The Ministry of Housing is working to implement its plan to hold housing exhibitions in major cities where citizens have expressed a need for the housing support program, Following the Jeddah exhibition, the Ministry of Housing is preparing to launch a housing products exhibition the day after tomorrow, Thursday, as part of the second phase of the public-private partnership program. The exhibition will allow beneficiaries of housing loans to select their housing units from among the companies implementing the projects, which will be built on an area exceeding two million square meters and will include approximately 4,536 units—residential apartments distributed across three projects: «the Northern Dammam Housing Development Project, the Southern Dammam Housing Development Project, and the Qatif Housing Development Project.»

In addition, the Ministry of Housing has finalized the selection of eligible recipients for the Ministry’s housing products in the Eastern Province, as part of the «Partnership with the Private Sector» program This was done prior to the launch of the expanded residential apartment marketing exhibition, which will run for approximately 40 days.

Ministry Requirements and Criteria

To protect the rights of citizens eligible for housing support, the Ministry has set a number of requirements, including that the land on which the housing project is to be built must be owned by the developer, and that the Ministry itself will evaluate these projects, which applicants must submit along with an identification of the real estate developer («project owner»), documents proving ownership (the title deed), and a detailed description of the project submitted to the Ministry. This is in addition to the requirements outlined in the specifications and standards for apartment construction, which stipulate that the time required to move between floors must not exceed 3 seconds. Maintenance must be provided for a period of approximately five years. It is also stipulated that the value of a residential unit must not exceed 500,000 riyals, though special agreements may be concluded between the company and the beneficiary outside the scope of the specified amount. The Ministry has also required companies to deliver the units within a maximum period of 20 months, calculated from the date the designated land is handed over to the real estate development company.

8 companies for projects in Dammam

As part of the Ministry’s efforts to implement its strategy of partnering with the private sector and expanding participation in the provision of diverse housing products that meet high-quality standards within a specified timeframe, the Ministry has designated 9 companies to provide services for the proposed projects, as follows: Two companies for the Southern Dammam project: Al-Hakimiyah Real Estate Development, with 888 residential apartments, and Imdad Najd Contracting, with 2,000 residential apartments. Six developers for the Northern Dammam project: Tamkeen for Investment and Real Estate Development, with 200 residential apartments; Ali bin Sultan & Brothers Holding Group, with 396 residential apartments; Al-Qadibi "Shazen" with 184 residential apartments; Mada Al-Sharqia Real Estate Development with 144 residential apartments; Al-Ra’im Contracting Company with 230 residential apartments; and Bawabat Al-Dar with 120 residential apartments. The Ministry has also designated a single company for its project in Al-Qatif: Al-Ra’im Contracting, with 160 residential apartments.

Mechanism for Obtaining a Residential Apartment

The Ministry has established a specific mechanism for obtaining a residential apartment, which consists of seven steps:

1- Sending text messages to registered housing beneficiaries (to determine their preference for either an apartment or a standalone housing unit).

2- Eligible applicants log in to the Housing Support Portal via the Ministry’s website (to confirm their selection).

3- The Ministry sends text messages to everyone who selected an apartment, inviting them to visit the dedicated exhibition (at the Dhahran International Exhibition Center).

4 – The eligible applicant visits the exhibition to review the options offered by eight companies.

5- The eligible applicant selects the appropriate option from among those companies.

6 – The eligible applicant submits the voucher provided by the Ministry to the company that owns the housing unit they have selected.

7 – The company provides the eligible applicant with a receipt, and a formal contract is signed.