Ministry of Municipalities and Housing Intensifies Efforts to Strengthen Compliance on Vacant Land Before the Corrective Grace Period Ends

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing is intensifying its efforts to raise the level of compliance on vacant land and to reduce manifestations of visual distortion, calling on landowners to make use of the corrective grace period extended until 15/4/1448 AH, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the urban landscape and enhance the quality of the built environment in the Kingdom’s cities and governorates.

The Ministry explained that the current phase focuses on strengthening adherence to municipal requirements and regulations governing vacant land, and on addressing non-compliant uses that affect the general appearance of cities, most notably the accumulation of construction waste and excavation debris, or the unlawful use of land.

It affirmed that the regional and local municipalities continue their field follow-up and oversight of vacant land across the various regions, helping to raise the level of compliance, curb non-compliant practices, and improve the quality of the built environment.

The Ministry added that compliance with vacant land helps reduce manifestations of visual distortion, raise the efficiency of the urban landscape, and improve the quality of life in cities and governorates, which positively reflects on the built environment and on the attractiveness of cities to residents, visitors, and investors.

It called on owners of vacant land to take the initiative to rectify the status of their land and to comply with the approved municipal requirements before the corrective grace period ends, in order to avoid the statutory measures resulting from violations.

The Ministry noted that the regional and local municipalities continue to implement urban-landscape improvement programs and initiatives across the Kingdom’s regions, contributing to the development of public facilities, roads, and urban spaces, and supporting the targets of quality of life and sustainable urban development.