A non-resident can sell, but the deal runs through Saudi systems: an electronic deed, a Ministry of Justice notary, the 5% real estate transaction tax, a broker fee of up to 2.5% and a possible end of Premium Residency.
In brief
A non-resident owner can sell a property in Saudi Arabia, but the sale runs through Saudi systems: the title deed must be electronic and free of encumbrances, the transfer is made at a Ministry of Justice notary (booked through Najiz), and the 5% real estate transaction tax (RETT) is paid through SADAD. By default the seller owes the tax, and the contract can move it to the buyer. A broker may charge up to 2.5% of the price unless a written contract says otherwise. A sale can end a Premium Residency that depends on that property. The riyal has been pegged at 3.75 per dollar since 1986 and sources describe few currency restrictions, but we found nothing specific on moving real estate proceeds abroad. Information as of November 2026, not legal or tax advice.
Can a non-resident sell a property in Saudi Arabia?
We found no rule that bars a foreign owner from selling. The real question is who can buy from you. Since the foreign ownership law took effect in January 2026 (sources give 21 or 22 January), non-Saudis may buy in designated zones, and every foreign buyer needs REGA approval through the Saudi Properties platform. That widens your buyer pool compared with earlier years, because foreigners can now take part in zones that were closed to them. The zones and the conditions are in our article Saudi Arabia: the 2026 foreign ownership law.
One July 2026 legal blog reports an extra 2% fee on top of the 5% tax for non-Saudi buyers in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, and another guide gives 5% plus 5%. We did not confirm either figure from an official source. It is a buyer-side cost, but it affects what buyers can afford to offer you.
The press describes a penalty framework in the law: a fine of up to 5% of the right's value, capped at SAR 10 million, plus forced sale for false information used to obtain ownership, and warnings escalating to fines of up to SAR 2 million for failing to notify changes. We did not read the regulations. Ask a Saudi lawyer which notification duties apply when you sell.
The sale step by step
- Check your deed. Make sure it is an electronic deed with no mortgage, lien or old paper-deed issue, using the Ministry of Justice system and the REGA title deed verification service. A mortgage must be settled before or at the transfer.
- Choose a licensed broker. The REGA brokerage law sets the sale commission at 2.5% of the price unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
- Agree the contract. Put in writing who pays the 5% tax, the broker fee, the deposit and the date of transfer.
- If the buyer is a foreigner, the buyer needs REGA approval first. Do not set the transfer date before it is issued.
- Power of attorney. If you cannot attend, a legally valid power of attorney lets a representative act at the notary. Have it prepared by a Saudi lawyer or legalised through the Saudi consulate; we did not confirm the exact formalities.
- Transfer at the notary. Both sides or their representatives attend, the tax is paid through SADAD, and the new deed is issued electronically.
- Receive the payment before the deed is transferred, or through a lawyer's escrow, not afterwards on a promise.
One guide estimates 4 to 8 weeks from signing to the new deed, and 3 to 6 months for complex deals, off-plan units or when REGA approval is slow. Treat this as an estimate.
Costs and taxes
The 5% RETT is charged once on transfer. One guide says the law makes the seller liable to the tax authority; practice and the contract can shift it to the buyer, and one buyer guide lists it as paid by the buyer. Assume it is yours unless the contract says otherwise.
Brokerage is up to 2.5% of the price. Who pays is agreed. Sources disagree on whether the 2.5% already includes 15% VAT, so ask the broker before signing.
Illustrative sum, our arithmetic, not a market quote: for a sale at SAR 2,000,000, the 5% tax is SAR 100,000 and a 2.5% commission is SAR 50,000, so SAR 150,000 or 7.5% of the price, before any VAT on the commission, mortgage settlement fees and legal costs.
We found no separate capital gains tax on an individual's sale of property. Your home country may still tax the gain: see taxes when selling property abroad by country.
What a sale does to your Premium Residency
If you hold Premium Residency through property, one property guide reports that the residency lasts only while you keep the qualifying asset (a finished, fully paid, registered residential property of at least SAR 4 million), and that selling without replacing it ends the residency. You can reportedly keep it by buying another qualifying property or moving to a different pathway. We found no Premium Residency Centre page confirming this, so ask the Centre before you sign a sale contract. Our article Premium Residency and property in Saudi Arabia covers the conditions.
Getting the money out
The riyal has been pegged at SAR 3.75 per dollar since June 1986. A 2026 Chambers guide and a tax briefing describe minimal foreign-exchange restrictions and free repatriation of profits and capital gains. We found nothing specific on sale proceeds of real estate and nothing on how Saudi banks treat a seller with a Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passport.
Practical steps: - Ask the bank before the sale how it will treat a transfer of the proceeds abroad and which documents it wants. - Keep the sale contract, the title deed, the tax receipt and your purchase documents. The bank will ask where the money came from; see bank checks for Russian citizens. - Convert at the bank rate or through a licensed provider, and compare the spread; do not accept a payment in cash. - For the general route home, read repatriating money after selling property abroad.
Common mistakes
- Setting a transfer date before the foreign buyer has REGA approval.
- Not writing who pays the 5% tax and the broker fee into the contract.
- Selling a Premium Residency property without checking the residency first.
- Accepting a deposit or payment outside the notary and bank trail.
- Leaving a mortgage or an old paper deed unresolved until the last day.
- Ignoring the notification duties in the foreign ownership law.
Checklist with approximate timing
- Week 1: verify the electronic deed, check mortgage and liens, ask the Premium Residency Centre about your residency.
- Weeks 1 to 2: choose a licensed broker, agree the commission in writing, list the property.
- Weeks 2 to 6: negotiate, sign the contract with the tax and fee allocation, wait for the buyer's REGA approval if needed.
- Weeks 4 to 8: power of attorney in place, notary appointment through Najiz, tax paid through SADAD, new deed issued (our estimate based on one guide).
- After the sale: bank transfer, documents for the bank, home-country tax declaration.
FAQ
Can I sell my Saudi property without going there? Yes, if a representative holds a valid power of attorney and attends the notary. Have the power of attorney drafted by a Saudi lawyer, and ask the notary which form they accept.
Who pays the 5% tax when I sell? By default the seller, and the contract can move it to the buyer. One buyer guide lists it as paid by the buyer, so write it into the contract.
How much does a broker take? Up to 2.5% of the price under the brokerage law, unless a written contract says otherwise. Ask whether VAT is on top.
What happens to my Premium Residency if I sell? One guide reports it ends unless you replace the property or switch pathway. Confirm with the Premium Residency Centre before signing.
Can I take the money out of Saudi Arabia? Sources describe few currency restrictions, but we found nothing specific on real estate proceeds. Ask your bank in advance.