Al Saedan: Land in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Bader Ibrahim Ibn Saedan, General Manager of Al Saedan Real Estate, discusses land issues in the country. The government in Saudi Arabia, with the authorization from the King, gives land to the people or to the government for public projects. Transferring land is a freehold transfer of ownership. GCC citizens can buy in Saudi Arabia with regulations, except for Mecca and Medina, which can only be sold to Saudi Arabians.

Dr. Bader examines the price of real estate in Saudi Arabia: “Prices are really relative,” he says, “you cannot simply say that real estate is expensive or cheap. If you compare Riyadh to other capital cities in Arab countries, Riyadh is the cheapest.” Dr. Bader states: “When you compare the purchase power of people, yes, it’s expensive. If they cannot buy in Riyadh, they cannot buy in any capital city. But they can buy in other cities.”

About a fifth of the population resides in Riyadh, which is a huge problem. The government has acted by building more universities and construction of smaller cities, which also creates jobs and reduces the pressure of the population in Riyadh.

About Al Saedan

Al Saedan Real Estate is one of the leading real-estate companies in Saudi Arabia. The company has a strong expertise in master-plan developments, land development, building commercial and residential centers, selling and buying local and international real estates, providing consultation in real estates, and providing valuation and estimation services. Al Saedan is an international real estate company with projects in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Kingdom.