Top Property Developers in Saudi Arabia for Foreign Buyers in 2026

With the 2026 Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis opening designated zones to foreign buyers, the question of who actually builds Saudi housing becomes practical rather than academic. The Saudi market is unusual: a large share of supply comes from developers owned or backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund driving Vision 2030. That gives many projects deep financial backing, but it also means timelines and master plans can shift with national priorities. Here are the major developers a foreign buyer is likely to deal with, and what to check before buying from any of them.

ROSHN Group

ROSHN is the PIF-owned national housing developer and the most visible builder of integrated residential communities in the Kingdom. Its destinations include SEDRA in Riyadh, ALAROUS in Jeddah, WAREFA, and MARAFY, large master-planned neighbourhoods designed around schools, mosques, retail, and green space. Because it is PIF-backed and central to the government's home-ownership targets, ROSHN carries strong delivery backing, and its projects are among the most likely to fall inside future foreign-ownership zones in the major cities.

Dar Al Arkan

Dar Al Arkan is one of Saudi Arabia's largest publicly listed developers, with a multi-billion-dollar market capitalisation and a portfolio spanning residential communities, commercial property, and luxury projects. It has also expanded internationally, including in Dubai. As a Bursa-equivalent listed company on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), its financials are public, which makes due diligence easier than with a private builder.

Retal Urban Development

Retal is a listed developer that grew out of the industrial ecosystem around Saudi Aramco and has built a reputation for residential communities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh. Its listing and institutional roots give it a transparent track record relative to smaller private developers.

Emaar The Economic City

Emaar The Economic City is the listed developer of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) on the Red Sea coast north of Jeddah, a long-running master-planned city with residential, industrial, and port components. KAEC has historically been one of the more accessible locations for foreign and expatriate buyers, and is a recurring name for those wanting coastal property outside the main cities.

Al Akaria (Saudi Real Estate Company)

Al Akaria is one of the oldest real estate companies in the Kingdom, listed and government-linked, with a long history of residential and commercial development in Riyadh. Its longevity gives it one of the deepest delivery records in the market.

The PIF giga-projects

Several of the most talked-about Saudi developments are giga-projects under dedicated PIF-owned entities rather than conventional developers. These are worth understanding even if most are not yet selling standard residential units to foreign individuals.

NEOM, in the northwest, is the flagship: a USD-scale new region including the linear city THE LINE, the industrial city Oxagon, and the mountain resort Trojena. Red Sea Global is building luxury tourism and residential assets along the Red Sea coast, including the AMAALA development. Diriyah, developed by the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, is a heritage and mixed-use district on the edge of Riyadh. Qiddiya is an entertainment, sports, and residential city southwest of Riyadh. These programmes are central to Vision 2030 and draw global contractors and brands, but their residential offerings to foreign buyers are still emerging, and their scale means phasing and timelines can change.