Property-linked residency is now a regional norm, but the rules diverge in ways that matter for where capital lands. The thresholds below are the simplest lens on each market's ambition and its caution.
The thresholds, side by side
- UAE: AED 2 million in property for a 10-year renewable Golden Visa. From 20 February 2026, the old requirement to pay 50% or AED 1 million upfront was removed, opening the visa to mortgage-backed buyers. A 2-year investor visa applies at AED 750,000.
- Saudi Arabia: the Real Estate Owner Premium Residency requires SAR 4 million (around USD 1.07 million) in mortgage-free property, alongside the new January 2026 foreign-ownership law.
- Bahrain: Golden Residency at BHD 130,000 (around USD 345,000) after a 35% cut in late 2025, with 100% freehold in designated zones.
- Oman: Golden Residency at OMR 200,000 (around USD 520,000), but ownership is limited to Integrated Tourism Complexes.
- Qatar: residency for purchases above QAR 730,000 in designated freehold and usufruct zones.
Threshold is not the same as access
A low number does not always mean an open market. Bahrain pairs an affordable threshold with genuinely broad freehold; Oman's threshold is moderate but ownership is confined to tourism complexes; Saudi Arabia's higher bar sits alongside the region's most significant new opening. Read the ownership rules and the zone maps together with the price.
Why the rules keep moving
These thresholds are policy instruments, not fixed facts. The UAE eased payment rules to widen the funnel; Bahrain cut its threshold to compete; Saudi Arabia rewrote its entire framework. Anyone underwriting GCC residency exposure should treat the map as a moving target and verify the current rule at the point of decision.