We have studied the Sabatier principle for catalytic reactions using conceptual DFT calculations. Our results show that the principle is linked to identical adsorption and desorption energies of reactant and product molecules. The electronic properties of catalysts and reactants are crucial for the principle's validity. Comparable electronegativities between the catalysts and product or reactant molecules, respectively, which result in minimal energy differences are key factors in order to achieve high catalytic yields in terms of a fulfilled Sabatier principle. As was shown for three reactions, our approach aligns qualitatively with experimental data for different catalysts. Though focused on simple gas phase reactions, the concept extends to reactions in the liquid phase and provides general guidelines for the pre-screening of ideal catalysts for given reactions.