The Ministry of Housing is working to certify 1,800 building inspectors to obtain a construction quality certification; they will be trained in phases over the coming period. The construction quality inspection service is expected to begin in the Kingdom’s major cities in the fourth quarter of 2018, with the remaining regions to be covered gradually by mid-2019.
In this regard, Ministry of Housing spokesperson Saif Al-Suwailem explained that market needs were assessed and a comprehensive plan for training the inspectors was developed, noting that the service will be launched gradually and inspectors will be trained in accordance with the approved plan.
The duties assigned to “building inspectors” , according to Al-Suwailem, are to inspect construction work in accordance with specified phases, request on-site tests at the construction site if necessary, approve a phase if it meets inspection requirements, and reject a phase in case of non-compliance with implementation standards, providing an explanation of the reasons.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Housing recently launched the Quality and Sustainability Assessment System, with the aim of promoting sustainability in residential construction by establishing standards for monitoring and ensuring building quality and improving energy efficiency.
