The Real Estate Developers Services Center (Etmam), affiliated with the Ministry of Housing, has noted that obtaining the necessary licenses and approvals from the relevant authorities takes a long time due to multiple requirements, which can sometimes be unclear, and the large number of service providers involved makes the screening process lengthy and complex.
A working group from the Real Estate Developers Services Center (Etemam) explained during an extensive workshop held at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce on Thursday that the center is working to address a number of observations regarding the current state of real estate development projects, emphasizing that “Etemam” serves as a one-stop shop for all services, given its team of consultants, engineers, and specialists who provide the necessary assistance to complete the procedures.
The working group emphasized that the Center’s strategic goal is to “improve the performance of the real estate sector and increase its contribution to GDP by developing its regulations and procedures in collaboration with the real estate stakeholders represented at the Center, who are the Center’s partners: the Ministries of Justice, Housing, and Municipal and Rural Affairs, as well as the National Water Company and the Saudi Electricity Company. It aims to be the primary destination for real estate developers to access services and facilitate their business dealings with relevant authorities.”
The session was chaired by Engineer Hamid bin Hamri, Chairman of the Real Estate and Urban Development Committee at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce, who welcomed officials from the Real Estate Developers Services Center, and praised the launch of the center to serve this sector, emphasizing that the real estate market in the Kingdom is going through a critical period that requires further development and regulation, especially in light of the significant efforts being made by the Ministry of Housing to provide various types of housing, as demand has increased for the services of real estate developers, whose role has been—and continues to be—critical, precise, and effective.
It is worth noting that the center was established in accordance with Royal Decree No. 7262 dated 8/2/1437, which provided for the formation of a temporary working group within the Ministry of Housing comprising representatives from the Ministries (Justice, Housing, and Municipal and Rural Affairs) to undertake the task of approving land plans for housing projects.
