The Ministry of Housing confirmed that there will be no penalties if the ministry discovers regulatory circumvention by a landowner for the purpose of developing the land.
This was clarified by Engineer Muhammad Al-Madiheim, General Supervisor of the Ministry of Housing’s Vacant Land Fees Program, adding that the program will not tolerate payment defaults lasting more than one year and that the Ministry will refer such cases to the State Revenue Authority to freeze their bank accounts and investment portfolios and sell their properties at public auction.
He added that there are currently no statistics on landowners wishing to invest in their land, and that an independent committee—comprising three legal advisors and two real estate experts—will be responsible for developing the vacant land.
He noted that the ministry has programs in place with landowners and developers to develop these plots within 120 days.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Housing announced details regarding the registration period for the unused land fees program, which has spanned six months since its implementing regulations were approved by the Council of Ministers, noting that the online portal dedicated to land registration received 1,792 registrants, while the number of registration applications reached 2,278, covering a total area of 635 million square meters.
