Article 6 of the Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis Law
المادة 6 من نظام تملك غير السعوديين للعقار
The article provides that a non-Saudi's ownership of real estate or real rights gives no rights or privileges other than those lawfully held by an owner of the real right.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يترتب على تملك غير السعودي للعقار أو اكتساب الحقوق العينية الأخرى على العقار في المملكة؛ أي حقوق أو امتيازات عدا الحقوق المقررة لمالك الحق العيني نظاماً.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 6 explained in plain English
This article sets the limit of the effect of a non-Saudi owning real estate. If a non-Saudi owns real estate or acquires another real right in it, such as a usufruct right, what they obtain is only the rights lawfully held by the owner of that real right, as for any owner.
This ownership does not in itself give rise to any other rights or privileges beyond that. The Law treats ownership as a relationship between the owner and the property, not as a door to additional benefits merely through purchase.
In practice, a person who buys real estate should not assume that the purchase in itself gives them an advantage that is not part of an owner's rights. As for benefits given by another law, Article 5 provides that this Law does not affect the Premium Residency Law, the regulation of GCC citizens' real estate ownership, or other laws that give a non-Saudi better rights; those benefits are derived from those laws themselves, not from mere ownership under this Law.
After this article comes Article 7, which deals with ownership by diplomatic missions and international and regional bodies of their premises.
If a buyer has a question about a particular benefit they believe is connected with their ownership, it is best to consult a lawyer specialized in real estate matters.
Practical example
Samer is a non-Saudi investor who bought an apartment in an area where non-Saudis are allowed to own. He has over his apartment the rights lawfully held by its owner, but Article 6 prevents relying on this ownership alone to claim any other privilege beyond an owner's rights.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
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Frequently asked questions about Article 6 of the Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis Law
Does buying property in Saudi Arabia give a foreigner additional privileges?
Under this article, ownership gives rise to no rights or privileges other than the rights lawfully held by an owner of the real right.
What rights does a foreigner get when owning real estate?
The rights lawfully held by the owner of the real right they acquired, and no others.
Are the benefits given by the Premium Residency Law affected by this article?
Article 5 provides that the Law does not affect the Premium Residency Law, so those benefits are derived from that law itself.
More articles on Foreign Ownership of Real Estate
- Article 1
The article defines the Law's key terms, chiefly "non-Saudi", which covers non-Saudi individuals, companies, non-profit entities and any legal person the Council of Ministers specifies.
يقصد بالكلمات والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها: النظام: نظام تملك غير السعوديين للعقار. اللائحة: اللائحة التنفيذية للنظا
- Article 2
The article allows a non-Saudi to own real estate and real rights within a geographic scope set by the Council of Ministers, a resident to own one home outside it, and limits ownership in Makkah and Madinah to Muslims.
1- لغير السعودي تملك العقار أو اكتساب الحقوق العينية الأخرى على العقار في المملكة، وذلك في النطاق الجغرافي الذي يحدده مجلس الوزراء بموجب الفقرة (2) من هذه الماد
- Article 5
The article provides that applying the Law does not affect the Premium Residency Law, the GCC citizens' real estate ownership regulation, or other laws that give a non-Saudi better ownership rights.
لا يخل تطبيق النظام بأحكام نظام الإقامة المميزة أو تنظيم تملك مواطني دول المجلس للعقار في الدول الأعضاء بمجلس التعاون لغرض السكن والاستثمار أو الأنظمة الأخرى ال
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.