Engineer Muzakir bin Daghsh Al-Qahtani, an expert in construction and housing provision, proposed strategic solutions to address the housing shortage through the integration of efforts by all relevant parties (both government and private sectors) and breaking the monopoly held by individuals who own large tracts of land. This came during the program "Baytak Amer," broadcast on Al-Majd Satellite Channel and hosted by Engineer Enad Khalaf. Al-Qahtani proposed the need to alleviate population congestion in large cities, move development plans outside the cities and their suburbs, and establish cities with integrated services, connected by highways linking them to neighboring major cities, as well as operating a metro system.
Al-Qahtani said that one of the keys to the success of these plans is investment with the private sector through special agreements that attract developers, investment firms, and construction companies, pointing out several benefits of these proposals, including alleviating pressure on services in major cities and generating significant economic activity in the real estate and construction sectors. Regarding the feasibility of the proposal, Al-Qahtani stated that the government will provide optimal solutions to housing problems without incurring any losses, while at the same time, development companies will compete to offer the best and highest-quality solutions, which include the construction of markets, government facilities, and services.
Al-Qahtani pointed out the need to move away from cities to reduce costs, noting that a 500-square-meter plot in the suburbs costs 160,000–200,000 riyals, whereas in cities such as downtown Riyadh, it can reach one million riyals.
