03 / 06 · Rental market
Saudi Rental Market Monitor
Separate slower rental inflation from falling rents, and compare annual apartment contract averages across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar.
For landlords, property managers and tenants
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Saudi Rental Market Monitor
October 2026
Data periods: Rental index: August 2026; city contracts: Q1 2026
At a glance
Did Saudi housing rents fall in August 2026?
Saudi housing rents rose 3.93% year on year in August 2026 in GASTAT’s Consumer Price Index. The growth rate slowed from about 7.59% in August 2025. Slower inflation means rents increased more gradually; it does not mean the national rent level fell.
Source:GASTAT: rentsOsool: RiyadhOsool: DammamOsool: JeddahOsool: Khobar
Separate the rent level from its rate of change
The roughly 3.7 percentage point slowdown in annual inflation between August 2025 and August 2026 is not an equivalent decline in rent. This matters when interpreting headlines or budgeting for a new lease. The national index describes broad movement, not the appropriate adjustment to an individual contract.
Source:GASTAT: rents
Compare the same property type and period
Average annual apartment contract rents in Q1 2026 were SAR 30,791 in Riyadh, SAR 24,519 in Jeddah, SAR 18,690 in Dammam and SAR 21,891 in Khobar. These are published contract averages, not asking rents for identical units matched on size and quality.
Riyadh’s average was about 64.7% above Dammam’s on these figures. That ratio describes the difference between the averages; it does not isolate district, floor area, building age or unit specifications.
How can the findings support a rent review?
Start with city and property type, then narrow to district, specifications and lease circumstances. Use the published average to frame the research and assemble close comparables before proposing a rent. Always retain the source date: Q1 contract averages and the August index do not describe the same period.
Source:Osool methodology
Average annual apartment contract rent
| City | SAR per year |
|---|---|
| Riyadh | 30,791 |
| Jeddah | 24,519 |
| Dammam | 18,690 |
| Khobar | 21,891 |
Method and sources
The report separates GASTAT’s national housing rental index from REGA city contract averages presented through Osool. Contract amounts are SAR per year, not per month. City averages are not converted into unit valuations or investment yields.
Public sources reviewed for the 4 October 2026 edition. Linked pages may subsequently update; the PDF retains this edition’s figures. Cover artwork is conceptual and does not depict verified projects.
- GASTAT: Consumer Price Index, August 2026
Official source workbook. Synthesis and interpretation by Osool.
- Riyadh data on Osool Market
REGA rents as presented by Osool, captured for the October 2026 edition. Sale calculations by Osool.
- Jeddah data on Osool Market
REGA rents as presented by Osool, captured for the October 2026 edition. Sale calculations by Osool.
- Dammam data on Osool Market
REGA rents as presented by Osool, captured for the October 2026 edition. Sale calculations by Osool.
- Khobar data on Osool Market
REGA rents as presented by Osool, captured for the October 2026 edition. Sale calculations by Osool.
- Osool methodology and sources
Metric definitions, data scope and comparison limits.
Common questions
What is the average apartment rent in Riyadh?
The average annual apartment contract rent in Riyadh was SAR 30,791 in Q1 2026, according to REGA data presented by Osool. Actual unit rents vary with district, size and specifications.
Are the reported city rents monthly or annual?
All city contract averages in this report are annual amounts in Saudi riyals. They are averages of published contracts, not quotations for a particular apartment or averages of rental listings.
