Short answer: A property platform in Saudi Arabia operates under REGA (the Real Estate General Authority). To list and advertise legally you need FAL licensing, per‑listing advertising permits, and a broker‑verification workflow; rental contracts run through Ejar. On top of the regulation, the product has to be Arabic‑first (RTL), show Hijri dates alongside Gregorian, and take Mada, Apple Pay and increasingly Tabby/Tamara. I built Fursa Ghayr on exactly this stack.
The regulatory layer
REGA oversees the sector. FAL ("Fal" licensing) is the brokerage licence that individuals and firms need to practise. Key build implications:
- Advertising permits. Each listing needs a valid advertising licence number, displayed on the listing. Your CMS has to store and surface it.
- Broker verification. Only licensed brokers (and verified owners) can post. You need an onboarding flow that checks licence status before a listing goes live.
- Ejar integration for rental contracts — the national tenancy registration system.
- Data and identity — often tied to national ID / Absher verification for account trust.
Getting this wrong isn't a UX problem; it's a legal one. Build the permit fields and the verification gate first.
The product layer
- Arabic RTL, natively. Not a translation plugin bolted on — the layout, components, forms and emails are RTL from the start. English is the secondary locale.
- Hijri + Gregorian dates shown together.
- Payments: Mada is the default card network; Apple Pay is expected; Tabby and Tamara (BNPL) are now common for paid packages.
- Map search tuned for Saudi cities and districts.
- Multi‑role accounts: owner, broker, buyer/renter, admin — each with different permissions.
- Listing packages — free vs featured vs premium, with the permit check applied regardless of tier.
Architecture
For a real portal (not a brochure), you need an application, not a theme:
- A CMS/back office for listings, permits, packages and payments
- A verification and moderation queue
- A custom CRM for the internal team
- Search and map infrastructure that stays fast under load
WordPress can host the front end and content with a custom back end behind it; a Next.js/MERN build is the alternative when you want a fully custom app. Fursa Ghayr uses WordPress + a custom CRM + Mada/Apple Pay.
Timeline and cost
A compliant portal build starts around SAR 34,000 and scales with the number of roles, the payment and verification integrations, and the CRM scope. It's an 8–12+ week project, not a 3‑week site.
Key takeaways
- REGA/FAL compliance — advertising permits + broker verification — is the first build decision, not the last.
- Arabic RTL and Hijri dates are foundational, not a locale toggle.
- Payments: Mada, Apple Pay, Tabby/Tamara.
- A portal is an application: back office, verification queue, custom CRM, fast search.
FAQ
Do you handle the FAL permit fields and verification flow?
Can it run in English too?
How is this different from a US MLS/IDX site?
Alamin Sultan
Web developer for real estate and e‑commerce. WordPress · Next.js · MERN.