The Saudi real estate market continued to post strong activity levels during the first five months of 2026, driven by sustained demand for residential and commercial properties, with the value of real estate transactions 124 billion riyals across more than 101,000 transactions.
According to data from the General Real Estate Authority, the total number of real estate transactions executed during the period from January to May 2026 reached approximately 101,700, with a total value of 123.8 billion riyals. Trading activity varied significantly from month to month, with April leading real estate activity by recording the highest transaction value during the period at 29.3 billion riyals across more than 24,100 transactions, benefiting from increased activity in both the residential and non-residential sectors.
In contrast, March recorded the lowest transaction value during the period under review at 19.4 billion riyals across 15,700 transactions, before the market regained momentum in April and then declined slightly in May to 22.6 billion riyals across approximately 18,900 transactions.
The market started the year strongly in January, recording a trading value of 28.5 billion riyals across 22,400 transactions, then declined to 24 billion riyals in February with more than 20,400 transactions, reflecting continued high levels of activity despite monthly fluctuations in trading volume.
The residential sector accounts for more than 61% of the total transaction value
The residential sector dominated real estate activity during the first five months of the year, accounting for approximately 76.4 billion riyals of the total transaction value, which represents more than 61% of the total real estate transactions recorded during the period.
In contrast, the value of non-residential transactions reached approximately 47.4 billion riyals, reflecting continued momentum in commercial and investment properties as well as land for various uses.
April recorded the highest levels of activity for both sectors, with residential transactions totaling 18.1 billion riyals, while non-residential transactions reached 11.2 billion riyals, contributing to the highest monthly transaction value recorded during the period.
In January, residential transaction value reached 17.5 billion riyals, compared to approximately 11 billion riyals for the non-residential sector, while February saw residential transactions worth 14.7 billion riyals and non-residential transactions worth 9.4 billion riyals. In March, trading volumes declined to 12 billion riyals for the residential sector and 7.3 billion riyals for the non-residential sector, before rising again in April and then declining once more in May to 14.1 billion riyals for residential and 8.5 billion riyals for non-residential.
Stability in the Average Value of Residential Transactions
The data showed relative stability in the average value of residential transactions during the period, with the overall average reaching approximately 746,500 riyals per transaction, with limited fluctuations between months.
The average value of a residential transaction ranged from approximately 716,000 riyals to 760,000 riyals, reaching its highest level in February at around 760,000 riyals, while hitting its lowest level in April at around 716,000 riyals.
In contrast, non-residential transactions were at significantly higher levels due to the nature of the assets traded, with the average transaction value reaching approximately 2.43 million riyals during the period. The highest average value for non-residential transactions was recorded in May at approximately 2.67 million riyals, while the average also exceeded 2.6 million riyals in March, reflecting the continued trading of high-value investment and commercial assets.
Significant Difference in Transaction Sizes Between Residential and Non-Residential Sectors
Data from the General Real Estate Authority revealed a clear disparity in the average transaction sizes between the residential and non-residential sectors.
While the average residential transaction area was approximately 411 square meters during the period from January to May 2026, the average non-residential transaction area reached approximately 30,300 square meters—more than 73 times that of residential transactions.
This disparity reflects the nature of the assets traded in each sector, as non-residential transactions are often associated with commercial and investment land and large-scale projects covering vast areas, while residential transactions are concentrated in residential units and land designated for residential construction.
The largest average area for non-residential transactions in February was recorded at more than 42,000 square meters, while the average sizes of residential transactions ranged between 401 and 423 square meters throughout the entire period, reflecting relative stability in the size of residential assets traded.
Riyadh Leads Real Estate Transactions
In terms of geographic distribution, the Riyadh region continued to dominate the Saudi real estate market in terms of transaction value, having recorded transactions worth 55.1 billion riyals during the first five months of the year across approximately 28,800 transactions, accounting for nearly 45% of the total value of real estate transactions in the Kingdom during the period.
The Makkah region ranked second with a transaction value of approximately 33 billion riyals across more than 22,300 transactions, benefiting from ongoing real estate activity in the cities of Makkah and Jeddah.
The Eastern Province ranked third with a transaction value of 18 billion riyals across nearly 16,000 transactions, confirming its status as one of the Kingdom’s most important real estate markets.
The Madinah region recorded transactions worth 5.15 billion riyals through approximately 3,900 transactions, while the value of transactions in the Qassim region reached 1.63 billion riyals through more than 8,100 transactions.
The Asir region was among the most active, recording transactions worth 1.28 billion riyals across 1,178 deals, confirming the continued growth of real estate activity outside the traditional major centers, driven by the development and investment projects taking place in various regions of the Kingdom.
