Oct 13, 2023
Green buildings, also known as eco-friendly building construction, are designed and constructed to prioritize environmental sustainability and minimize negative environmental impacts. They aim to balance environmental, economic, and social needs while meeting the requirements of current and future generations.
The concept of environmental sustainability in real estate has emerged in recent decades as the awareness of the effects of climate change, resource depletion, and pollution on the environment has increased. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in developing and designing sustainable real estate projects and constructing eco-friendly buildings in ways that minimize their environmental impact and enhance their sustainability.
Sustainable architecture in real estate involves a set of principles that aim at reducing resource consumption and minimizing the environmental impact of property projects. including:
Utilizing Green Building Materials in Real Estate:
1. Using environment friendly building materials in real estate, such as:
● Recycled concrete:
Using recycled concrete aims to reduce the consumption of natural resources and recycle old construction materials.
● Sustainable wood:
Sustainable wood serves as a renewable source of building materials.
● Clay and straw:
Mud and straw are used in thermal insulation, walls, and roofs. They are utilized in natural and bioclimatic designs called "bioclimatic architecture". Examples of these environmentally friendly materials can still be found in old rural settlements from the past century.
● Isolating glass:
Isolating glass is used in windows and doors to reduce cooling and heating loss.
● Natural thermal isolation materials:
Examples of the natural thermal isolation materials include rock wool, hemp, and rice straw.
● Green cement:
Green cement reduces carbon dioxide emissions in the manufacturing process.
● Recycled plastic:
Recycled plastic is used to reduce the consumption of natural resources and minimize environmental pollution.
2. Site-Based Design:
Conducting site analysis to select the best site for utilizing local and natural resources, such as utilizing solar energy and providing natural ventilation.
3. Renewable Energy in Real Estate:
It is one of the most important eco-friendly real estate trends, it can be achieved through various methods, including:
Solar Energy: Generating electricity through solar panels to light properties, power devices, or store energy in batteries for later use.
Wind Energy: Generating electricity through the movement of wind turbines, which is particularly beneficial in areas with strong winds.
Thermal Energy: Renewable energy sources, such as groundwater, and geothermal energy can be utilized for heating and cooling purposes. This approach contributes to improving sustainability and reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.
Bioenergy: Bioenergy can be utilized through biogas and other forms of renewable energy generating systems, converting sources such as organic waste and fermentation gases into usable energy sources. This field has witnessed increasing attention in its development and design, aiming to minimize its environmental impact and enhance sustainability.
The use of renewable energy contributes to reducing reliance on traditional energy sources, thus lowering carbon emissions, preserving the environment, and addressing ozone depletion. As well as providing long-term financial savings and increasing the value of energy-efficient real estate.
4. Water Management:
Water management is one of the key steps in green real estate development, considering the global importance of both saline and fresh water. There are several measures to achieve water management, including:
Water Conservation: Water conservation involves the application of water-efficient devices, such as low-flow showerheads and faucets.
Harvesting and preserving rainwater: Rainwater harvesting involves collecting rainwater through systems and directing it to storage points for later use for various needs like irrigation or cleaning purposes.
Water reuse: treating wastewater through specialized systems and reusing it in multiple functions, such as agricultural irrigation and industrial uses, such as cooling and operation.
Improving irrigation systems: Employing modern irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation, helps in minimizing water runoff and conserving this valuable resource.
Enhancing insulation: It is an important element in achieving water efficiency. This can be achieved by insulating the building in a way that prevents water from leaking and being wasted. Additionally, it is better to apply devices and systems that utilize available water sources, such as rainwater and wastewater generated by the building.
Encouraging eco-conscious home buyers and residents to raise awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability is crucial in reducing the use and conserving freshwater resources, while also minimizing the impact of water waste on the environment.
5. Waste management:
Waste management plays a crucial role in achieving sustainability by aiming to reduce waste and recycle it to minimize its negative impact on the environment as much as possible. These objectives are achieved through effective waste management practices such as:
Waste separation: Sorting recyclable waste from non-recyclable waste into designated containers.
Waste recycling: Providing recycling systems for reusable materials instead of disposing of them in general waste landfills.
Waste reduction: Encouraging the use of long-life products, such as high-quality televisions, refrigeration equipment, and household supplies that last a relatively long time, to reduce the non-recyclable waste generated from their replacement.
Organic waste management: Organic waste is utilized by converting it into compost that can be used to nourish green spaces.
Using recyclable materials: Utilizing easily recyclable materials and incorporating them in the design and construction of sustainable properties, such as recycled glass and sustainable wood, with the aim of reducing waste and preserving the environment.
6. Indoor Air Quality Improvement:
Indoor air quality improvement is essential for the health and comfort of residents, several measures can be taken to improve it, including:
Enhancing air circulation: optimal air circulation can be achieved by implementing effective ventilation systems, including mechanical ventilation systems and natural draft fans.
Air purification: Using UV air purifiers to filter out harmful particles and unpleasant odors.
Moisture control: As humidity can lead to the growth of mold and bacteria, causing health problems, moisture can be prevented by using moisture-resistant materials in the construction of properties, such as moisture-resistant paints and waterproof ceilings.
Sustainable Real Estate Goals and Directions:
These goals and directions can be summarized in achieving a balance between environmental, economic, and social needs in the real estate sector by adopting environmental sustainability and achieving efficiency in the use of financial and natural resources. This is done to meet the needs of the community and enhance its quality of life, aiming at building a sustainable future through focusing on eco- friendly urban development whose designs and constructs complete cities and communities in a way that promotes sustainability. These goals and directions are promoted through government legislation and policies that encourage obtaining environmental green certifications for real estate, such as LEED and BREEAM certifications.
The Role of Individuals in the Future of Sustainable Real Estate:
After highlighting the importance of collective and governmental efforts in supporting and implementing sustainable real estate, it is essential to acknowledge the significant role that individuals play. They can make a substantial contribution by adopting simple measures, like water conservation, waste recycling, actively participating in community discussions, and supporting policies and projects that promote sustainable building practices in real estate sector, ultimately leading to achieving environmental sustainability.
The future of sustainable and eco-friendly real estate is promising and important. These properties are considered necessary for mitigating the destructive effects of climate change, and they will play a larger role in the coming years with the global efforts supporting them. As technology continues to advance, more regulations for green real estate development will be adopted, which will lead to further sustainable property investment and innovation. This will allow builders, designers, owners, governments, and individuals to work together to create a better future.
Stay informed with expert-written articles and the latest trends in the real estate market.
August 27, 2026
Mortgage lending in Saudi Arabia operates inside a defined regulatory framework set by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), with each lender layering its own credit policy on top. The practical consequence is that eligibility, and the amount you can borrow, are not a verdict handed down at the branch. They are figures you can work out in advance.
That matters, because most property purchases in Riyadh today are financed over fifteen years or more, and the size of the financing available is what sets the range you can realistically shop in, not the other way round.
Real estate financing is an amount advanced by a bank or a finance company licensed by SAMA to buy a residential property, repaid in monthly instalments that typically run from fifteen to thirty years. The property is registered as security in the lender’s favour until the balance is settled in full.
One point of terminology worth clearing up early: in the Saudi market, "home loan," "mortgage" and "real estate financing" all describe the same thing. The meaningful difference is structural, most products offered in the Kingdom are built on Sharia-compliant contracts rather than interest-bearing lending, which is why you will see profit rates quoted rather than interest rates.
The contract structure varies between lenders. Three are common:
The difference between these is not just nomenclature. It affects when title passes to you, how early settlement is treated, and how insurance is handled. Ask which structure applies to your offer before you sign, not after.
Requirements are broadly consistent across lenders in the Kingdom; what varies are the thresholds:
Four of these decide the outcome more than the rest. They are worth taking in turn.
A complete, internally consistent file shortens the assessment and reduces the chance of rejection. Most lenders ask for:
Check that the details match across documents. A salary figure or employer name that reads differently on the salary certificate than on the bank statement is a routine cause of delay.
The Sakani programme, delivered with the Real Estate Development Fund (REDF), provides support to eligible Saudi nationals, including coverage of part of the profit margin up to a defined financing ceiling. General eligibility conditions:
The financing track adds further conditions: a minimum monthly income, a defined age band, the property being your first home, and an acceptable credit standing.
One point that is regularly missed: eligibility is determined through the Sakani platform, not by the bank. You can meet a lender’s commercial criteria and still fall outside the support criteria, or the reverse. Figures and ceilings are revised periodically, so use the official eligibility calculator rather than numbers quoted second-hand.
Financing is available to non-Saudis, on more conservative terms:
The wider ownership picture changed in 2026. Royal Decree M/14 took effect on 22 January 2026, consolidating non-Saudi property ownership under a single framework, and the Council of Ministers approved the executive regulations and the designated geographic zones in June 2026. Those zones include Riyadh. Because the rules are recent and documentation is still being published, confirm the current position before committing funds.
There is no single best lender, because the right one depends on your employment sector, where your salary is paid, and the type of property. The market offers three categories of provider:
Rather than looking for a ranking, compare offers on five points:
Because pricing and promotions shift, request written offers from more than one provider and compare them on the same day. That is the most reliable way to identify the best option for your particular position.
Most rejections come down to causes you can address before you apply:
A rejection is rarely final. Ask for the reason in writing — it tells you precisely what to fix before the next attempt.
Termination is governed by the terms of your contract and by SAMA regulation. Three situations account for most cases:
Termination is not the same as refinancing. Refinancing moves your existing facility to another provider on better terms while the obligation continues; termination ends the contractual relationship. Read the early settlement clause and its associated fees before you sign, and if you cannot reach a resolution with your lender, a complaint can be raised through SAMA’s official channels.
Mortgage requirements in Saudi Arabia are transparent and verifiable in advance, and the most common mistake is searching for a property before establishing borrowing capacity. The productive order is the reverse: calculate your debt burden ratio, review your SIMAH record, check your eligibility on Sakani, then search within the range that is actually open to you.
Once you're ready, speak with the Mada Properties team for expert guidance based on current market insights.
On a SAR 8,000 salary with no existing commitments, the maximum monthly instalment could reach roughly SAR 4,400 at a 55% debt burden ratio. The corresponding financing amount depends on the repayment term and profit rate offered, which is why the result differs between lenders.
Yes, on more conservative terms — a higher down payment and a repayment term tied to your iqama and employment contract. Sakani and REDF support is not available to non-citizens. Ownership itself now falls under Royal Decree M/14, in force since 22 January 2026, within designated zones that include Riyadh.
Indicative limits run between 55% and 65% of monthly income depending on borrower category and lender policy, and all existing commitments count towards it. Check SAMA’s responsible lending principles for the current position, as they are updated periodically.
SAMA raised the maximum loan-to-value ratio on a first home for Saudi citizens to 90%, putting the minimum down payment at 10%. It falls further on subsidised tracks for properties below a defined value ceiling.
Most products offered in the Kingdom are structured on Sharia-compliant contracts — commonly Murabaha or Ijara Muntahia Bittamleek — rather than interest-bearing lending, which is why lenders quote a profit rate rather than an interest rate.
August 27, 2026
Riyadh Metro has changed how the capital’s property market is priced. Distance to the nearest station now sits alongside district and unit size in what buyers weigh, and the effect is already measurable: within a single district, homes near stations have grown in value at a different rate from those on its outer edges.
The station itself does not create value. Three mechanisms do.
A King Saud University study of the KAFD station recorded a 15 to 30 percent rise in vertical residential density, alongside a shift toward mixed-use.
Knight Frank’s 2025 analysis identified what it called a metro premium, comparing price growth near stations with growth in the same district’s outer areas.
Source: Knight Frank, 2025 (Q2 2023 – Q2 2025).
The same research estimates that 1.5 million of Riyadh’s 8.3 million residents live within a 15-minute walk of a station. King Saud University puts the uplift at 10 to 25 percent in market and rental value within 400 to 800 metres. The pattern is consistent: the gap widens in districts that were poorly connected before the metro, and narrows in established ones.
Dubai is the closest comparable market. Its metro has run since 2009, and its transaction data has been studied academically. The findings are less uniform than the headlines suggest.
JLL puts the walking-distance premium at between 5 and more than 25 percent, with high-density communities gaining far more than villa communities. The lesson for Riyadh: proximity pays, but sitting on top of a station does not.
CBRE recorded a premium of around 20 percent on homes near Elizabeth Line stations — and it materialised after the project was approved, well before services began in 2022. Over a longer window, prices near stations rose 80 percent between 2008 and 2023 against 74 percent in the surrounding areas: a net premium of six percentage points.
The takeaway is about timing. Most of the gain lands between announcement and opening, not after. That puts announced Riyadh Metro extensions, including the Red Line expansion toward Diriyah, in the window investors are watching now.
The districts that gain the most share three traits: density with room to grow, proximity to employment hubs, and weak connectivity before the metro.
Low-density villa communities gain less, since residents there still commute by car. Sitting on a metro line is not enough on its own — what matters is genuine walking distance to a station.
Evidence from comparable markets points one way: the metro effect is stronger on commercial property. Stations generate concentrated daily footfall, which serves retail and offices far more directly than a residential unit. That shows up in three places.
Residential remains less volatile and easier to exit. There, the metro effect shows as faster letting and firmer rents rather than a sharp price jump.
Expo 2030 will run on a six-million-square-metre site north of the capital, next to King Salman International Airport, with more than 40 million visits expected. Expo 2030 Riyadh Company estimates a GDP contribution of around SAR 241 billion during construction and roughly 171,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Both forces push the same way. Metro access determines how easily a district is reached; Expo determines how many people need to reach it. North Riyadh corridors close to both carry the strongest case. The usual caution applies to any event-led cycle: judge an asset on net yield and clear title, not projected price.
Riyadh continues to grow on the back of Vision 2030 and Expo 2030, and demand has followed into districts served by the network. Currently available through Mada Properties:
The Riyadh Metro effect on property values is real, but selective. It widens in mid-priced districts, narrows in established ones, and favours commercial over residential. Most of the growth arrives before a line opens, which makes timing the decisive variable.
Speak to the Mada Properties team for a recommendation built on market data rather than assumptions.
August 27, 2026
Milan hosted Expo 2015 for just six months. A decade later, the effect is still visible in its property prices and transaction volumes. For anyone watching Riyadh prepare for Expo 2030, that makes Milan worth a closer look.
Here is what happened in the Milan market before and after the event, and what Saudi investors can take from it.
Milan entered its hosting period still recovering from the 2008 crisis, with home prices around 30% below pre-crisis levels. Momentum built as the event approached: residential sales rose roughly 6.8%, and the city climbed from 24th to 12th in PwC's European city attractiveness ranking.
The fairground, northwest of the city in the Rho-Pero area, later became the Milan Innovation District, home to a hospital, research centres, a university campus and housing. Neighbouring areas felt it directly: in Cascina Merlata, beside the site, the average price per square metre rose from EUR 2,776 to EUR 3,993, up 44%, with transactions up 78%.
Activity moved before prices did. Between 2015 and 2021, residential transactions rose 48.2%, retail sales 60.5%, and offices jumped 179.7%. Rents in the city centre climbed around 40%. Prices rose 30% to 40% overall from 2015, and by 2022 sales volumes were double their pre-Expo level, with selling times halved.
Riyadh will host Expo 2030 in the north of the city, where the supporting infrastructure is already under construction. The early-entry window here is shorter than Milan's was.
A global event does not lift a market evenly. It lifts the locations the new infrastructure actually serves, which is where a professional broker earns their place.
At Mada Properties we track where value is forming and recommend accordingly. Let's talk about north Riyadh.