The city, in full
The Makkah story.
The city at the centre of every prayer is rebuilding the ground around its mosque, and has begun to let Muslims abroad own a part of it.
In this story
- I.Demand measured in millions
- II.The approaches to the Haram
- III.Who may own
Omnia Saudi Desk · October 2026
Makkah is the direction of every prayer and the destination of the Hajj. The Grand Mosque at its centre receives pilgrims every day of the year, and the city around it has spent decades expanding to hold them: towers, hotels and roads pressed into a valley ringed by mountains. What changed in 2026 was not the demand but the right to own. Under the law that took effect on 22 January, a Muslim individual living abroad may own a home in Makkah, and the projects now rising on the approaches to the Haram are being planned with that buyer in mind.
I.
Demand measured in millions
In 2024 Saudi Arabia welcomed about 35.7 million Umrah pilgrims, roughly 16.9 million of them from abroad, against a stated ambition of around 30 million foreign pilgrims a year by 2030. The Hajj is the smaller, capacity-managed counterpart: about 1.67 million pilgrims in 2025, 1.51 million of them from 171 countries.
The infrastructure has followed. The Haramain High-Speed Railway runs 453 kilometres from Makkah to Madinah through Jeddah and its airport, and carried close to 70% of international Umrah pilgrims between the three cities in 2025. Across Makkah and Madinah together, more than 252,000 hotel rooms are planned, announced or under construction.
II.
The approaches to the Haram
Two projects are reshaping the ground nearest the Grand Mosque. Masar, by Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction, runs 3.5 kilometres along the western approach with hotels, serviced apartments, retail, a hospital and a mosque, and, as Arab News reported in February 2025, about 9,000 residential units for sale. King Salman Gate, launched in October 2025, plans 12 million square metres of built-up area beside the Grand Mosque, adding capacity for around 900,000 worshippers.
Inside Masar, Al Majdiah is preparing Ma’ad Tower, about 1.7 kilometres in a straight line from the Grand Mosque. It is listed as coming soon: no unit mix, sizes, prices or completion date have been published, and Omnia does not estimate any of them.
In Makkah the demand was never the question. Since 2026, the right to own has caught up with it.
III.
Who may own
Under the Law of Real Estate Ownership by Non-Saudis, in force since 22 January 2026, ownership in Makkah and Madinah is restricted to Saudi companies and Muslim individuals, whether they reside inside or outside the Kingdom, with CMA-licensed funds and listed entities permitted under conditions. Muslim individuals are not confined to designated zones in the holy cities, and non-Muslims are prohibited from owning there.
Every acquisition by a non-Saudi must be registered through the Real Estate General Authority to be legally valid, and a buyer should budget roughly 10% in combined transaction taxes and fees, plus registration, on top of the price. This is a summary of the law, not legal advice; REGA and the implementing regulations are the authority.
