Where foreigners can buy.

The main freehold zones

Nine designated zones allow 100% freehold for all nationalities: about 30,500 of Bahrain's 37,384 foreign-ownership parcels.

Parcel counts: Bahrain's official RERA / SLRB transaction registry, analysed by ASK Real Estate.

What the law lists

Decision 43/2003 as replaced by Decision 38/2023: residential building areas category A, B, C plus investment and tourism areas in a schedule with maps (schedule not published online in text form). goldenresidency.gov.bh says there are 19 investment and tourism areas.

• Juffair / Ahmed Al Fateh district (Decision 43/2003)
• Hoora (Decision 43/2003)
• Bu Ghazal (Decision 43/2003)
• Diplomatic Area / northern Manama (Decision 43/2003)
• Seef District (incl. Bandar Al Seef, Marsa Al Seef) (Decision 43/2003; official GR map)
• Bahrain Bay (Decision 43/2003; official GR map)
• Bahrain Financial Harbour / Central Manama (Decision 43/2003; official GR map)
• Reef Island (Pearl Island) (Decision 43/2003; official GR map)
• Amwaj Islands (Decision 43/2003; official GR map)
• Durrat Al Bahrain (official GR map)
• Danat Hawar (Decision 43/2003)
• Riffa Views (Decision 8/2006; official GR map)
• Diyar Al Muharraq (Marassi Al Bahrain) (official GR map; April 2025 extension)
• Dilmunia Island (official GR map)
• Bilaj Al Jazayer (April 2025 decision; official GR map (Tivoli Residences))
• Al Areen (Tilal) (official GR map)
• Sea Front (Only in RERA transaction data (husaini.co); not found by name in official texts)
• Sayh (Only in RERA transaction data (husaini.co); not found by name in official texts)

Prices in the freehold areas

New areas opened recently

• Riffa Views (Decision 8/2006).
• Bilaj Al Jazayer and new parts of Diyar Al Muharraq (April 2025).
• Master-planned projects such as Tilal Al Areen and Tivoli Residences are sold freehold to all nationalities.

Sources: lloc.gov.bh · gdnonline.com