Municipalities and Housing

Saudi Vision 2030 for Housing It represents a comprehensive strategic framework that seeks to achieve ambitious goals in various development sectors, including the municipal and residential sectors. The vision aims to build a vibrant society and a diversified and sustainable economy, which enhances the quality of life and reflects the aspirations of the nation and its citizens. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing is attempting to unify its efforts to achieve qualitative shifts in these two vital sectors, which shall contribute to increasing the percentage of citizens owning homes to 70% by 2030.

The vision also focuses on improving the urban landscape in Saudi cities by raising the level of municipal services and developing infrastructure, in line with the aspirations of current and future generations. These efforts reflect the vision of a wise leadership and an ambitious nation that is striving steadily towards achieving a bright and sustainable future for all.

The most prominent challenges facing the Housing Sector before the launch of Saudi Vision 2030

Before the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the Housing Sector faced structural challenges that affected citizens’ ability to achieve housing stability. The most prominent of these challenges are:

• Low home ownership rate: The percentage of Saudis who own their homes did not exceed 50%, which reflects a large gap between supply and demand.
• Long waiting period for housing support: The waiting period for housing support was up to 15 years, which was a huge burden on Saudi families looking for affordable housing solutions.
• High demand compared to supply: With the increasing population growth, the sector witnessed a significant increase in demand for housing, which exacerbated the gap between the size of demand and the size of housing supply.

The Most Prominent Challenges of Real Estate Financing before Saudi Vision 2030

Before launching Saudi Vision 2030, the Real Estate Finance Sector faced many challenges that hindered its development and made obtaining financing for investment projects a complex and lengthy matter. The most prominent of these challenges are:

• Lengthy and Complex Procedures: The process of obtaining real estate financing for investment projects took a long time, which affected the investment feasibility.
• Lack of Clarity in Procedures: The lack of transparency and the difficulty of procedures confused investors and increased the complexity of dealing with financing entities.
• Variation between regions: There were significant differences in financing requirements and procedures between regions of the Kingdom, which led to a disparity in investment opportunities.
• Many requirements: The requirements for obtaining financing were many and varied, which constituted an additional burden on investors.
• Difficulty in obtaining Initial Approval: Obtaining initial approval for financing applications was a major challenge due to administrative complexity.
• Lack of time commitment: There were no clear mechanisms to ensure that procedures were completed within specific time frames, which led to significant delays in the progress of transactions.
• Government Guarantees: The need for government guarantees constituted an obstacle for many investors who were unable to meet these requirements.
• High Interest Rates: Financing costs were high, which reduced the feasibility of investment projects and affected their competitiveness.    

With Saudi Vision 2030, radical solutions came to reform this sector, as procedures were improved, standards were unified, and initiatives were launched that support transparency and competitiveness and reduce financing costs.

Housing Program 2030

It aims to enable Saudi families to obtain housing solutions and financing options that suit their needs and financial capabilities, whether through ownership or usufruct. The program increases the supply of housing units at reasonable prices, high quality and in record time, in addition to providing targeted housing programs to support the neediest groups in society. 

The program also focuses on developing the legislative and regulatory environment for the housing sector to enhance its economic impact, attract investments from the private sector, and develop local content. This approach contributes to creating job opportunities in the Real Estate Sector and increasing its contribution to the gross domestic product, which supports the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Housing Program Achievements

• The housing program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable achievements in increasing the percentage of Saudi families owning homes, as the percentage rose from 47% in 2016 to 63.74% by the end of 2023, exceeding the target for 2023 of 63%.
• In 2024, more than 117,000 Saudi families benefited from the solutions and options of the “Sakani” program, including more than 93,000 families who lived in their homes, an increase of 9% compared to 2023.
• The first quarter of 2024 witnessed 32,343 Saudi families benefiting from the program, an increase of more than 15% compared to the same period last year, as the number of families who lived in their first home reached 25,391 families.
• The program adopted the use of modern construction techniques to accelerate the pace of development and contribute to reducing costs, as the number of developed residential units reached more than 62 thousand residential units. The white land fees system was also applied to a total area exceeding 400 million m2, and more than 1.4 Billion Riyals ($373 Million) were collected to be invested in developing the infrastructure for housing projects.
• The housing program provided more than 141,000 housing units by activating the partnership with real estate developers and enhancing the partnership with banks and financing institutions, to facilitate the provision of real estate loans to Saudi families, which contributed to the growth of the number of real estate loans from 20,000 contracts in 2016 to 295,000 contracts in 2020. The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company was also launched to enhance liquidity in the financing market.

The housing program continues its efforts to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to raise the percentage of Saudi families owning homes to 70% by 2030.

Housing Program’s Contribution to the Gross Domestic Product

• The housing program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable achievements that have contributed to strengthening the national economy and raising the percentage of citizens owning homes. According to the annual report of the housing program for 2023, the percentage of Saudi families owning homes reached 63.74% by the end of 2023, compared to 47% in 2016, thus exceeding the target for 2023 of 63%.
• In terms of economic contribution, the program aims to achieve a contribution of more than 157 billion Saudi Riyals to the gross domestic product, in addition to providing more than 38,000 direct job opportunities.
• The period from 2018 to 2020 witnessed the contribution of the real estate and construction sectors equivalent to 115 billion Saudi Riyals to the gross domestic product, and the creation of more than 39,000 direct job opportunities.
• Non-governmental investment in the real estate sector amounted to more than 254 billion Saudi Riyals in 2020, reflecting the growing confidence in the Saudi Real Estate Market.
• The Real Estate Sector is the second largest sector stimulating the growth of more than 120 economic activities and provides the foundations for building a vibrant society.

These achievements demonstrate the pivotal role of the housing program in strengthening the national economy and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Facilitating Ownership Procedures through Sakani Application and the Comprehensive Sakani Center

• The housing sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed remarkable progress in recent years, as the percentage of Saudi families owning homes rose to 63.74% by the end of 2023, exceeding the target of 63%.
• The Sakani Application achieved more than 1.2 million downloads during 2024, reflecting the growing demand for digital solutions in the Real Estate Sector.
• The Sakani platform contributed to providing more than 1.1 million services through its various channels, and attracted more than 625 million visits during 2024, reflecting the growing confidence in the platform and its pivotal role in facilitating home ownership.

This progress is due to the continuous efforts of the Housing Program to provide various housing and financing solutions, in addition to developing the legislative and regulatory environment to increase the attractiveness of the real estate sector and enhance its contribution to the national economy. To download the application, click here or here.

Ministry of Municipalities and Housing

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing was established in 1395 A.H / 1975 A.D by Royal Order No. (O/266) dated 8/10/1395 A.H, and was entrusted with the responsibility of urban planning for the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which includes providing roads and basic equipment, improving and beautifying cities, and developing municipal and rural areas, in addition to managing the services necessary to maintain the cleanliness and health of the environment in the Kingdom. In 1442 A.H / 2021 A.D, a Royal Order was issued to merge the Ministry of Housing with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. On July 21, 2024, corresponding to Muharram 15, 1446 A.H, a Royal Order was issued to amend the name of the "Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing" to become the "Ministry of Municipalities and Housing".

Laws and Regulations of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing

The laws and regulations approved by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing play a vital role in regulating the municipal and housing sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in line with the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030. These laws aim to enhance urban sustainability, achieve balance in the housing market, and improve the quality of services provided to citizens. These regulations also set a clear and transparent framework that contributes to strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors, facilitating procedures, and supporting comprehensive development in all regions of the Kingdom, ensuring that the needs of current and future generations are met.

Spatial Planning and Urban Landscape

• Increasing visual appeal
• Improving quality of living
• Enabling urban sustainability
• Land and property management
• Transparency in municipal property
• Efficient land management

Infrastructure

• Coverage of infrastructure projects and maintenance
• Project delivery efficiency
• Quality assurance of infrastructure projects
• Hygiene and public health
• Improvement of hygiene services
• Improvement of public health services
• Awareness and enforcement

Display Stimulation

• Stimulating the supply of housing units
• Enhancing land availability and reducing monopoly
• Increasing visual appeal

Enable Request

• Enabling the most needy families to obtain housing
• Legislation and Compliance
• Activating incentives to increase compliance
• Developing the control system
• Effectiveness of legislation
• Raising the efficiency of the real estate development system

Financial Sustainability

• Ensuring that revenues from fees and fines are proportional to the cost of services.
• Privatization of municipal services.
• Development of investment revenues.
• Increasing the efficiency of capital and operating expenditures.
• Optimal budget planning.

Institutional Excellence

• Attracting, developing and retaining qualified personnel.
• Improving the level of institutional maturity.
• Developing institutional communication and raising awareness of the Ministry’s services and products.
• Enhancing community participation and responsibility.
• Activating innovation in service provision.

Digital Transformation and Data

• Digital Transformation and Smart Cities.
• Leveraging Data.
• Improving Customer Experience.

• Providing diverse housing options and solutions

The Housing Program has worked to provide financing solutions and housing options that meet the needs of Saudi families. These options include ready-made units, self-construction, units under construction, and free residential lands, in order to enabling families to own their first home easily and flexibly.

• Cancelling waiting periods for housing support

The waiting period for obtaining a mortgage has been reduced from 15 years to immediate eligibility. This achievement came after the launch of the housing program, the development of innovative financing solutions, and the improvement of procedures, which now allows citizens to obtain a mortgage loan with a support rate of up to 100%.

• Registering Record numbers in mortgage contracts

The Real Estate Finance Sector has witnessed unprecedented growth, as citizens can now obtain real estate finance directly from banks and financial institutions without delay, supported by state guarantees and a subsidized real estate finance product.

• The State bears the real estate transaction tax for the first residence

The State supported citizens by bearing the real estate transaction tax of up to One Million Riyals of the value of the first residence, which contributed to alleviating the financial burdens associated with home ownership and achieving stability for families.

• Establishing Entities supporting the Housing Sector

The Kingdom has established a group of specialized institutions to support the housing system and promote real estate development, which contributes to improving the quality of life and meeting the needs of citizens according to a comprehensive development vision.

These achievements embody the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to achieving citizens’ aspirations to obtain suitable housing and supporting sustainable development in Saudi cities.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made exceptional efforts and qualitative initiatives to advance the Housing Sector, aiming at meeting the needs of citizens and promoting the concepts of sustainable development. These initiatives reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to improving the quality of life and providing innovative housing solutions that suit all categories, while focusing on enabling citizens to own their homes and raising the efficiency of the housing sector in line with Saudi Vision 2030. These efforts seek to enhance social stability and achieve community well-being, in addition to contributing to the development of the urban environment in various regions of the Kingdom. The following are the most prominent initiatives and contributions:

Listing and documenting lands and real estate units based on a unified survey reference and updated topographic maps to expedite the in-kind registration of the property

The initiative targets residents of Makkah and Madinah, and contributes to achieving the goal of improving the urban landscape by facilitating access to land information and accelerating the in-kind registration of property.

Developing the Municipal Real Estate Investment System

The initiative aims to develop and address the laws, legislation and executive regulations for disposing of municipal assets, which increases asset revenues and contributes to achieving financial sustainability.

Joint Land Investment Agreements

The initiative aims to enhance the return on municipal real estate by entering into partnerships with the private sector according to innovative models that balance revenues and risks to ensure a successful partnership relationship with the private sector.    

Developing Public Benefit Markets by being operated by the Private Sector

This initiative aims to raise the efficiency of establishing and operating public benefit markets by the private sector according to the best international standards and experiences. This initiative shall lead to raising the efficiency of exploiting municipal real estate allocated to public benefit markets, which contributes to raising the revenues of the municipal sector, which in turn is considered an important opportunity for the municipal sector to increase partnership with the private sector, which shall be positively reflected in the quality of services provided in the municipal sector by raising revenues and using them to finance and develop municipal sector projects and programs, which shall contribute to achieving the strategic goal in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

Study and development of the sites of the conquests and the peaceful historical sites in the cities of the Pilgrims

It aims to study and develop the areas surrounding the sites of the conquests and the Islamic historical areas in the cities of the Pilgrims (Makkah - Madinah - Jeddah - Taif – Al Jumum) (such as: Uhud – Al Khandaq - Badr – Hira Cave). This includes site coordination works and the establishment of service centers, shops and tourist attractions for pilgrims and visitors and the rehabilitation and coordination of the sites, which includes works to facilitate movement and waiting and provide paved squares, green areas, seating areas and investment uses such as exhibitions, booths, stalls and kiosks.

Study and design of the smart cities platform for managing municipal assets in the cities of the Pilgrims (the Integrated Cloud Control and Leadership Center)

This initiative aims to consider the application of regional management of the city at the level of the Kingdom, so that a center is established in each city and all centers are linked under an Integrated Cloud Control and Leadership Center that works to link the center with the rest of the other cities through the highest level of control and leadership.

Improving the revenues of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing

The initiative aims to improve the revenues of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing by imposing or amending fees on municipal services and violations or investing in the Real Estate Sector.

Developing the Smart Ecosystem in Makkah and the Holy Sites

The initiative aims to establish an infrastructure for a sensor network that covers all the cities of the Pilgrims (Makkah - Madinah - Jeddah - Taif – Al Jamoum) and their vital areas according to each city, such as parks, markets, etc. These sensors measure changes in the environment of all kinds, such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide gas emitted from car exhausts and other harmful gases, harmful radioactive pollution, ultraviolet radiation, as well as water pollution, whether industrial or biological, and the level of pollution of water sources and sewage, in addition to measuring other environmental factors such as the level of excessive noise and vibrations that occur in pedestrian and car crossings, as well as rainwater flow sensors and the degree of water retention in waterways.

Study, establishment and development of pedestrian paths linking the districts of Makkah, the Grand Mosque and the holy sites

It aims to complete the implementation of the pedestrian walkway (Arafat, Muzdalifah and until the entrance to Mina) until reaching the Jamarat Bridge and then the pedestrian path with Mahbas Al-Jin canopy leading to the Haram. The works to be implemented are civil works (first phase) and interlocking floor tiling works.

Study, development and improvement of the visual landscape in the Cities of the Pilgrims

This initiative aims to study and implement projects to improve the visual elements related to the journey of the Pilgrims from their entry into the ports (land, sea, air) until their arrival at the main destination (the Two Holy Mosques), by working to reduce the manifestations of visual distortion in the cities frequented by the Pilgrims (Makkah - Madinah - Jeddah - Taif – Al Jumum), and developing and improving the elements of urban design at the entrances to these cities and stopping points with a focus on highlighting the local and Islamic identity.

Study to develop the system of municipal services and other services related to rituals for the Pilgrims

It aims to study and develop the system of municipal services provided to the Pilgrims, such as shaving services that are provided after completing the ritual and other services. Through this development, all standards for supervision, whether technical, health or environmental, are reviewed, so that we ensure the provision of high-quality services that ensure the safety of the Pilgrims.

Study and development of random areas adjacent to the central area in Makkah and Madinah

The initiative aims to study and develop many public facilities, sites and open areas such as roads, streets and squares and link this to an efficient guidance or indicative system and develop specialized engineering solutions that contribute to increasing the capacity of hotel rooms and the possibility of hosting the largest number of Pilgrims.

Study, development and preparation of municipal facilities and services to serve the Pilgrims

The initiative aims to serve the Pilgrims starting from the ports (land, sea, air) in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Taif to the Two Holy Mosques by studying, establishing, developing and improving municipal facilities and services within urban areas (for example: roads and streets, intersections, lighting, guest rest areas, Hajj and Umrah times, parking lots, fuel stations ...) and raising their efficiency.

Establishing a Center of Excellence for Urban Design

The initiative aims to establish and operate a center to attract national and international competencies in the field of urban design and fields that affect the urban landscape such as architecture, urban design, site coordination, environmental architecture, urban planning, etc., to conduct studies and frameworks that shall improve the urban landscape in Saudi cities and raise the quality of the urban environment for existing and future sites within cities in accordance with the best international practices.

Facilitating the procedures for obtaining, unifying and automating municipal services and enforcing electronic linkage with relevant Authorities

The initiative aims to overcome the existing challenge represented by the multiplicity of procedures and operational models for the enabling and supporting entities to provide services within the municipal sector and empower their human resources by developing flexible and automated procedures that provide fast and high-quality municipal services, and reflecting them on a unified platform that includes all municipal sector services to facilitate service access for customers and provide smooth and integrated experiences.

Developing and operating technical work in the Ministry, Secretariats and Municipalities

The initiative targets all employees of the Municipal Sector, and contributes to improving the quality of services by developing digital capabilities in the municipal sector, in order to improve the quality of information technology services in the Municipal Sector.

Developing Farasan Islands

This initiative aims to organize the mechanism of cooperation between the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing in terms of implementing and operating public facility projects that contribute to the tourism sector or by allocating the Ministry's lands in Farasan Islands to implement development tourism projects, as well as offering investment opportunities on the island, according to the study of the consultant in charge of preparing the Farasan Islands development plan.

Developing Population Density

This initiative aims to prepare studies, recommendations and a model to support the decision to analyze and provide housing to organize and increase population density within urban blocks in several selected cities.

Assessing and addressing dangerous sites and equipping existing urban roads with the necessary traffic safety elements

The initiative aims to produce a heat map of sites that witness high rates of traffic accidents and prepare a list of dangerous sites by collecting and analyzing statistics and data related to accidents, understanding their causes, and identifying the most dangerous sites by applying advanced global methodologies in analyzing traffic accidents and identifying black spots on traffic connections and intersections and classifying them according to their degree of danger in order to carry out traffic treatments and improvements for these sites and allocate the necessary budgets, and arrange priorities in studying and addressing dangerous sites according to scientific and engineering standards to achieve the best results, and ensure raising the level of traffic safety and maintaining the safety of all road users.

Integrated Policy Program for the Transport System Development

The initiative aims to develop safe, integrated and sustainable policies with high efficiency, quality and appropriate cost.

Developing the Municipal Real Estate Investment System

The initiative aims to develop and address the laws, legislations and executive regulations for the disposal of municipal assets, which increases asset revenues and contributes to achieving financial sustainability.

Institutions supporting housing development and stimulating the Real Estate Sector

• National Housing Company

It offers exceptional residential destinations that combine modern designs and strategic locations, to provide the highest standards of quality of life. These destinations are not limited to providing residential units only, but are integrated with comprehensive services and advanced facilities including mosques, schools, kindergartens, shops, primary healthcare centers, in addition to sports fields and recreational spaces. These communities seek to achieve the well-being of the Saudi family through an integrated environment characterized by quality of life and innovation.

• General Authority for Real Estate

The General Authority for Real Estate was established in 2017 to regulate, supervise and develop non-governmental real estate activity with the aim of enhancing and encouraging investment in the real estate sector and achieving the goals of the comprehensive strategy for the real estate sector.

• Saudi Real Estate Institute

Saudi Real Estate Institute: The Saudi Real Estate Institute is an institute specialized in disseminating the best international practices in the real estate sector and is considered the academic arm of the General Authority for Real Estate. It specializes in providing training and qualification for professionals practicing in the Saudi Real Estate Sector, and granting them professional certificates that enable them to enter the labor market with high efficiency.

• Saudi Center for Real Estate Arbitration

It aims to reduce the burden on the courts and some disputes arising from programs supervised by the General Authority for Real Estate, such as Ejar and Owners Associations programs and others.

• Regulating the Rental Sector

In order to develop and regulate the Rental Sector, Ejar platform was launched to ensure the protection of the rights of the landlord, tenant, and real estate broker. The platform relies on the unified contract as an executive document, which enhances the establishment of an organized and reliable rental real estate market and contributes to accelerating procedures and achieving transparency in real estate transactions.

• Developing Idle Lands

The development of more than 411 million square meters of land in major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Makkah was targeted. A plan was also developed to expand the application of fees on vacant lands to include 17 other cities, with the aim of enhancing the utilization of unused lands and stimulating their development to serve the needs of the residential market.

• Adopting Modern Mechanisms in Residential Construction

In a step towards accelerating development and reducing costs, more than 62,000 housing units have been developed using modern construction technologies. A successful experiment was also conducted for the first time in the Middle East using 3D printing to build integrated housing, opening new horizons for the future of residential construction in the Kingdom.

• Launching the Roshn Real Estate Project

Roshn is one of the national real estate projects wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund. The company aims to develop integrated residential neighborhoods characterized by a modern lifestyle in line with the highest international standards, to meet the needs of citizens and provide an ideal residential environment that guarantees them comfort and luxury.

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has achieved a qualitative leap in digital transformation by developing an integrated and sustainable system that keeps pace with the Ministry’s strategic goals in the municipal and housing sectors. These initiatives aim to provide pioneering services and transform cities into smart and innovative digital centers that ensure a prosperous life for the community.

The Ministry focuses on developing innovative business models and advanced customer journeys, in addition to enabling investment in data and services to enhance efficiency and flexibility. It also seeks to raise the level of customer satisfaction and interaction by providing unified and reliable data that supports effective decision-making and improves digital performance in various fields.

Municipality Programs

• Balady Platform

It was developed as a comprehensive national platform in cooperation with various municipal sector entities, to be supportive and integrated to meet the needs of the municipal community. The portal provides a set of electronic services that facilitate the provision of services to beneficiaries.

Applications for the most commonly used licenses, in addition to information services support decision-making and improve the experience. The portal aims to raise the quality of municipal services provided by all secretariats and municipalities across the Kingdom, while enhancing the participation of beneficiaries as active partners, and achieving the highest levels of satisfaction and transparency between municipal authorities and the community.

• Furas Portal 

In the context of supporting investment and developing cities and villages, the Ministry launched Furas Portal to be the unified reference for investors searching for investment opportunities. The portal was designed with advanced technologies to facilitate searching for various opportunities and reviewing their details quickly and effectively, without the need to visit the headquarters of the Secretariats and Municipalities.

The portal provides investment opportunities with diverse economic feasibility in terms of activity, size and location, which contributes to enhancing sustainable development. The portal also allows the possibility of viewing details, purchasing terms and conditions, and signing contracts electronically via the website or smartphone applications, making it a modern and reliable platform for developing an integrated investment environment that serves all parties.

Sakani Products

They are various products that suit your various needs and fulfill your desire to obtain a home that you can enjoy and that is consistent with all your ambitions.

• Ready-Made Units Product: A product that provides the opportunity for the eligible citizen to own a housing unit that suits his needs from brokers or individual owners, through the citizen choosing the support that meets his needs.
• Under Construction Projects Product: A product that allows you to purchase residential units "under construction" that are in line with your desire to obtain your built residential unit, to be delivered within a specified time period with specifications that give you the lifestyle you aspire to, and a quality that achieves your aspirations.
• Self-Construction Product: A product that provides you with an exceptional, integrated journey from lands and real estate loans supported by profits and engineering designs to contractors and supervision of implementation, with distinguished and unique services that speed up your self-construction process.
• Your land is your support: A product that enables the eligible beneficiary to apply for housing support, for residential plans in all regions of the Kingdom.
• Easy Installment Program: An additional housing support program that aims to increase the percentage of Saudi families owning a home, where an additional discount is provided on the prices of units under construction according to specific conditions and with an easy financing installment.
• DHR-SKN-Plus Product: An additional housing support program provided by the National Housing Development Foundation (Sakan) that aims to increase the percentage of Saudi families owning a home, with support amounting at a maximum of 120 Thousand Riyals for beneficiaries and the equivalent of 500 Riyals per month as additional support to support the down payment package in order to reduce the financial burden on beneficiaries.

Sakani Platform

The Ministry launched the Sakani Platform to facilitate citizens' ownership of their first residence, which provides various housing solutions by offering distinguished real estate units within its projects spread across various regions of the Kingdom. The platform provides flexible ownership options with easy payment systems, which enhances the ease of achieving the dream of suitable housing, and is a qualitative shift in the real estate sector, as it provides promising opportunities for developers to establish various projects, contributing to stimulating the real estate market and enhancing the economic growth of the Kingdom.

Ejar Platform

The Ministry launched the Ejar Platform to raise the efficiency of the Real Estate Rental Sector and enhance confidence therein. It is a comprehensive electronic network that aims to regulate the real estate rental sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The platform works to protect the rights of all parties to the rental process: the tenant, the landlord, and the real estate broker, and provides innovative electronic solutions that contribute to improving the management of the sector and facilitating its operations, which ensures achieving a balance between the concerned parties, and stimulates investment in the real estate rental market, which supports sustainable development and enhances confidence in this vital sector.

Etmam Platform

The Ministry launched Etmam Developers Services Center, keen to improve the performance of the real estate sector and enhance its contribution to the GDP. It aims to facilitate real estate development procedures by providing integrated services through a comprehensive digital platform. It is distinguished by being a one-stop shop for real estate developers, as it contributes to accelerating accreditation and approval processes in cooperation with all relevant authorities, in addition to providing integrated advisory solutions to developers. This initiative comes as part of the Kingdom's efforts to develop the real estate development sector and enhance its efficiency, in a manner that supports the sustainable economic development.

Mulak Program

The Ministry launched this initiative, which aims to enable owners of residential units with common parts to establish associations concerned with organizing the facility and enhancing communication between members. The program provides an integrated framework for managing shared buildings, which contributes to achieving an organized and healthy residential environment that enhances the quality of life and shared well-being in the long term. By developing approved laws and regulations, Mulak Program focuses on organizing relations between owners of real estate units with joint ownership, ensuring harmony and sustainable comfort for all parties, and creating an efficient and harmonious residential experience.

Wafi Program

The program is the legally authorized Entity to issue licenses to practice the activity of selling real estate units off-plan in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to issue registration certificates in the Real Estate Developers’ Registry for Real Estate Development Companies, aiming at preserving the rights of citizens, so that (Wafi) becomes a safe incubator for real estate sector investments in the Kingdom, protecting the satisfaction of beneficiaries and preserving their entitlements by regulating the activity of selling and renting off-plan in the real estate market.

Tanmawi Housing

It aims to provide housing units for the neediest families in society, from beneficiaries covered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (Social Security), who have completed applications through the Housing Support Portal, Iskan. This is achieved through various options including: benefiting from the Ministry's housing units available in all regions of the Kingdom, constructing new units, or directly purchasing ready and suitable housing units. In order to accelerate meeting the needs of eligible families, the Ministry has entered into partnerships with about 300 civil society organizations distributed across the Kingdom's Governorates. These organizations are responsible for communicating with families, identifying suitable housing for them, in addition to following up on delivery processes, managing and operating housing units, which ensures the provision of housing support efficiently and effectively, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all its citizens.

Ejar

Since being launched in 2018, Ejar platform has been simplifying the process of renting new properties, and finding a safe and convenient way to conclude lease contracts electronically using a unified contract approved by the Ministry of Justice. The platform integrates with many government agencies in order to simplify the rental process, and eliminate the need to write checks or visit government offices to obtain the service.

The role of Ejar platform does not stop at providing convenience to reviewers only, but rather prioritizes the safety and satisfaction of its beneficiaries, allowing them to access supporting reports and verification services, which ensures the satisfaction of all customers, and facilitates making informed decisions. Ejar provides, through the General Authority for Real Estate, training and qualification programs for real estate brokers, which increases their efficiency and helps them provide high-quality services.

Discover how Saudi Vision 2030 has made a major change in the Housing Sector and made it more efficient and accessible to all.

Mostadam (Sustainable Building) Platform

The Ministry launched the platform with the aim of providing innovative solutions and initiatives to achieve its goals of increasing the percentage of citizens owning residential units and regulating the real estate sector. It contributes to providing a set of services designed to enhance the sustainability and quality of residential units, including:

• Building Quality Inspection

An official certificate is issued proving the quality of implementation after conducting accurate inspections by certified inspectors and reviewing all construction stages.

• Prefabricated Building Inspection

A service that aims to evaluate the quality of existing buildings, where a detailed report on the condition of the residential unit is issued by certified inspectors.

• Building Sustainability Evaluation

A mechanism for assessing the extent to which the building complies with environmental sustainability standards, whereby classifications are granted that indicate the degree of commitment to sustainability standards.

• Contractor Compliance Inspection

This service allows for the issuance of reports on the extent to which contractors comply with quality and safety standards, which contributes to enhancing and preserving the urban landscape.

Shrakat Housing Program

The Ministry launched Shrakat Housing Program with the Private Sector, which aims to provide innovative solutions that contribute to improving the quality of life and meeting the growing housing needs, while ensuring a balance between quality and price, to provide a distinguished living environment for the Saudi citizen. (Shrakat) represents an innovative strategic vision launched by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, aiming at enhancing cooperation with the private sector to provide subsidized housing solutions and products that are consistent with the needs of citizens and at competitive prices. The program is based on pivotal objectives and strategies that include:

• Developing partnerships between the public and private sectors by studying and concluding agreements that achieve integration between the two parties.
• Exchanging expertise and assets to achieve maximum benefit from available resources and enhance efficiency.
• Providing products and services that are compatible with citizens’ aspirations to ensure meeting the growing demand for housing units.
• Managing risks and resources effectively by adopting mechanisms ensuring fair participation between parties.
• Designing appropriate housing products that are compatible with citizens’ needs and income, while committing to providing them with the highest quality standards.

Saudi Real Estate Institute

One of the pioneering initiatives launched by the Ministry of Housing within the framework of achieving Saudi Vision 2030, to be the first educational Entity specialized in real estate sciences in the Kingdom. The Institute was established in cooperation with local and international partners and expertise in the real estate field, aiming at transferring the best international practices to the Saudi Real Estate Sector.

The Institute is the academic arm of the General Authority for Real Estate, and plays a pivotal role in training and qualifying professionals working in the Real Estate Sector, by providing training programs and professional certificates that enhance their professional competence, which contributes to enabling them to enter the real estate labor market with high efficiency. This comes in line with the importance of the Real Estate Sector, as it is the largest non-oil economic sector in the Kingdom, and a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development.

Modern Building Initiative

This is one of the initiatives and main pillars of the housing system, which aims to support the transition from traditional construction to modern construction techniques. The initiative seeks to invest in innovative solutions to enhance industrial development and consolidate the Kingdom’s leadership in this field, while ensuring that citizens are able to obtain housing that meets their aspirations with high quality, competitive cost, and record time.

This initiative comes under the supervision of the Housing Program and the National Industry and Logistics Development Program, and with the support of the Private Sector Stimulation Plan, to ensure implementation in line with the aspirations of the nation and the citizen.

Tax Exemption Request for the First House

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing contributes to providing you with ease through this service, as it bears the payment of value-added tax (5%) not exceeding SAR (1,000,000) of the total value of the first house for citizens, according to the required conditions and standards.

Real Estate Development Fund

Based on the integration with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing to implement its programs directed to beneficiaries, the Real Estate Development Fund was established with the aim of providing innovative and effective financing and investment solutions that enable different segments of society to obtain suitable housing. The Fund seeks to provide balanced financing programs that suit the needs of all segments of society, and to enhance real estate financing and investment through strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors. It also focuses on increasing the supply of housing products in terms of quantity and quality, while ensuring the achievement of high-quality standards and appropriate delivery times, which contributes to enhancing the beneficiary experience and raising the efficiency of the real estate sector.

• Services of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing
• Real estate unit sorting services
• Sustainable building services
• Real estate development fund services
• Residential program services
• Frequently asked questions about the first home tax
• Frequently asked questions about the Saudi Real Estate Institute
• Wafi licenses and services
• Saudi Center for Real Estate Arbitration
• Laws and Regulations
• e-Consultations
• Co-Creation
• e-services rating
• Open data for housing

• Ministry of Municipalities and Housing
• National Housing Company
• Real Estate General Authority
• Balady Platform
• Foras Platform