Undeveloped land accounts for a large portion—77%—of Riyadh’s total area, and this land represents the city’s strategic urban reserve, with the urban area of Riyadh defined as approximately 2,435 km². These statistics were reported in a recent analytical study on urban development and land use in the city of Riyadh using remote sensing technology, Similarly, data published by the Makkah Region Development Authority indicated that approximately 55 percent of Jeddah’s area consists of undeveloped land, and about 60 percent of Dammam’s area is undeveloped land.

Sources at the Ministry of Housing indicated that the ministry is optimistic that owners of undeveloped land will seek to develop and build on their land within the specified period, to avoid paying fees—whether through partnership with the Ministry or via self-financing by the owners—in order to resolve the housing crisis afflicting most major cities and to bridge the gap in the Kingdom’s cities by reducing the amount of undeveloped land that has marred their appearance.