What a Riyadh apartment earns on Airbnb in 2026, and how to earn more

A year later, both owners have made money. On our analysis, the first keeps around SAR 95k (typically 75-115k) and the second around 140k (100-170k). The walls are the same. The difference is in the design and how the apartment is run. That is an illustration from our analysis, not a promise, and the rest of this piece shows the figures behind it and what we do to run an apartment at that level.

Bedroom count sets the range; how the unit is run decides where you land in it

Owner profit a year in Riyadh, SAR, average with the range:

Source: Layali analysis.

A typical listing is a furnished apartment, listed and priced soundly; a top listing adds strong presentation, pricing and guest care; run by Layali is the same apartment designed, listed, priced and operated by us. Owner profit is what is left each year after platform charges, housekeeping, utilities, internet, the Ministry of Tourism licence, maintenance and subscriptions, and all three levels are after the management fee of 20% of net booking revenue (defined in the FAQ). These are estimates, not a guarantee.

North Riyadh sits above the city row. In Al Malqa, a three-bedroom keeps around 95k (75-115k) as a top listing and around 140k (100-170k) run by Layali. Check your own district in the calculator.

Four things that move an apartment up its range

Four services, each a set of standards we write down and work to.

Interior design: one calm room the camera loves

Our designs start from primary research: our own market study of interior design in Riyadh's short-term rentals. The direction it gives us is warm and minimal: mid-tone wood, cream and greige walls, slim dark metal, and warm light from backlit headboards and shelves, never cold white. Each room gets one statement, the TV wall in the living room or the headboard wall in a bedroom, and never two. We keep a written list of what stays out: glossy furniture, ornate classic pieces, loud colour, pattern on pattern.

Our fit-out spec is built for the guests Riyadh gets: a desk in the main bedroom, wardrobes with a long hang for thobes and abayas, and a kitchen with a rice cooker, a serving platter and a dallah. Every bed has spare linen sets, so laundry does not hold up a turnover. The result is a cover photo and a first five frames that do the selling. Design and fit-out are scoped and quoted separately from the management fee.

Listing management: photos and words that sell the stay

We photograph the apartment professionally once it is guest-ready: level shots at one camera height, a wide view and a detail of every room, in the order a guest walks through. The first five photos are judged as a set, and the cover is tested at the square crop search results show.

Our copy starts with the guest, not the floor plan: where they will be, and what their first morning feels like. The specifications come last, and nothing goes on a listing that the apartment cannot deliver. The listing runs on Airbnb, Booking.com, Gathern, Aqar and Layali direct from one calendar, so each night sells once. If views are not turning into bookings, we fix the photos and the copy before we touch the price.

Revenue management: no price moves without a reason

Every price change is written down first, with the effect we expect and a date to check it. Before any change we read booking pace against comparable listings and the wider market. A pricing system sets each night's rate and updates it daily, moving with weekends, events, Ramadan and Eid. We price stay length on purpose, favouring longer stays over a cheap last-minute single night.

Hospitality operations: guests looked after, the apartment cared for

Our target is a reply to every guest in under five minutes. Each stage of the stay has its own message, written natively in Arabic and in English, not translated, so the details arrive before the guest has to ask. When a guest does have to ask, we fix the apartment or the message, not just the reply. If something goes wrong, we apologise once, explain the cause honestly and give a time it will be fixed.

Every turnover follows a written checklist: a full linen change, air conditioning and remotes checked, a hair check, an inventory sweep and any damage reported the same day. The cleaner photographs the finished apartment, and we run random spot checks. Repairs go to the right specialist for plumbing and electrics, air conditioning or housekeeping. Technicians call 30 minutes ahead, knock and wait.

Across the apartments we run: 4.9 out of 5 on Airbnb, from more than 210 guest reviews (September 2026). See what your apartment keeps at each level in the calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is short-term rental profitable in Riyadh?

For most apartments, yes, on these figures. A typical two-bedroom keeps around SAR 45k a year (35-60k) after every running cost and a management fee. The figures do not include buying, leasing or furnishing the apartment, so set them against what the unit cost you.

Which Riyadh districts earn the most?

For two- and three-bedroom apartments, Hittin, Al Aqeeq, As Sahafah and Al Nakheel sit at the top of our analysis: a typical three-bedroom there keeps around SAR 75k a year (60-95k). For one-bedrooms, Al Olaya is among the leaders: a typical one-bedroom there keeps around 35k (25-50k).

What does management cost?

Ours is 20% of net booking revenue: booking revenue (excluding VAT) less platform and payment charges, and less housekeeping and guest supplies. Utilities, maintenance, licences and subscriptions are not deducted before the fee. It is charged on income earned, not as a fixed monthly retainer, so it moves with what the unit books. Every figure on this page already has it deducted.

Do I need a licence to rent my apartment short-term in Riyadh?

Yes. Under Ministerial Decision 753, decided 17/3/1448 (2026-08-30) and in force since 2026-09-11, the owner's instrument is a licence and the activity may not be practised without one. Two eligibility tests apply together. The licence is held by a natural person, so a company cannot hold this instrument at all. Then nationality: a Saudi national, or a non-Saudi who owns the unit in question.

Layali Properties operates under رخصة حجز وحدات الضيافة number 73105252, the hospitality-unit booking instrument, and that is the only regulatory status it claims. The licence is held by you. Full detail on the licence page.

See your own neighbourhood and bedroom count in the Layali calculator.