Sustainable design has become a priority in the official and governmental real estate sector in Saudi Arabia, especially since part of Vision 2030 aims to promote environmental sustainability in all sectors, including construction and urban planning, so the government has launched a number of initiatives to support this trend, such as the Saudi Green Initiative.

Evidence and Statistics Indicators

The number of registered green building projects in Saudi Arabia is reported to be 2,000, and the green building market is expected to reach around $33 billion by 2030, up from $16.4 billion in 2024.

Demand for green buildings has doubled. The demand for sustainability assessment services has tripled in the last five years and 6 sustainability assessment certificates were awarded during the first half of 2025, and the proportion of design conformity certificates increased by 93% in 29 projects, as the figures show rapid growth in the number of green projects and a significant reduction in emissions in the construction sector.

The launch of the Green Building Code came with a significant reduction in emissions in the construction sector.

The Green Building Code. The Saudi Green Building Code was launched to commit new buildings to environmentally friendly standards, the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing implemented a sustainable program to assess the sustainability of buildings based on energy standards, and the Saudi Architecture Map Initiative established architectural identity and aesthetic quality.

The King Abdullah University for Petroleum Studies and Research project is one of the most sustainable projects, applying high technologies to save energy, and the Red Sea International Airport plans to include units that can be shut down to save energy when needed.

Despite the Kingdom's drive for sustainability, the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has implemented a sustainable program to assess the sustainability of buildings based on energy standards. Although the Kingdom is moving strongly towards sustainable design, there are some challenges facing it, such as the high initial costs of implementing standards and the need to raise awareness and transparency about the benefits of sustainability in terms of economic savings and maintenance.

While the Kingdom is moving strongly towards sustainable design, there are some challenges facing it, such as the high initial costs of implementing standards.