Real estate investment trusts (REITs) pool investor money to own income-producing property — offices, malls, warehouses, hotels — and pass rental income on to unit holders. Their units are listed on Tadawul and trade intraday like stocks.
Under Saudi Capital Market Authority regulations, REITs must distribute at least 90% of their net profits to unit holders annually, making the category primarily aimed at investors seeking periodic income.
Their important quirk: each REIT unit has two prices — the market price it trades at, and its periodically published net asset value. A REIT can trade at a discount or premium to its NAV depending on how the market judges its properties' quality, occupancy, and debt.
Despite regular distributions, they are not a deposit substitute: prices fluctuate with the property market, interest rates, and occupancy levels, and distributions can fall if rental income declines.