On behalf of His Excellency the Minister of Municipalities and Housing and Chairman of the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) Board of Directors, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, the Chief Executive Officer of REGA and General Supervisor of the Housing Program, Engineer Abdullah bin Saud Al-Hammad, inaugurated the “Ristatex Riyadh Real Estate 2025” Exhibition. The event, held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, will run until 20 February and has attracted wide participation from leading real estate companies and developers, who are showcasing the latest real estate products and services to meet the aspirations of Saudi families for homeownership. The exhibition also features real estate brokers, marketers, financing institutions, and investors.
Engineer Al-Hammad emphasized that the growing government interest in the real estate and housing ecosystem, alongside the introduction of real estate laws and regulations, has played a vital role in enhancing the competitiveness and growth of the Saudi real estate market. He noted that over the past three years, more than 1,000 real estate developers have been qualified, and 360 licenses have been issued for new off-plan residential projects across various regions of the Kingdom. These projects have contributed to providing around 200,000 diverse housing units within integrated communities that meet global standards and promote quality of life, environmental sustainability, and social well-being.
He added that the integration of efforts within the real estate and housing ecosystem has helped raise the homeownership rate among citizens from 47% to 64% by the end of 2024, reflecting the sector’s steady progress toward its targets.
Al-Hammad further pointed out that the Saudi real estate sector has become one of the most competitive in the region, contributing 14% to the Kingdom’s GDP in 2024. Meanwhile, the construction, building, and real estate sectors accounted for more than 16% of total foreign direct investment inflows, underscoring the strong confidence investors place in the sector. The real estate market has also generated over 500,000 job opportunities for Saudi youth, with more than 318,000 establishments operating in the construction and real estate sectors. This makes the real estate sector a key pillar for diversifying the national economy and driving sustainable development.
Engineer Al-Hammad acknowledged that the sector’s rapid growth has not been without challenges, as it is influenced by various global and local factors, including monetary policies, economic shifts, and interest rate fluctuations. Nevertheless, the implementation of integrated regulatory policies has helped maintain market stability and sustainability through initiatives such as first-home ownership incentives, financial support, tax exemptions, increasing real estate supply, and accelerating construction in partnership with financing entities and related sectors. He also highlighted the importance of ongoing market monitoring, adapting to changing conditions, and developing tools and policies that support the sector’s continued growth.
For his part, the Director General of Strategic Communication and REGA’s Official Spokesperson, Mr. Taiseer bin Mohammed Al-Mufarrej, stated that the Kingdom holds a prominent economic position globally and is one of the largest real estate markets in the region. He emphasized the critical role of real estate exhibitions in marketing and promoting real estate investments and supporting efforts to diversify investment sources in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals.
He added that real estate exhibitions help boost competitiveness, diversify real estate offerings, provide a wide range of options for beneficiaries, and facilitate knowledge exchange among stakeholders and specialists through accompanying sessions and workshops. Mr. Al-Mufarrej also affirmed REGA’s ongoing commitment, in collaboration with its partners, to building an effective real estate ecosystem that advances market regulation, enhances services, and implements integrated systems based on sound scientific and practical foundations—aligning with the Kingdom’s comprehensive development under its wise leadership and ambitious vision.
It is worth noting that the “Ristatex Riyadh Real Estate 2025” Exhibition aims to highlight the real estate sector’s role in diversifying investment sources, showcase mixed-use residential and commercial projects, and promote real estate trends that contribute to the growth, sustainability, and adaptability of the Saudi real estate market in the face of rapid economic changes.