According to reports from the Ministry of Housing exhibition, which kicked off last Sunday in Sharqia and will run for 40 days, the companies participating in the exhibition had signed 20 contracts as of yesterday out of the 43,000 eligible applicants who expressed their willingness topurchasing apartments instead of villas and duplexes through the Ministry of Housing’s portal.

Well-informed sources said that eight companies are offering their services to eligible applicants at the exhibition to market more than 5,000 housing units, consisting of apartments located north and south of Riyadh Road – Dammam. In this context, the sources also note that an agreement exists between the Ministry and the companies requiring the companies to sell at least 50 percent of the projects on display during the exhibition period; otherwise, those projects will be withdrawn.

Observers attributed the low turnout at the exhibition to the inopportune timing, as it coincided with the start of summer vacation and the beginning of Ramadan—a period that typically involves travel, visits, and social gatherings. This is in addition to the lack of media promotion for the exhibition and the scarcity of messages sent by the Ministry of Housing to eligible recipients.