Saudi Ministry has issued updated requirements for the construction of residential buildings

The Saudi Ministry of Housing and Municipal and Rural Affairs has released revised guidelines for the construction of different kinds of residential buildings. Villas, residential structures, commercial residential structures, and administrative residential structures were among them. The revised specifications permit raising the height of residential villas and the construction ratio for each story. 

A variety of elements aimed at enabling different kinds of construction work for the recipients were included in the modified specifications. In addition to guaranteeing the highest standards in construction work, such as raising the percentage of built area in residential buildings and villas as well as buildings used for commercial, administrative, and residential purposes, these provisions aimed to maintain building safety and protect them from risks. 

Additionally, it seeks to lessen the setback—the minimal amount of open space needed around any building or structure—in residential villas. 

Residential villas had to be built with setbacks on all sides of the ground floor, and they had to meet Saudi Building Code requirements for public health and safety, material specifications, implementation quality, reference manuals, and codes. Other requirements included raising the heights of the villas, side walls, and rooftops, as well as increasing the construction ratios for all floors, including the upper annex.

One of the requirements for residential villas is that the ground floor's total building space, including any ground annexes, cannot exceed seventy-five percent of the land area. Including vertical circulation elements like stairs and elevators, the building space for the upper annex should not exceed 70% of the floor area below it, and the building size for the first floor should not exceed 75% of the land area. Within the bounds of the property, an extra parking place must be provided if the top annex is utilized as a separate residential unit. 

Residential villas must have the upper annex set back from the neighboring fields, squares, and roadways by a minimum of 1.5 meters. 

A parking place must be provided within the property lines for every villa on a plot of land measuring 400 square meters (sqm) or less, and two parking spaces are required for homes bigger than 400 sqm.

In addition to technical standards encompassing architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, health work, fire prevention and protection, material specifications, and execution quality, the criteria also cover spatial arrangement. 

The revised specifications are a part of the ministry's initiatives to streamline processes, standardize standards for fresh building permits, and align them with the Saudi Building Code in an effort to promote public health and safety as well as enhance the appearance of urban areas.

The revised specifications have been developed in line with the most effective worldwide methods for enhancing urban landscapes, promoting investment, and boosting life quality. The criteria, the ministry emphasized, will help regulate the development process and have a favorable effect on Saudi cities' urban fabric and ecology. 

The ministry stated that the new regulations align with the goals and objectives of the strategic and structural plans for every city in the Kingdom as well as with residential development initiatives. It called attention to the fact that all municipal and technical requirements that are applicable to residential buildings of all kinds are included in the requirements.