Property
Broad foreign freehold in designated areas
Foreign nationals may own freehold property in designated areas, and Bahrain's rules are among the more liberal in the Gulf.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Survey and Land Registration Bureau. RERA regulates developers, brokers and off-plan sales.
- Deadline — Registration with the Survey and Land Registration Bureau completes transfer
Governing law
- Law 27 of 2017 on the Real Estate Regulatory Authority
- Decree 40 of 1999 on Non-Bahraini Property Ownership
- Civil Code, Decree-Law 19 of 2001 — property provisions
In practice
Bahrain opened freehold to foreign buyers relatively early and the designated areas cover much of the developed coastal and urban property market, including Amwaj, Durrat and Seef, so the practical restriction is narrower than in Qatar or the UAE. RERA, created in 2017, brought developer licensing, escrow for off-plan sales and broker regulation into a single regulator after problems in the sector. GCC nationals can own in most areas. Registration at the Survey and Land Registration Bureau is what transfers title.