Wealth management in Saudi Arabia

“Alexis, I am signing for a five-year project in Riyadh. My salary won't be taxed there. My adviser told me the treaty protects me. Is that true?”

Not that simply. Under the Franco-Saudi treaty, to be resident of a State you must be locally liable to tax. Yet a French employee in Saudi Arabia pays no tax there on their salary. Unlike the treaty with Qatar, the Saudi text makes no provision for this case: it is a point to examine before signing, not after a tax audit.

Saudi Arabia has 6,353 French nationals on the consular register as at 31 December 2025, against 6,164 a year earlier, i.e. +3.1% year on year.

The treaty of 18 February 1982 covers income, wealth and estates. It was concluded for a limited period and has been extended until 31 December 2028. At Balmont Conseil, we start from this text, read article by article.

1. Why seek expert wealth management in Saudi Arabia?

Four points determine your situation, and the first is specific to Saudi Arabia.

Being resident requires being taxed. Article 4 § 1 of the treaty refers to persons liable to tax in a State. With no Saudi tax on your salary, the French tax authorities may challenge your status as a treaty resident: the file must be prepared accordingly.
A fixed-term treaty. Extended by an exchange of notes in December 2023 until 31 December 2028, it will need to be extended again for anyone settling there beyond that date.
Estates are covered. The treaty allocates the right to tax your estate between the two States; a property located in France is in principle still taxed in France.
The exit tax requires guarantees. Saudi Arabia does not assist France in recovering tax: deferral must be requested, with a tax representative in France.

2. The France ↔ Saudi Arabia framework in five verified points

Here is the applicable framework, checked against official sources as at 1st October 2026.

French nationals on the register	6,353 as at 31 December 2025 (+3.1% year on year).
Income tax treaty	Yes — treaty of 18 February 1982, amended in 1991 and 2011, extended until 31 December 2028. It covers income tax and wealth tax, and therefore IFI.
Estate tax treaty	Yes, the same treaty. It covers inheritance tax and allocates the right to tax between the two States. Its exact scope has to be read asset by asset.
Exit tax — deferral of payment	Deferral on request, with a tax representative and guarantees. Saudi Arabia does not assist France in recovering tax (annex BOI-ANNX-000508).
CSG and CRDS on property income and capital gains	17.2% on property income and property capital gains, 18.6% on furnished lettings from 2025 income. The reduced rate of 7.5% does not apply.

Sources: list of tax treaties concluded by France (BOI-ANNX-000306, updated 29 April 2026); exchange-of-information and recovery-assistance clauses (BOI-ANNX-000508, position at 8 October 2025); register of French nationals living outside France at 31 December 2025 (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs); text of the treaty published by impots.gouv.fr; impots.gouv.fr for non-residents' social charges. Position as at 1st October 2026.

On residence. The Saudi tax authority issues a certificate of residence after 30 days of presence for a person with a permanent home, or 183 days otherwise. This certificate is useful, but it does not settle the question of liability to tax raised by the treaty. On the French side, Article 4 B of the French Tax Code looks at your household, your work and the centre of your interests: a real, documented departure remains the best protection.

On your French income. It remains taxed at a minimum rate of 20%, then 30% above €29,579 of net taxable income, or at the average rate if more favourable.

On exit tax. Once deferral is granted, the return is filed in the year of departure and then every year for as long as it runs.

What we do not show. Saudi inheritance law and local rules are handled with an adviser licensed in Saudi Arabia, whom we coordinate.

3. Our services: 360° support for expatriates and investors

Three workstreams, in the order in which they are decided.

Residence, before you sign

We examine your situation under Article 4 B of the French Tax Code and Article 4 of the treaty, then list the evidence to gather in Riyadh from arrival: residence permit, registered lease, employment contract, records of presence.

Criteria for French tax residence, one by one.
Analysis of the tax liability required by the treaty.
Saudi residency documents to obtain.

The exit tax and your French income

If your securities exceed €800,000 or if you hold at least 50% of the profits of a company, the exit tax applies (article 167 bis of the general tax code): we prepare the deferral file, with tax representative and guarantees.

A French assurance-vie held by a non-resident no longer bears social charges; withdrawals are subject to a 12.8% levy, or 7.5% after eight years. A Luxembourg assurance-vie contract may be considered, case by case.

Estate transfer: reading the treaty asset by asset

We establish, asset by asset, which State would tax your estate under the treaty, taking into account its 2028 expiry, and we prepare gifts separately.

4. Methodology: our way of working

We work in four stages, and at each stage you know where you stand.

The initial review. We establish your actual situation: the make-up of your wealth, the project timeline, the situation of each member of the household, and the tax domicile of your heirs — because it is theirs that counts, not yours.
The applicable framework. We set out, source by source and with its date, the framework that applies to you. What we do not know, we mark “to be confirmed” — never anything else.
The choices. We present the options with figures and their respective consequences, and you decide. Wealth structuring comes after the decision, not before.
Ongoing monitoring. An annual review, free of charge, to check that the framework has not moved — treaties are amended, incentive regimes are abolished, thresholds change.

5. What the firm offers you

What concretely sets our work apart.

Sources, not claims. Every item in your file carries its reference and its date. You can check. It is the only way to work on a subject where most of the information available online is out of date.
A single point of contact in France. We coordinate your local advisers; we do not replace them: the host country's domestic tax rules are handled with a qualified professional on the ground. Our role is to keep the whole picture consistent and to defend the French side of the file.
Fees that are easy to understand. Fees disclosed before any commitment: fixed-price reviews, tailor-made engagements at €500 incl. VAT per hour, insurers' commissions on contracts taken out. The annual review is free of charge.

Frequently asked questions about Saudi Arabia

Is the Franco-Saudi treaty still in force?

Yes. Concluded on 18 February 1982 for a limited period, it was extended by an exchange of notes of 14 and 28 December 2023, published in the Official Journal of 16 March 2024, until 31 December 2028.

My salary is not taxed in Saudi Arabia: am I resident within the meaning of the treaty?

That is the point to examine. Article 4 § 1 of the treaty refers to persons liable to tax in a State, with no special provision for a State that does not tax salaries, unlike the treaty with Qatar. Your departure must therefore be robust under Article 4 B of the French Tax Code.

Does the treaty cover estates?

Yes. It covers income tax, wealth tax and inheritance tax (BOI-ANNX-000306, updated 29 April 2026). Property located in France is in principle still taxed in France.

Is the exit tax deferral automatic for Saudi Arabia?

No. Saudi Arabia does not assist France in recovering tax (annex BOI-ANNX-000508). Deferral must be requested, with a tax representative and guarantees (Article 167 bis of the French Tax Code).

Is my French rental income still taxed in France?

Yes: at a minimum rate of 20% up to €29,579 of net taxable income and 30% above that, unless you opt for the average rate, plus social charges of 17.2% on unfurnished lettings and 18.6% on furnished lettings from 2025 income.

In summary

Saudi Arabia has a broad treaty that covers estates, but it requires you to be taxed to be resident, and it runs until 31 December 2028. The exit tax requires guarantees there.

Everything is prepared before signing: how robust your departure is, the exit tax and the reading of the treaty for your estate.

Firm's fees: €500 incl. VAT per hour. Annual follow-up is free of charge.