Hafez The Saudi real estate market remained active during the first half of 2026, recording transactions exceeding 202.45 billion riyals, amid continued demand for home ownership alongside ongoing activity inthe rental market. Data from the General Real Estate Authority showed that real estate purchase transactions accounted for approximately 73% of the total transaction value, compared to 27% for rental transactions, reflecting the diversity of market drivers between investment and operational use.
According to the data, the value of real estate purchase transactions during the first six months of the year reached 147.49 billion riyals, compared to 54.96 billion riyals for rental transactions, bringing the total value of real estate transactions to 202.45 billion riyals.In terms of monthly performance, January recorded the highest value of real estate transactions at a total of 40.46 billion riyals, of which 28.49 billion riyals were for purchases and 11.98 billion riyals for leases. February ranked second with a total of 36.87 billion riyals, before activity declined in March to 27.04 billion riyals, the lowest level during the first half of the year.
The market regained momentum in April, with transactions totaling 36.85 billion riyals, then reached 28.73 billion riyals in May, before rising again to 32.50 billion riyals in June, reflecting continued real estate activity despite monthly variations in the pace of transactions.
Residential Properties Lead Real Estate Sales
residential real estate accounted for the largest share of the value of purchase transactions during the first half of the year, totaling 76.41 billion riyals, which represents approximately 52% of total real estate sales, while the value of non-residential real estate transactions reached 56.06 billion riyals, equivalent to about 38% of total purchases.
The residential sector recorded its highest sales value in April at 18.07 billion riyals, compared to 17.52 billion riyals in January and 15.02 billion riyals in June, while it reached 14.65 billion riyals in February, and 14.14 billion riyals in May, before declining to 12.03 billion riyals in March.
As for non-residential real estate, it also recorded its highest value in April at 11.24 billion riyals, compared to 10.96 billion riyals in January, 9.39 billion riyals in February, 8.65 billion riyals in June, and 8.47 billion riyals in May, while it recorded its lowest value in March at 7.34 billion riyals.
This performance reflects continued demand for various types of real estate assets, with the residential sector maintaining its position as the largest component of the market, alongside continued activity in commercial and investment real estate.
Rental Transactions Exceed 54 Billion Riyals
In the rental market, the value of transactions reached 54.96 billion riyals during the first half of the year, broken down into 30.94 billion riyals for non-residential properties and 24.02 billion riyals for residential properties, reflecting the dominance of non-residential activity, which accounted for more than half of the value of lease contracts.
Residential rents started the year at 6.30 billion riyals in January and rose to 7.02 billion riyals in February—the highest level during the period—before falling to 4.06 billion riyals in March, then to 2.79 billion riyals in April, and reached their lowest level in May at 990 million riyals, before rising again to 2.86 billion riyals in June.
In contrast, non-residential rents remained more stable, reaching 5.67 billion riyals in January and 5.81 billion riyals in February, then 3.60 billion riyals in March, before rising to 4.76 billion riyals in April and 5.13 billion riyals in May, reaching their highest level in June at 5.97 billion riyals.
