Orientation
Most clients begin with the area, not the apartment. In Jeddah Central, that means beginning with a site that is still being built, on the piece of coast the city already treats as its front room.
Jeddah Central is a Public Investment Fund project to build a new downtown on the central Jeddah shoreline, delivered by the Jeddah Central Development Company. It covers 5.7 million square metres and reclaims 9.5 kilometres of waterfront, with 2.1 kilometres of beach and a yacht marina. The stated investment is around USD 20 billion. Phase one accounts for about 45% of the total development and is targeted for the end of 2027, carrying roughly 17,000 homes and about 2,700 hotel rooms.
Four cultural landmarks anchor the first phase, and they are the reason this reads as a downtown rather than a housing scheme. A stadium for 45,000 built to FIFA specification. An opera house with three auditoriums. An oceanarium built around Red Sea marine life. And a museum by the British studio Heatherwick, which converts a decommissioned desalination plant rather than starting from a clean site. Hotels have been signing steadily: Atlantis and One&Only through the Midad and Kerzner joint venture, alongside Mandarin Oriental, Canopy by Hilton and Jareed.
The honest position is that nothing here has handed over and nobody lives here yet. This is a construction site with a 2027 date on its first phase, not a neighbourhood you can walk through and read. What that means for a buyer is that everything is bought on plan, on the strength of the master developer and the operator rather than a street you can visit. It also means the usual signals are absent: no resale market, no rental evidence, no lived-in service charge. We say that plainly because the upside and the caveat are the same fact.
- District type
- New downtown, master planned
- Stock
- Apartments and branded residences, off plan
- Pace
- Under construction
- Beach
- 2.1 km, plus a yacht marina
- Airport
- About 30 minutes
- Al Balad
- 10 to 15 minutes
Life here
A downtown being built where the city already looks.
Jeddah did not need a new centre of gravity. It needed the one it had, back.
Nobody lives here yet, so this is not a residents’ account. It is what the site is, what has been committed to it, and what the first phase is meant to feel like when it opens. The three notes below are the ones that decide whether this suits you.
The shoreline
This is central coast, not a greenfield edge. The Corniche has been the centre of daily life in Jeddah for decades, and Jeddah Central reclaims 9.5 kilometres of it with 2.1 kilometres of beach and a marina. That is what separates it from ambition built out in the desert: the location was already the answer.
The anchors
A 45,000-seat stadium, an opera house with three auditoriums, an oceanarium and a Heatherwick museum inside a converted desalination plant. Cultural anchors are what turn residential density into a place people travel to. They are contracted and under construction, not renderings on a hoarding.
The wait
Phase one is targeted for the end of 2027 and represents about 45% of the whole. Everything bought here is bought years ahead of use, through a construction period, on a masterplan that will keep changing around you. That is the trade, and it is the one thing we will not soften.
Developments here
A short, honest shelf.
What we list here is what has been formally released. Much of Jeddah Central is announced rather than launched, so the shelf will look short until the branded lines open their books. That is the accurate picture of a waterfront being built, and the useful work happens before a release, not after it.
Saudi Arabia · Jeddah · Jeddah Central
One&Only Private Homes Jeddah
One&Only's first Private Homes community in the Kingdom, on the Jeddah Central waterfront, from the SAR 7.6 billion Midad, Kerzner and JCDC joint venture. Ahead of release, with no pricing published.
Saudi Arabia · Jeddah · Jeddah Central
Atlantis Residences Jeddah
Branded residences beside an 800-key Atlantis resort on the Jeddah Central waterfront, from the SAR 7.6 billion Midad, Kerzner and JCDC joint venture. Ahead of release, with no pricing published.
Before the release
The first allocations at Jeddah Central will move before a public price list exists.
Tell us which line interests you, Atlantis, One&Only or the wider phase-one residential, and we will put you in front of it at release rather than after it.
Register for the releaseA closer reading
How to read Jeddah Central.
A working brief on the new downtown: what is actually committed, what the branded lines are, and what a buyer is really underwriting before 2027. About 9 minutes.
Reviewed by The Omnia Jeddah desk · August 2026
eddah spent forty years growing north, away from its own centre. The Corniche stayed the city’s living room while the money, the offices and the newer housing moved up the coast toward Obhur, and the old core was left to age. Jeddah Central is the reversal of that drift, and it is being attempted at a scale that only a sovereign fund can attempt. Understanding the project means understanding that it is a correction, not an expansion.
What is actually committed
The numbers are public and they are large. Jeddah Central covers 5.7 million square metres of the central shoreline, reclaims 9.5 kilometres of waterfront with 2.1 kilometres of beach and a yacht marina, and carries a stated investment of around USD 20 billion. Phase one is about 45% of the total, targeted for the end of 2027, and delivers roughly 17,000 homes and about 2,700 hotel rooms, per the Public Investment Fund and the Jeddah Central Development Company.
What matters more than the totals is that the anchors are under contract rather than aspirational. The stadium is built to FIFA specification for 45,000. The opera house carries three auditoriums. The oceanarium is built around Red Sea marine life. The museum is a Heatherwick Studio conversion of a decommissioned desalination plant, which is a more interesting decision than a new-build landmark and a harder one to walk back. When a masterplan’s cultural programme is contracted, the residential thesis stops depending on faith.
The location was never the question in Jeddah. The question was whether anyone would build the centre back. Someone is.
The branded lines, and what is not known
On 13 November 2025, at the TOURISE Global Summit in Riyadh, Midad Real Estate, the Jeddah Central Development Company and Kerzner International signed a joint venture worth SAR 7.6 billion, about USD 2.03 billion, to bring the first Atlantis and the first One&Only in Saudi Arabia to this waterfront. Atlantis Jeddah is specified at 800 rooms and suites with branded residences, an Aquaventure waterpark, the Lost Chambers Aquarium, more than 20 dining, lounge and nightlife venues, retail and an entertainment pier. One&Only Jeddah carries rooms, suites and villas alongside the brand’s first Private Homes community in the Kingdom, seven specialty restaurants, the Club One wellness centre and a private beach.
What is not public is as important as what is. No residence count, no unit mix, no sizes, no prices and no sales-launch date has been released for either scheme, and none for the wider Jeddah Central residential programme beyond the phase-one total. Anyone quoting you a price per square metre for Atlantis or One&Only Jeddah today is quoting an estimate, whatever it is dressed as. We will publish those numbers the day they are released and not before, which is the only version of this that is still true in a year.
What you are actually underwriting
Buying at Jeddah Central before 2027 is underwriting three things in order. First, a sovereign master developer: the Jeddah Central Development Company is owned by the Public Investment Fund, which is the strongest counterparty available in this market and the reason the delivery risk reads differently here than on a private scheme. Second, the operator, where a Kerzner or a Four Seasons brings a service standard and a management agreement but does not build the asset and does not carry the construction obligation. Third, the developer on your specific line, which on the Atlantis and One&Only residences is Midad.
The risks are the ordinary ones for a giga-project, and they are worth stating rather than dressing. Phased delivery means years of adjacent construction before the payoff arrives, and a masterplan that moves around you while you wait. There is no resale market and no rental evidence here, so a yield view is modelled, not observed. And the foreign-ownership position must be checked property by property: the framework took effect on 22 January 2026 and the Cabinet approved the designated zones and implementing regulations on 23 June 2026, but eligibility is determined against the REGA map for a specific title, never by the name of a district. This is a position to hold with patience and a long horizon.
Who it's for
Start with your horizon, not the brand.
Everything here completes years from now. Tell us which of these sounds like you and an advisor works to that timeline rather than to a launch date.
The branded buyer
A name on the door, on the Red Sea.
Atlantis and One&Only residences are coming to this waterfront, and both are firsts for the Kingdom. We register your interest ahead of release and tell you what is confirmed against what is still unannounced.
- Atlantis Jeddah
- One&Only Private Homes
- Pre-release
The long-horizon investor
A downtown, priced before it exists.
Phase one lands at the end of 2027. Entering before delivery is the whole argument, and so is the wait. We model it honestly, including the parts with no evidence behind them yet.
- Off plan
- PIF master developer
- 2027 phase one
The Jeddah owner
A move back to the middle.
If you already own up the coast, the question is whether the centre out-performs the north over the next decade. We will give you the comparison against Ash Shati and Obhur rather than a pitch.
- Central coast
- Compare north
- Hold long
Two minutes
Get a shortlist matched to your brief.
What is released, what is coming and an honest read on tenure and timing. A person replies, not an autoresponder.
What to know
The practical part, before you look.
No price has been published for any Jeddah Central residential line, branded or otherwise. That is not an omission on our part, it is the state of the market. What follows are dated city-level benchmarks for Jeddah so you have a frame of reference, plus the ownership position beside them. We will replace these with scheme pricing the day it is released.
Ownership & rules
- Who can own
- Saudi and GCC nationals can already own. For other foreign buyers the framework took effect on 22 January 2026, and the Cabinet approved the designated geographic zones in June 2026, administered by REGA. The zones are drawn on maps, not district names, so we confirm a specific building against the REGA record rather than relying on the neighbourhood.
- What you hold
- Freehold title where a building sits inside a designated zone. Established stock is already titled, so ownership tends to be cleaner to verify than on unbuilt land.
- Residency
- The Premium Residency real estate route starts at SAR 4m of appraised, unmortgaged residential property and holds for as long as eligibility, including the ownership, is maintained. Cash routes exist alongside it for those who prefer not to anchor residency to one home.
- Taxes
- A one-off 5% real estate transaction tax on purchase, and that is broadly the headline cost. There is no recurring tax on a completed home and no individual capital gains tax when you sell one.
- Letting
- Long lets register through the Ejar platform. Short-let host permits are currently restricted to Saudi nationals, though a licensed operator route exists. We map which applies before you bank on rental income.
What it costs to buy
- Jeddah Central residential pricing, all linesNo developer price list is public as at August 2026
- Not published
- Jeddah villa average, per m², up 4.4% year on yearJLL, KSA Living Market Dynamics, Q2 2025, city-wide
- About SAR 6,565
- Jeddah city-wide gross rental yieldJLL Q2 2025 and STC Real Estate Index, via Global Property Guide
- About 7.9%
Rules and figures reflect the framework as last verified and can change. Your advisor confirms the current position, and eligibility for a specific building, before you commit.
Where it sits
On the central shoreline, with the old city behind it.
- Al Balad, historic Jeddah
- 10 to 15 minutes
- The Corniche and Ash Shati
- 15 to 20 minutes
- King Abdulaziz International Airport
- About 30 minutes
- Red Sea Mall
- 20 to 25 minutes
- Obhur, the northern coast
- 35 to 45 minutes
On the masterplan
- The 9.5 km reclaimed waterfront and 2.1 km beach
- The yacht marina
- The opera house, three auditoriums
- The stadium, 45,000 seats, FIFA specification
- The oceanarium
- The Heatherwick museum, a converted desalination plant
- Atlantis Jeddah and One&Only Jeddah
The wider picture
The city
Jeddah
Saudi Arabia’s coastal gateway and commercial heart. Its Red Sea position connects three continents, and Vision 2030 is reshaping its waterfront on a scale few cities attempt, with Jeddah Central the largest move of all.
Read the city guide
The country
Saudi Arabia
The ownership law took effect on 22 January 2026 and Jeddah’s mapped zones were approved on 23 June 2026. For property in the Kingdom, we check the live REGA map, residency routes and tenure before anything else.
Read the market guideFrom the desks
Read around Jeddah.
Investor guides
What it costs to buy property in Saudi Arabia
RETT, registration, agency and running costs: the true all-in figure on a residence.
Costs · Saudi ArabiaRead
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How to buy property in Saudi Arabia
Reservation to registered title at the Real Estate Registry: the stages, timelines and who you need.
Process · Saudi ArabiaRead
Investor guides
Can foreigners buy property in Saudi Arabia?
Foreign individuals can own freehold in designated areas, with 2026 rules widening access in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Ownership · Saudi ArabiaReadInvestor guides
Buying off-plan property in Jeddah and Riyadh
Escrow protection, payment plans and what a Four Seasons or operator flag is worth at handover.
Off-plan · Saudi ArabiaRead
Investor guides
Premium Residency through property in Saudi Arabia
How a qualifying purchase routes to renewable or permanent residency for you and your family.
Residency · Saudi ArabiaRead
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Frequently asked
Before you enquire.
What is the Jeddah Central project?
Jeddah Central is a Public Investment Fund project to build a new downtown on 5.7 million square metres of the central Jeddah shoreline, delivered by the Jeddah Central Development Company. It reclaims 9.5 kilometres of waterfront with 2.1 kilometres of beach and a yacht marina, and carries a stated investment of around USD 20 billion. Phase one is about 45% of the total, targeted for the end of 2027, with roughly 17,000 homes and about 2,700 hotel rooms.
When will Jeddah Central be completed?
Phase one, which represents about 45% of the development and includes the four cultural landmarks, is targeted for the end of 2027. The wider masterplan runs beyond that on a phased programme, and no single completion date has been published for the whole scheme.
What is being built at Jeddah Central?
Four cultural landmarks anchor the first phase: a 45,000-seat stadium built to FIFA specification, an opera house with three auditoriums, an oceanarium built around Red Sea marine life, and a museum by Heatherwick Studio converting a decommissioned desalination plant. Alongside them sit roughly 17,000 homes, about 2,700 hotel rooms, a yacht marina and 2.1 kilometres of beach.
Which hotels and branded residences are coming to Jeddah Central?
On 13 November 2025 Midad Real Estate, the Jeddah Central Development Company and Kerzner International signed a SAR 7.6 billion joint venture bringing the first Atlantis and the first One&Only in Saudi Arabia to the waterfront, both with a residential component. Mandarin Oriental, Canopy by Hilton and Jareed have also signed for Jeddah Central.
How much do properties at Jeddah Central cost?
No price has been published for any Jeddah Central residential line, branded or otherwise, as at August 2026. For a city-level frame of reference, JLL put Jeddah villas near SAR 6,565 per square metre in Q2 2025 and the city-wide gross rental yield sits around 7.9%, per JLL and the STC index via Global Property Guide. Any per-square-metre figure quoted for Atlantis or One&Only Jeddah today is an estimate, not a developer price.
Can foreigners buy property at Jeddah Central?
Saudi Arabia’s foreign-ownership framework took effect on 22 January 2026, and the Cabinet approved the designated geographic zones and implementing regulations on 23 June 2026, administered by REGA. Jeddah is covered by published mapped zones, but eligibility is determined property by property against the REGA record rather than by a district name. Because nothing at Jeddah Central has been released for sale yet, the position for a specific unit has to be confirmed at release. Take current legal advice before you commit.
Where is Jeddah Central, and how far is the airport?
It occupies the central Jeddah shoreline, with historic Al Balad about 10 to 15 minutes away and the main Corniche and Ash Shati around 15 to 20 minutes. King Abdulaziz International Airport is roughly 30 minutes, a figure the Atlantis and One&Only announcement also cites. Obhur, on the northern coast, is a 35 to 45 minute drive.
Is Jeddah Central a good investment?
It is a long-horizon, off-plan position rather than an income asset today. The strengths are a sovereign master developer in the Public Investment Fund, a central shoreline the city already uses, and contracted cultural anchors rather than aspirational ones. The caveats are that nothing has handed over, there is no resale market or rental evidence to test a yield against, delivery runs in phases through years of adjacent construction, and no pricing is public. It suits patient capital with a decade in view.
Continue exploring
Other Jeddah areas.
Private client advisory, GCC
The Omnia Jeddah desk
Here we start with the release calendar, not a floor plan. Nothing at Jeddah Central is priced publicly yet, so the work is being positioned before a book opens rather than reacting after it.
Start with the area
Let's start with Jeddah Central, not the apartment.
Tell us how you would use it. We will send the Jeddah Central guide, the buildings worth seeing, and an honest read on where ownership stands.