Dr. Shuish Al-Duwaihi, Minister of Housing, spoke about a number of issues related to housing and the provision of housing for citizens, noting that his ministry does not predict whether real estate prices in the Kingdom will rise or fall over the next three years, whether prices will fall or otherwise, noting that economic analysts are the ones capable of answering questions about the rise and fall of the real estate index. «We disclose our decisions, but we leave the predictions to the analysts.»
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Supply of Housing Units
The Minister of Housing explained that his ministry announces and discloses its decisions in a timely manner, noting that they aim to supply housing units—which he described as very large in number—and that they also aim to work with the private sector regarding the supply of additional housing units, in addition to their work in land management oversight.
Regarding the expected date for the handover of the first housing unit in Riyadh, Dr. Shuwaish stated that after applications open on the online portal for residents of the Riyadh region over the next two months, the submitted applications will be verified, and then the first housing unit will be delivered to residents of the capital, noting that work is underway on all housing projects across the Kingdom.
Regarding the number of applicants for housing in the Jazan region, he said: «Applications for housing in Jazan are still being accepted. Once the submission period for the region closes and the verification process is complete, we will announce the mechanism for delivering housing units to eligible recipients there, and the day will come when we announce the numbers.»
Land and Loan
The Minister of Housing noted that the Ministry offers four products: land, loans, land and loans, and housing units, through which beneficiaries can obtain housing units after purchasing and receiving them, and that all citizens can inquire via the unified number established by the Ministry to answer their inquiries seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. The Minister of Housing emphasized that beneficiaries cannot access the Ministry’s housing products until all financial obligations have been fully paid off, a repayment period that typically spans ten years, and that beneficiaries cannot transfer ownership of the property until ten years have passed, in accordance with the housing mechanism approved in the past, noting that only the original beneficiary will be permitted to reside in those units. Regarding the possibility of beneficiaries renting out Ministry of Housing homes, Dr. Shweish said: «A mechanism will be issued regarding this matter to regulate the renting of homes by beneficiaries of the Ministry of Housing’s programs, which may coincide with that beneficiary’s relocation to work in another area; if he proves his relocation to the Ministry, there is no objection to his benefiting from his home.
He added: «Renting is contingent upon the person’s relocation from their original place of residence to another place of work; it is not acceptable for the housing unit to remain vacant and unoccupied, so it must be utilized by its owner.« He noted that horizontal expansion is permitted in all housing units under the Ministry’s jurisdiction, and there are no restrictions on this matter.
Housing in Villages
Regarding the extent to which small villages and provinces can access housing units, as is the case in large cities, the Minister of Housing said: »Applications will be accepted according to the housing mechanism, and the process of submitting housing applications will be open to any location in the Kingdom, with the Ministry prioritizing areas with the highest demand,« noting that housing projects are distributed across all regions and provinces of Saudi Arabia, and that housing construction is based on citizens» housing needs in their places of residence. In a related context, Dr. Shuish Al-Duwaihi stated that the Ministry of Housing will hold a workshop next week in the Eastern Region specifically regarding the «Ijar» program, noting that the Ministry is visiting regions across the Kingdom to promote the Ijar network. He also confirmed that regulations have been issued by the Council of Ministers and that coordination is underway with relevant authorities, such as the Ministries of Interior, Justice, and Commerce and Industry—which in turn license real estate offices—to regulate the operations of “Ijar.”