Major shift seen in opening real estate, financial markets to foreigners in 2026: Al-Falih

Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih  speaking during his participation in the Saudi–Japanese Ministerial Investment Forum

Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said that Saudi Arabia will witness a major transformation in 2026 in opening its real estate and financial markets to foreign investors.

Speaking during his participation in the Saudi–Japanese Ministerial Investment Forum, Al-Falih noted that the Kingdom has seen growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows since the launch of Vision 2030, which doubled to SAR 119.2 billion in 2024.

The leadership places great importance on relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan, which has been reflected in the establishment of the Saudi–Japanese Strategic Partnership Council, he added.

Al-Falih also pointed out that the Kingdom remains Japan’s largest energy supplier and now offers promising opportunities for Japanese companies in energy, hydrogen, advanced industries, healthcare, food security, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

According to Argaam’s data, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) earlier announced the opening of the Saudi capital market to all categories of foreign investors, enabling them to invest directly therein as of Feb. 1.

In July 2025, the Cabinet approved the law of real estate ownership by non-Saudis, to be valid 180 days from July 25, 2025. This means this period expires this month.