Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah under warm low sun

Freehold residential brief · October 2026 · client edition

Madinah Freehold Brief.

Villas · Apartments · Community guidelines. Every project a non-Saudi Muslim can — and cannot — buy in Madinah 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

Same law, same narrow door. A non-Saudi Muslim — resident or living abroad — can buy in Madinah only inside 10 named zones; nothing outside them.
Today the live foreign-eligible product is essentially one: Al Alyaa at Knowledge Economic City (1,420 apartments), which has already booked SAR 547.65m of non-Saudi reservations. Fairmont Residences at Rua Al Madinah is a waiting list that has not yet stated whether buyers get ownership or usufruct.
Villas: nothing a non-Saudi can buy yet. NAF, NHC/Sakani and Dar Wa Emaar villas sit outside the zones or are subsidised Saudi stock; KEC's 70 Al Alyaa villas are announced only.
Prices have corrected — the Madinah index fell 5.0% year on year in Q1 2026 — so negotiate, and budget about 7% in transaction tax and fees on top.

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 Madinah.

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 10 designated zones

Al-GhurraMadinah Zone 1Madinah Zone 2Al-MahwaDarat Al HijraDowntown MadinahDiyar Al-MaqarRua Al MadinahKnowledge Economic CityMishraf

Villas and townhouses.

Under construction · newly launched · completed · resale

Al Alyaa premium villas

AnnouncedTender planned Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Knowledge Economic City (listed)
Location: KEC, within the Haram boundary, ~7 km east of the centre, near the Haramain rail station
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the KEC zone — the villa phase of the 2,000-unit Al Alyaa community. Confirm the right type per unit
Units · sizes: 70 villas (alongside 1,420 apartments and 408 Hyatt House serviced apartments)
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Contractor tender planned; no sales date yet

Ask about Al Alyaa premium villas

NAF 09 · NAF 08

Under constructionSelling Saudi only

Developer: NAF Real Estate Development (private, Madinah, est. 2020)
Location: Al-Tariq plan; ~16 min to Masjid an-Nabawi
Tenure · who can buy: Al-Tariq is not a named zone — Saudi freehold only as the rules stand; not available to non-Saudi clients
Units · sizes: Gated compounds; NAF 09 themed on the "Madinah identity"
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Per developer schedule

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

NAF 07

Selling since Aug 2025 Saudi only

Developer: NAF Real Estate Development
Location: Al-Tariq plan; ~16 min
Tenure · who can buy: Outside the designated zones — Saudi buyers
Units · sizes: 41 units: 15 duplex villas, 13 roof villas, 13 apartments
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Handover per developer

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

NAF 01–06, 12, 13

CompletedSold outResale Saudi only

Developer: NAF Real Estate Development
Location: Al-Badrani, Jusham, Al-Qasr, Hathm, Al-Mab'outh (NAF 05: 14.6 km, ~18 min)
Tenure · who can buy: Outside the designated zones — Saudi buyers; NAF 05 (7 villas, 180 sqm plot / 310 sqm BUA) sold out and trades on resale
Units · sizes: 3–9 villas each; NAF 12 = 12 apartments
Price (SAR): "Dor NAF" resale listing SAR 915,000 (reported)
Timeline: —

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

Shams Al-Ghoroub · Daniat Al-Ghroub

AvailableOff-plan Saudi only

Developer: NHC
Location: Al-Ghoroub, west Madinah
Tenure · who can buy: Sakani product — Saudi beneficiaries only
Units · sizes: 1,500 units on 414,957 sqm; 1,606 units on 209,341 sqm
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Available from Jul 2026

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

Saraya Al-Bader · Durrat Al-Madina 1

Off-planAvailable Saudi only

Developer: Dar Wa Emaar (NHC partner); Manazel Modern Homes
Location: Madinah
Tenure · who can buy: Sakani product — Saudi beneficiaries only
Units · sizes: 425 units; 694 units on 75,000 sqm
Price (SAR): from SAR 754,000 (Saraya); n/p (Durrat)
Timeline: Per Sakani schedule; 21 Sakani off-plan schemes in the region total 11,429 units

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

Resale villas — established districts

Resale Saudi only

Developer: Private sellers via Property Finder / Sakan / brokers
Location: King Fahd district, Taibah, Nubala
Tenure · who can buy: Outside every designated zone — Saudi buyers; not available to non-Saudi clients
Units · sizes: King Fahd 325 sqm; Taibah 278 sqm; Nubala 301 sqm
Price (SAR): SAR 1.05m – 1.9m
Timeline: Listing-based; stock varies weekly

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

Apartments, serviced and branded residences.

Under construction · newly launched · completed · resale

Al Alyaa

Under constructionSelling Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Knowledge Economic City (listed)
Location: KEC, within the Haram boundary, ~7 km east of the centre, near the Haramain rail station
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the KEC zone; marketed as freehold to foreign Muslims — the only holy-city project with disclosed non-Saudi sales. Confirm the right type per unit
Units · sizes: 1,420 apartments on ~269,000 sqm; 2BR to 4BR + maid, 101–236 sqm; gated, with 72,000+ sqm of parks and walkways
Price (SAR): from ~SAR 1.65m (latest release) to 1.91m; 4BR up to ~4.26m (reported)
Timeline: 1,052 units Wafi-licensed, 368 pending; 351 units contracted (SAR 520.7m) by 23 Jul 2026 plus SAR 547.65m of non-Saudi reservations on 231 units; latest release handover Aug 2028; brokers Keller Williams (~276 units) and RE/MAX Smart Concept (92 units, Bldg 149) from Oct 2026

Ask about Al Alyaa

Fairmont Residences Rua Al Madinah

Pre-launchRegistration open Zone · eligibility TBC

Developer: Rua Al Madinah Holding (PIF) with Adeera; Fairmont (Accor) brand
Location: East of Masjid an-Nabawi; ~10–11 min walk
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the Rua Al Madinah zone; open to Saudis and Muslims of other nationalities — ownership vs usufruct not stated
Units · sizes: 120 branded residences in 2 buildings beside a 250-room hotel
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Registration of interest from 6 Sep 2026

Ask about Fairmont Residences Rua Al Madinah

Dar Al Jewar

DeliveredResale Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Knowledge Economic City
Location: KEC
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the KEC zone — eligibility and right type per unit to confirm
Units · sizes: n/p
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Completed; resale via KEC and brokers

Ask about Dar Al Jewar

KEC Multaqa apartments

Announced Foreign-eligible zone

Developer: Knowledge Economic City
Location: Near Multaqa Madinah, KEC
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the KEC zone; terms to follow
Units · sizes: 2,700 apartments; SAR 4bn expected revenue
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Launch date not announced

Ask about KEC Multaqa apartments

Rua Al Madinah (master plan)

Under construction Master plan

Developer: Rua Al Madinah Holding (PIF)
Location: ~1.5m sqm east of the Mosque
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the zone; hospitality-led — no residential sale terms beyond the Fairmont Residences
Units · sizes: 47,000+ hotel rooms by 2030
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Phased to 2030

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

Dar Al Hijra

AnnouncedMasterplan Master plan

Developer: Rua Al Madinah Holding (PIF)
Location: Darat Al Hijra zone
Tenure · who can buy: Inside the zone; sale structure not published
Units · sizes: "Thousands" of residential units
Price (SAR): n/p
Timeline: Masterplan contract with DLR Group; no launch date

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

Regional planning and seasonal access sit with the Madinah Region Development Authority; no owner-specific access or permit rules were published in the sources reviewed — expect controlled access around the central area in Hajj season and Ramadan.
Al Alyaa is a gated community with landscaped parks and pedestrian paths (72,000+ sqm of open space); its association rules, service charges and pet or alteration policies have not been published — ask for the community charter with the sale contract.
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.

3,835SAR / sqm, city-wide apartments; +2.5% y/yKnight Frank, Q2 2025

3,500SAR / sqm, city-wide villas; -0.3% y/yKnight Frank, Q2 2025

-5.0%Madinah price index, Q1 2026 y/y — among the steepest falls in the KingdomGASTAT

381,200homes by 2028, from 353,400; H1 2025 value +49% to SAR 3.4bn, volumes +38%Knight Frank

City-wide averages are Q2 2025 and include subsidised suburbs; zone product (Al Alyaa at roughly SAR 1.65m–1.91m for 101–236 sqm) prices well above them. Demand signal: Madinah is the first-choice city for 59% of UK and 58% of Malaysian respondents in Knight Frank's buyer survey, and Al Alyaa's disclosed foreign reservations show real uptake.

Confirm before you reserve.

Fairmont Residences — the right type (ownership or usufruct), price list and payment plan before the waiting list converts to reservations.
Al Alyaa — the Wafi licence for the specific building (368 units still pending), service charge, handover date per release, and the per-unit right type on Saudi Properties.
NAF 09 and any Al-Tariq product — not foreign-eligible unless REGA adds the plan to a zone; confirm with REGA before offering it to a non-Saudi buyer.
Resale and letting terms, inheritance treatment, mortgage access — 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 Madinah 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.