The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has confirmed the availability of the electronic service for issuing building occupancy certificates through the “Balady” platform, enabling beneficiaries to complete building-completion procedures and obtain the certificate without visiting municipal entities. This comes as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop digital services, raise the efficiency of municipal services, and improve the beneficiary experience.
The Ministry explained that the occupancy certificate is an official document confirming the actual completion of a building in accordance with the approved license and requirements, and that it represents one of the essential stages in the building journey, as it enables the beneficiary to complete the procedures associated with the property and to benefit from the related services with full ease and convenience.
It clarified that the occupancy certificate is obtained through the “Balady” platform via simple electronic steps that begin with selecting the user’s capacity, submitting a new application, then specifying the type of owner and applicant, and selecting the building license for which the occupancy certificate is to be issued. This is followed by selecting the accredited engineering office and sending the application to it in order to complete the technical requirements, prepare the required engineering report, and upload it electronically through the platform.
It added that the Amanah reviews the application, verifies it on-site, and approves the certificate after the technical procedures are completed and the fees are paid. The occupancy certificate is then issued directly and made available to the beneficiary to print and make use of, without the need to visit the premises of the municipalities (Baladiyahs) or the Amanahs.
The Ministry indicated that among the most prominent requirements for issuing an occupancy certificate are: the existence of a building license that was issued six months ago or more and for which no occupancy certificate has previously been issued; the payment of the service fees and any outstanding debts; in addition to contracting with an accredited engineering office for non-residential uses; and the fulfilment of the insurance document against latent (hidden) defects in accordance with the regulating requirements.
It affirmed that “Balady” enables the proactive issuance of the building compliance certificate as soon as the occupancy-certificate procedures are completed and the fees are paid, without the need to submit a separate application, which contributes to shortening procedures, accelerating the beneficiary journey, and enhancing the efficiency of the services provided.
The “Balady” platform provides beneficiaries with a proactive notifications service via text messages and email, alongside the ability to track applications and services through the beneficiary’s control panel (dashboard), thereby enhancing transparency and enabling the stages of the application to be followed step by step.
This service comes as part of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing’s efforts aimed at facilitating procedures, raising the quality of municipal services, and improving the beneficiary experience, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to raise residents’ satisfaction with municipal services and to contribute to building cities that are more efficient, of higher quality, and more sustainable.
