The Ministry of Housing has confirmed that it will begin implementing land fees in Mecca and Medina next Rabi" al-Awwal (1438 AH), and announced the scope of implementation, in preparation for the launch of the first phase of land fees in these two cities; bringing the total number of cities where the fees will be implemented to eight, following the Ministry’s announcement that it will continue to implement its strategy for applying land fees, as the Ministry prepares to implement the system in three new cities, following the completion of regulatory arrangements with the municipal authorities of each city. Implementation will proceed in cities that meet the requirements, define the scope, and identify the areas within each city, bringing the total number of cities covered by the system to eight.

This step confirms the system’s rollout across all cities and regions suffering from a shortage of housing units, increasing the supply of developed land to achieve a balance between supply and demand, and providing residential land at affordable prices. The Ministry has completed defining the scope of implementation in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, announced the specific scope for each city, and launched the registration phase, which will conclude by the end of December.

The upcoming phase is expected to see a high turnout of landowners registering their properties in those cities, especially following the return to work, the resumption of economic activity, and the end of the summer vacation.

In addition, the official Twitter account for the Unregistered Land Fees System denied the accuracy of reports claiming that the second phase of the white land fees has been postponed, adding that the next (second) phase will begin after the current (first) phase ends, which is one year after the issuance of the fee payment decisions.