The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has released a draft of the "Vacant Properties Regulations" through the "Survey" platform and invites the public to provide feedback.

Monday 08 June 2026
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The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has released a draft of the executive regulations for vacant property fees through the “Survey” platform, inviting the public, interested parties, and relevant authorities to review the draft and provide their views and comments before its final approval. This is in line with the directives of His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect him - aimed at regulating the real estate market and achieving a balance between supply and demand.

This step comes as part of the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing transparency and stakeholder participation in developing regulations and legislation, which contributes to raising the quality of regulatory outputs and achieving balance in the real estate market.

The regulation aims to increase the efficiency of real estate asset utilization within urban areas, by encouraging property owners to operate or benefit from them, thereby supporting an increase in real estate supply and contributing to market stability.

The draft included regulating the mechanisms for applying annual fees on vacant properties within specific cities and geographical areas that will be announced later, according to technical standards that take into account market indicators, supply and demand levels, and vacancy rates.

The draft regulations also specify the cases in which a property is subject to the fee, most notably if the building remains unoccupied for a specific period of time during the reference year, provided that it is usable or eligible for occupancy.

The draft stipulated that if a property subject to the fee has multiple owners, each owner is obligated to pay a portion of the fee proportionate to their share of ownership. The draft also included regulations for disclosing property status, occupancy verification procedures, the mechanism for issuing fee invoices and payment methods, and the circumstances under which the fee would be suspended.

The ministry invited all interested parties to visit the "Survey" platform to view the draft details and submit their views within the specified period, stressing that public feedback contributes to developing the regulations in a way that achieves its objectives and enhances the efficiency of the real estate market.

The draft regulation is being introduced as part of completing the implementation of the amendments approved by the Saudi Council of Ministers to the system of fees for vacant land and real estate, which enhances the tools for regulating the real estate market and raises the efficiency of the use of real estate assets within urban areas. It also contributes to increasing the supply of real estate, supporting balance in the market, promoting fair competition and reducing monopolistic practices.

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia