Saudi Arabia Launches World’s First National Real Estate Tokenization Infrastructure

Saudi Arabia has officially stepped into a global leadership role by launching the world’s first national real estate tokenization infrastructure. This move transforms property investment from a slow, paper-heavy process into a transparent, programmable, and globally accessible digital asset class.

For investors, PropTech innovators, and global enterprises, this development signals a seismic shift. Real estate is no longer just a physical asset; it is now a digital financial instrument.

A Bold Move Under Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia’s real estate market, valued at trillions of dollars, has historically been challenging for global investors due to ownership restrictions and fragmented data. With Vision 2030 committed to diversifying the economy, the launch of this blockchain-powered national infrastructure solves these structural challenges instantly.

This is not a sandbox experiment. It is a fully deployed, production-level infrastructure. By enabling title registration, fractionalization, and digital ownership transfers on blockchain rails, Saudi Arabia has created the most forward-thinking property investment framework on the planet.

“This is not a pilot — this is a national digital market infrastructure. Saudi Arabia has successfully built technology plus trust, the essential layer for any programmable economy.”
— Adam Popat, CEO of SettleMint

A First-of-Its-Kind National Infrastructure

The system is implemented under the leadership of the Real Estate Registry (RER) and the Real Estate General Authority (REGA). Unlike other jurisdictions that rely on private-sector silos, Saudi Arabia is the first to launch an end-to-end sovereign registry with direct capital-market integration.

Startups and enterprises integrating with this platform gain access to:

• Blockchain-Secured Title Management: An immutable ledger for property rights.
• Automated Valuation Models (AVMs): Real-time, data-driven property pricing.
• Digital Identity Verification: Integration with national ID systems (Nafath) to prevent fraud.
• Escrow-Linked Payments: Smart contracts that hold funds until transfer conditions are met.

A Three-Phase Roadmap Built for Global Scale

Saudi Arabia has mapped out a structured, long-term rollout plan that offers clarity for international partners:

Phase 1: Core Infrastructure & Registry Migration

This is the current operational phase. It involves the deployment of the national blockchain backbone, the migration of physical deeds to digital tokens, and the establishment of the Real Estate Registry (RER) as the “single source of truth” for all property data.

Phase 2: Regulated Buying, Selling & Fractional Investment

Investors will soon be able to buy and sell fractional real estate tokens under a regulated environment. This opens the doors to international capital that previously had no accessible pathway into Saudi’s booming residential and commercial sectors.

Phase 3: The Open API Economy

This is where the Asian startup ecosystem enters the picture. Banks, fintechs, and PropTech firms will eventually be able to integrate directly into the national registry through secure APIs to build tokenized mortgages and cross-border trading engines.

Global Standards: Legal Certainty & Compliance

For institutional investors, legal enforceability is paramount. The infrastructure adheres to the Benchmarks to Blueprint framework, synthesizing best practices from Switzerland, Singapore, and the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)