An urban boom is taking place in the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in implementation of the goals of Vision 2030, which seeks to increase the percentage of ownership to 70%, and to maintain that the urban movement it implements is environmentally friendly, in order to be one of the pillars of sustainable development.

Green or environmentally friendly buildings are an important mechanism to reduce emissions, rationalize water consumption, and thus contribute to the quality of life. Green or environmentally friendly buildings are an important mechanism to reduce emissions, rationalize water consumption, and thus contribute to raising the quality of life, so the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing launched the Sustainable Building Assessment Program, which consists of 5 categories of certificates, and government reports reveal that the number of projects that benefited from the program increased in the first quarter of 2025 by 64% compared to the same period in 2024.

Government reports reveal that the number of projects that benefited from the program increased in the first quarter of 2025 by 64% compared to the same period in 2024. According to data from the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, 18 projects received a design compliance certificate during the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 140% from the previous year. By the second half of this year, the number of projects that received a design compliance certificate reached 29 projects, and the size of the green building market in the Kingdom is expected to reach $33 billion by 2030.

Ministry of Municipalities and HousingTP3T.

Environmental and economic benefits

According to studies, green buildings in the Kingdom consume 25% less energy compared to traditional buildings, consume 11% less water, and contribute to improving indoor air quality thanks to their design and ventilation systems, in addition to their role in reducing waste during construction and operation due to the use of sustainable materials.

Studies show that green buildings in the Kingdom consume 25% less energy compared to traditional buildings.

The projects registered under the Sustainable System in Riyadh include residential buildings and community areas with large areas, and the Petroleum Research and Studies Center in Riyadh is one of the advanced design buildings, implemented according to an energy-efficient engineering design.

Riyadh Petroleum Research and Studies Center in Riyadh is one of the advanced design buildings, implemented according to an energy-efficient engineering design.

Challenges of green buildings

Despite the Kingdom's tendency to expand the construction of green buildings, the adoption of green designs is still limited in some areas, and there must be more quality in its importance, and encourage developers to adhere to sustainability standards, as environmentally friendly designs in the Kingdom has become not just an urban fashion, but a strategy that cities are working to expand in order to transform cities into sustainable environments.

Green Building Challenges