Announced National Committee for Saudi Building Codes about modernizing the Saudi Building Code 2024, to replace the current version, based on Article 5 of the Saudi Building Code Law, which stipulates that the code must be updated every five years to keep pace with developments in the construction sector.
The committee explained that the building code sets minimum mandatory technical requirements for buildings, which achieve stability and stability of facilities, safety of lives and property, rationalizing the consumption of natural resources such as energy and water, and improving the quality of life and public health by providing the necessary requirements for safety and public health: energy and water, improving the quality of life and public health by providing the necessary requirements for safety and public health, noting that updating the Building Code It comes within the framework of the National Committee's efforts to improve engineering practices and enhance the competitiveness and leadership of the construction and building sector by complying with international standards to ensure keeping pace with the increasing urban growth in the Kingdom regionally and globally.
The committee indicated that the update of the 2024 Building Code was based on a number of key sources, including updating international references and specifications, adopting the latest international standards to ensure keeping pace with developments in the fields of design and construction, and the National Committee for the Saudi Building Code evaluated previous corrections and addressed the challenges faced by the authorities concerned with applying the code to ensure ease of application. The committee also took into consideration the comments of government agencies to enhance coordination in the application of the code, in addition to the participation of the private sector and those working in the construction sector in cooperation with the Saudi Organization of Engineers, to ensure that their engineering requirements are met in accordance with best practices and achieve flexibility in implementation.
The 2024 edition included the addition of three new construction codes to the 2024 Building Code system: the Saudi Code for Seismic Design of Steel, the Saudi Code for Repair, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Existing Concrete Structures, and the Saudi Code for Reinforced Concrete Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bars.
The National Committee for Saudi Building Codes called on all concerned parties, including engineers, real estate developers, contractors, consultants and workers in the construction sector, to review the updated version on the committee's website and learn about its details to ensure compliance. The committee stressed its endeavor to provide guidelines and training programs to facilitate the implementation process and ensure the achievement of the desired goals in cooperation with the competent authorities.
The committee emphasizes that the 2024 Saudi Building Code will be mandatory as of June 30, 2025, which gives the various entities a transition period of (180) days starting from the beginning of January 2025, during which they will continue to apply the 2018 version of the Saudi Building Code to all existing and new projects until the implementation of the updated version of the 2024 Saudi Building Code.
