During its meeting chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud —may God preserve him—at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh last week, the Cabinet noted the Ministry of Housing’s announcement of the launch of the first phase of the “Sakani” program, which includes 280,000 housing units and financing packages for allocation and delivery across all regions of the Kingdom, including 120,000 housing units developed in partnership with the private sector, with varying sizes based on income criteria and family size. These units will be allocated this year starting next month and delivered within a maximum of three years, as well as 75,000 residential plots ready for construction, in addition to 85,000 state-subsidized financing packages, through a partnership between the Real Estate Development Fund and banks and financial institutions.
The Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Adel bin Zaid Al-Turaifi, reported that the Council of Ministers reviewed the items on the agenda for its session, including matters that the Shura Council had helped examine, and the Council reached the following conclusions:
After reviewing the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, and after considering Shura Council Resolutions No. (198/79) dated 24/2/1434 AH and No. (13/9) dated 7/4/1436 AH, and after reviewing the recommendation prepared by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, No. (13–41/37/D) dated 4/11/1437 AH, the Council of Ministers has decided as follows:
1. Approval of the Regulations Governing the Practice of Engineering Professions.
2. Engineers who are not professionally registered—as of the effective date of these regulations—must regularize their status in accordance with its provisions within six (6) months from the date of their entry into force; the Saudi Council of Engineers is authorized to extend this period.A royal decree to this effect has been prepared.
The Council of Ministers also decided to approve the Arab Strategy for Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (2030), in its capacity as a guiding framework, as approved by Resolution No. (662) issued by the 27th Arab Summit held in Nouakchott on 20/10/1437 AH
