Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector remained robust in 3Q 2025, with strong momentum across the office, residential, retail, and logistics segments, according to the Real Estate Market Review report (pdf) by real estate consultancy CBRE. The report highlights how government initiatives such as the Regional Headquarters (RHQ) Program and the recently introduced rent freeze are reshaping market dynamics, while gigaprojects and private developers continue expanding retail and hospitality offerings to meet rising consumer and tourism demand.

In the office market, Riyadh sustains near full occupancy at 98% and recorded a 15% y-o-y rise in office rents in 3Q 2025. The RHQ program has been a key driver, issuing around 634 licenses to date, including 34 licenses in 2Q 2025. Over the next two years, around 1.3 mn sqm of new office space supply is expected in the capital, with private developers accounting for 80% of the pipelines and megaprojects for 20%. Demand in the capital remained concentrated in technology and financial sectors (each at 23%), and healthcare (15%), which together made up 61% of total office inquiries.

Meanwhile, Jeddah’s office market also held steady, with Grade A occupancy at 95% and Grade B at 92%. In Dammam, Prime and Grade A offices remained in the high 80s, while Grade B slipped to 81%.

The residential segment maintained growth, with transaction numbers rising 17.9% q-o-q, while the total value reached SAR 7.7 bn. In Riyadh, apartment prices grew 6.3% y-o-y and villa values climbed 11.6% y-o-y, while rents were up 8.2% y-o-y before the implementation of the five-year rent freeze. Jeddah also saw a 16.5% y-o-y increase in transaction volumes, alongside a 3.2% y-o-y rise in villa prices and a slight 1.1% dip in apartment prices. Across Riyadh and Jeddah, around 15k new residential units are expected by year-end.

In retail, a growing consumer base and tourism inflows continue to fuel expansion. Retail sales are forecast to grow at a 4.4% compound annual rate between 2025 and 2027. During 3Q 2025, Riyadh’s super-regional and regional mall rents edged up — less than 1% y-o-y — to average SAR 2.8k per sqm per year. The city’s pipeline remains active, with 800k sqm of new space planned over the next five years — over 80% of which will be in the north. Around 100k sqm is scheduled for completion by year-end, followed by major projects such as Westfield Riyadh (120k sqm) in 3Q 2026 and The Avenues Mall (370k sqm) in 2027.

The hospitality market saw mixed results. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 10% y-o-y in August 2025, supported by an 11% increase in occupancy. However, YTD figures show RevPAR down 9.2% in Riyadh and down 6.1% in Jeddah. Looking ahead, the sector is set for a major expansion, with 362k new hotel rooms expected by 2030 as part of a USD 110 bn expansion plan.

Industrial and logistic spaces continue to tighten. In Riyadh, rents climbed between 14% and 28% y-o-y, reaching up to SAR 299 per sqm per year in Al Mashael District. Meanwhile, Jeddah recorded moderate growth of 4-8%, though it remained the Kingdom’s priciest market with SAR 350 per sqm per year in the Asfan sub-market.

REMEMBER- The real estate price index rose 1.3% y-o-y in 3Q 2025, its slowest pace since 1Q 2022. The slowdown was driven by a 0.9% drop in residential prices — the first decline since early 2024. Commercial prices grew 6.8%, down from 11.7% in the previous quarter. Regionally, Riyadh’s growth eased to 1%, the Eastern Province led at 6.1%, and the sharpest drops were in Madinah (down 8%), the Northern Borders (down 7.7%), and Hail (down 7.3%).

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