The relevant authorities have established 8 new regulations for the delivery of services Electricity and water for homes whose owners do not possess legitimate title deeds; out of humanitarian considerations. The regulations included the provision of services to residences whose owners do not possess legal title deeds or ownership documents authorized by the state —located in the cities and governorates referred to in Item (I) of Cabinet Decision No. (280) dated 30/5/1440 AH.
Demonstration of the Need for Housing
First: In cases where the need for housing is established on humanitarian grounds, in accordance with the following regulations and requirements:
1- The housing units for which services are requested must not be among the following:
a. Dwellings built on land designated for public services, for a specific entity, or expropriated for a public project.
B – Residences built on land privately owned by third parties.
C – Residences built on government-owned land that cannot be transferred to citizens pursuant to Royal Decree No. (071/4/M) because they pose a hazard or danger, or because they may cause communal problems or lead to the emergence of new slums.
D. Residences that violate building codes and regulations, or that result in the formation of informal settlements, and whose status has not been regularized in accordance with the law.
E. Dwellings constructed on land subject to regulations that prohibit ownership or the construction of dwellings thereon.
f. Dwellings exposed to environmental hazards or located in areas that threaten the safety of their occupants, such as: dwellings situated within the boundaries or along the course of valley bottoms, or being located beneath the route of high-voltage power lines belonging to the electric utility company, within their right-of-way, or within the right-of-way of oil and gas pipelines or facilities and the like, or being located within the danger zone of hydrocarbon company operations.
2- The applicant must not own a residential unit registered in his or her name.
3- There must be no residential electricity meter registered in the applicant’s name at the time of application or during the 12 months preceding the date of submission of the application for electricity service connection.
Compliance with the Provisions and Procedures for Electricity Services
Second: Compliance with the provisions and procedures set forth in the Guide for Connecting Services to Residences Whose Owners Do Not Hold Legal Title, attached to Ministry of Housing Letter No. (227), without prejudice to the requirements set forth above.
Third: Owners of residences that meet the above requirements and to which services have been connected are granted a grace period of one year—beginning on the date the service was connected—to submit ownership documents approved by the state.
Fourth: If the specified deadline for submitting ownership documents expires without their submission, the matter of disconnecting the service from the residence shall be considered by a committee formed for this purpose, consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Interior (the regional emirate), the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Ministry of Housing; this committee operates under the supervision of the regional emirate in which the residence is located.
Fifth: The provision of services to these residences shall not be considered proof of ownership.
Sixth: The application of the provisions and requirements referred to herein shall not preclude eligibility for the housing support program.
Seventh: In applying the regulations and requirements set forth in the preceding clauses, the provisions of Royal Decree No. (218/5) shall be observed.
Eighth: The regulations and requirements set forth in the preceding clauses shall apply to housing units existing at the time of their adoption.
Services
