The Developers Services Center “Etmam” affiliated with the Ministry of Housing has completed the procedures for exceptions for multiple floors for 10 residential projects in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, Tabuk, Dammam and Yanbu, with an increase of up to 200 percent, as the total number of residential units exceeded 64,061 after granting the developers of these projects the necessary licenses to increase the floors.

The General Supervisor of the Developers Services Center “Etmam” Mohammed bin Saud Al-Ghazwani explained that there are 11 requests for exceptions under study, in each of Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Jeddah, Jizan, Dammam and Qatif with a total area of ​​​​the projects estimated at 3.5 million m2, and with a number of units expected to be exempted exceeding 20 thousand residential units, bringing the total number to approximately 35 thousand residential units.

Al-Ghazwani said: “The aim of these exceptions related to multiple floors, setbacks, and areas, as well as public services, is to meet the needs of beneficiaries without compromising security and safety requirements, to provide high-quality housing at reasonable prices and within the reach of citizens,” adding that “a working group has been formed between the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to implement the provisions of the royal order issued regarding exceptions for housing-related projects from building requirements in cities.”

He stressed that obtaining exceptions from the Ministry of Housing requires preparing a comprehensive traffic study to determine future traffic requirements within the project site and neighboring areas, and obtaining the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities regarding security and safety requirements and preserving the privacy of neighbors, as well as submitting a hydrological study and alternatives for draining floods for the project site and a soil examination study for the site.

It is worth noting that the Developers Services Center “Etmam” aims to facilitate the launch of the real estate sector in the Kingdom, and accelerate the pace of work on residential projects, by serving real estate developers, which increases the volume of housing units offered annually and creates new job opportunities for Saudi citizens. It also achieves the national goal by allowing citizens to obtain suitable housing at an appropriate price through the various services provided by the center, such as submitting license, approval and delivery requests, directing and following up on them with various authorities, and ensuring that they are completed at the required speed.