or convertible debt of Tadawul-listed owners of holy-city real estate (strategic investors excluded) — exposure, not a home. Real-estate funds investing in the two cities opened to non-Saudis in 2021.

CMA controls

Type of right

Each zone specifies whether the right is full ownership or usufruct and may cap the ownership share — so "freehold" in a brochure is a claim to test unit by unit, not a given.

In principle; per-zone detail not yet published in full

The 11 designated zones

Abraj MakkahAl ManarBurj AjyadKing Salman Gate (Rua Al Haram Al Makki)Tilal VillageJabal OmarThakher MakkahSumou Suburb (Dahiyat Sumou)MasarMakkah Zone 1Makkah Zone 2

— One broker also lists a "Zone 3", unverified.

Villas and townhouses.

Under construction · newly launched · completed · resale

ROSHN Almanar

Under constructionSelling Zone · eligibility TBC

Developer: ROSHN Group (PIF)
Location: Western gateway, between the old and new Jeddah expressways; ~20 min to the Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the designated Al Manar zone; freehold title for Saudis. ROSHN has not confirmed non-Saudi eligibility.
Units · sizes: Phase 1: 4,149 homes on 2.5m sqm; 33,000+ at full build. Villas 250–450 sqm (3BR 250 to 5BR 450)
Price (SAR): from SAR 1,089,000
Timeline: Launched Mar 2024; sales from Feb 2025; 60% of the first 727 homes sold; Ajdan building 113 villas

Ask about ROSHN Almanar

Dahia Residence (Dahiyat Sumou)

Off-plan Zone · eligibility TBC

Developer: Sumou Real Estate (listed) with Al Dhahiya Real Estate
Location: Next to Makkah Gate
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the designated Sumou Suburb zone; marketed with reference to foreign ownership — eligibility to be confirmed in writing
Units · sizes: 149 villas
Price (SAR): from ~SAR 550,000 (unconfirmed)
Timeline: Wafi off-plan licence No. 1063 issued 21 Jun 2026

Ask about Dahia Residence (Dahiyat Sumou)

Hayat Makkah

Off-plan Saudi only

Developer: Emlak Konut (Turkey) + NHC
Location: Makkah Gate
Tenure · who can buy: Sakani product — Saudi beneficiaries only
Units · sizes: 1,014 villas on 255,000 sqm
Price (SAR): from SAR 613,000 after subsidy
Timeline: Construction from Sep 2026; handover from Jan 2030

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Areem (Makkah Gate)

Ph1 off-planPh2 pending Saudi only

Developer: Sumou + NHC
Location: Makkah Gate, inside the Haram boundary
Tenure · who can buy: Sakani product — Saudi beneficiaries only
Units · sizes: Ph1: 357 units; Ph2: 900+ villas on 231,600 sqm (SAR 680m, 42-month build)
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Ph1 Wafi licence 18 Jan 2024; Ph2 licence pending

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Al-Nada · Dar Makkah · other Makkah Gate schemes

AvailableAnnounced Saudi only

Developer: NHC and partners (Rihab Makkah Gate, El Bayet, Jeera, Jawharat Makkah, Jadan Alsadan)
Location: Makkah Gate (5m sqm, 8,000+ homes); Dar Makkah ~20 min from the Grand Mosque
Tenure · who can buy: Sakani / NHC — Saudi buyers
Units · sizes: Al-Nada 684 units; Dar Makkah 930+ villas on 236,000 sqm (SAR 899m+)
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Al-Nada register-interest (Aug 2026); Dar Makkah announced at Cityscape

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Resale villas — suburbs

Resale Saudi only

Developer: Private sellers via Aqar / Bayut / brokers
Location: Al Sharaie, Al Awali, Batha Quraysh, Al Naseem, Al Shawqiyah, Al Kakkia
Tenure · who can buy: Outside every designated zone — Saudi buyers only; not available to non-Saudi clients
Units · sizes: Listing-based; stock varies weekly
Price (SAR): Not verified
Timeline: —

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Apartments, serviced and branded residences.

Under construction · newly launched · completed · resale

Masar Corner

Off-planLaunched 30 Sep 2026 Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Alramz Real Estate (listed) with Ramz Al Hijaz Fund (Al Rajhi Capital)
Location: Masar Destination — the new corridor to the Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the Masar zone; marketed to Muslim buyers worldwide. Confirm the right type (ownership vs usufruct) per unit
Units · sizes: 541 units in 2 towers; 125,000 sqm GBA; 1BR to penthouse
Price (SAR): 1BR 1.83m · 2BR 3.54m · 3BR 4.11m · PH 13.85m (reported)
Timeline: SAR 178m sold on launch day; reservations from 51 countries, Pakistan in the top five; delivery 2029

Ask about Masar Corner

Dyar Al Haram — Phase 2

SellingCompletion 2032 Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Arabian Dyar
Location: Masar corridor, 550 m from the Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Phase 1 was Saudi-only; Phase 2 is aimed at foreign Muslim buyers from 2026
Units · sizes: 4,000 units in 4 phases; Ph2: 1,000 units in 3 towers (serviced, penthouses, family units)
Price (SAR): SAR 1.5m – 17m
Timeline: Ph1 (400 units) nearly sold; Ph2 selling; Wafi licence number to confirm

Ask about Dyar Al Haram — Phase 2

Masar third-party towers

AnnouncedPre-launch Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Rawajeh · Al Rossais · Numu · SEDCO Capital · BLME Capital · Watheeq · Alinma Development II
Location: Masar Zones 2–3
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the Masar zone; sale structure set by each developer
Units · sizes: Rawajeh 250 units; Al Rossais 534 (2 towers); Numu 460 serviced; others n/p
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Land sold 2025–26; launches to follow Masar Corner

Ask about Masar third-party towers

Masar Destination (master plan)

Under construction to 2039 Master plan

Developer: Umm Al Qura for Development & Construction (listed)
Location: Corridor leading to the Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Master developer — sells plots and, via partners, units
Units · sizes: ~9,000 residential units for sale within a ~SAR 100bn scheme
Price (SAR): Analyst guidance SAR 20,000–32,000 / sqm (reported)
Timeline: Phased; residential launches via partner developers

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Jabal Omar

Completed stockPhase 7 off-plan Hotel unit

Developer: Jabal Omar Development Co. (listed)
Location: Adjacent to Masjid al-Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Hotel-residential units, not standard homes; inside the Jabal Omar zone — a hospitality asset
Units · sizes: 400 existing units released for sale in 2026; Phase 7 redesigned for more sale units
Price (SAR): n/p for 2026; 2014 auctions SAR 96,000–140,000 / sqm (reported)
Timeline: Release announced 28 Jun 2026

Ask about Jabal Omar

Thakher Makkah

Partly deliveredPhases building Hotel unit

Developer: Thakher Development Co.
Location: ~1 km from the Haram
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the Thakher zone; hotel apartments sold "for ownership" within a hospitality master plan
Units · sizes: 3,000 hotel apartments within 39,000+ rooms on 320,000 sqm
Price (SAR): ~SAR 10,000–15,000 / sqm (unconfirmed)
Timeline: Novotel Residences Makkah delivered; land marketed via Adeer

Ask about Thakher Makkah

King Salman Gate · Abraj Makkah · Burj Ajyad · Tilal Village

AnnouncedResale Master plan

Developer: PIF company (King Salman Gate); various
Location: Central and Haram-adjoining zones
Tenure · who can buy: Designated zones; no residential sale terms published for King Salman Gate, the others trade only through brokers
Units · sizes: n/p
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: No verified 2026 listings

Not available to non-Saudi buyers as the rules stand — listed for completeness.

Community guidelines.

Letting and pilgrim accommodation

No hosting of pilgrims and no tourist-hospitality activity without a Ministry of Tourism licence; fines reach SAR 1m. Temporary pilgrim-accommodation licences are valid in Hajj season only.
Hajj housing operators must be registered on Nusuk Masar; the Hajj-season violations schedule is set by Ministerial Decision 1447/3083 (22 Mar 2026).
Platforms may not list unlicensed units (since 1 Jan 2025) and the private holiday-home licence is reported as Saudi-citizen-only (about SAR 1,100 a year) — a non-Saudi owner should route income through a licensed operator, not self-managed pilgrim lettings.
Long-term residential leases are registered on the national Ejar platform.

Owning, running costs and the fine print

5% Real Estate Transaction Tax on purchase plus a 2% REGA fee on non-Saudi transactions in the designated zones (the law allows up to 5%); ten transaction categories are exempt, including inheritance divisions. Budget about 7% on top of price before broker and registry costs.
Vacant-property fee: up to 5% a year can apply to a unit left unused for six months inside the designated zones (2026 rules) — relevant to owners who visit only for Umrah or Hajj.
Owners' associations sit under REGA's owners'-association framework (Mullak): service charges, reserve funds and dispute rules apply per development — none published yet for the projects on this page.
Mortgage access for non-Saudis and PR holders, resale lock-ins, letting or mortgaging limits and inheritance treatment under the new law: not found in the published rules — plan on a cash purchase.

Season, access and conduct

Hajj and Ramadan access permits, traffic restrictions and the central area's height and facade codes are set by the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites; owner-specific rules were not published in the sources reviewed — expect permit-controlled vehicle access to the central area in season.
Holy-city communities run conservative conduct norms: gated access, registered tenants only, no unregistered short stays, and alteration, parking and pet rules set by each owners' association — get the house rules in writing before you commit.

Market snapshot.

3,650SAR / sqm, city-wide apartments; -0.5% y/yKnight Frank, Q2 2025

3,420SAR / sqm, city-wide villas; +0.4% y/yKnight Frank, Q2 2025

20–32kSAR / sqm prime guidance at Masar; Al Ma'abdah median 10,462Analyst guidance; Raghdan

462,000homes by 2028, from 428,200; H1 2025 value -33%, deals +11%Knight Frank

City-wide averages are Q2 2025 and include subsidised suburbs; the Haram-adjacent market prices on a different scale (Jabal Omar auctions have cleared above SAR 96,000 / sqm). Demand signal: Makkah is the first-choice city for 59% of Muslim respondents in Knight Frank's buyer survey, and Vision 2030 targets 30m Umrah pilgrims a year.

Confirm before you reserve.

Right type per zone — full ownership vs usufruct and any ownership-share cap, from REGA's Geographic Zones Document and the Saudi Properties listing for the exact unit.
ROSHN Almanar and Dahia Residence — written confirmation from the developer that a non-Saudi Muslim buyer can register title.
Wafi licence numbers for Masar Corner and Dyar Al Haram Phase 2, the escrow account and the milestone payment schedule.
Service charges, resale and letting terms, inheritance treatment — none published; obtain them in the sale contract.

Talk to RPRE

Faheem Iftikhar Siddiqui
Principal Consultant & CEO, Royal Prince Real Estate
WhatsApp +92 300 269 7992 · faheem@rpre.pk

WhatsApp about Makkah Use the form

Prepared by Royal Prince Real Estate (RPRE) from public sources as at 17 October 2026: Real Estate General Authority (REGA), Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Gazette, Tadawul issuer filings, developer releases, Knight Frank, GASTAT, Arab News, Reuters/Zawya. Information only — not legal, tax or investment advice. Tenure, eligibility and the right type for any unit must be confirmed on REGA's Saudi Properties portal and in the sale contract before any reservation.