Ministry of Municipalities and Housing: 28 million square meters of undeveloped land in the Makkah region have entered development or are being traded

Monday 28 September 2026

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The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing revealed that the total area of undeveloped land included in development and traded in the Makkah region reached about 28 million square meters, in an indicator that reflects the growing impact of applying the system of fees for undeveloped land and vacant properties in stimulating urban development and raising the efficiency of land use within urban areas, which supports the rapid urban growth witnessed by the region.

The ministry explained that the registered areas included 13 million square meters of land that had been developed, 9 million square meters of undeveloped land that had entered circulation, in addition to 5 million square meters of land that were still under development, which enhances the utilization of unexploited land and supports increasing the urban and residential supply in the region.

She explained that the revenues from the white land fees contributed to supporting 14 development and housing projects in the Makkah region, which enhances the efficiency of infrastructure and municipal services, and contributes to providing housing solutions that meet the needs of population growth and urban expansion witnessed in Makkah.

The ministry affirmed that these results are an extension of the ongoing efforts aimed at achieving the objectives of regulating the real estate market and stimulating development within cities, which contributes to enhancing the balance between supply and demand, raising the efficiency of land investment, and increasing the supply of urban and residential products.

She pointed out that the White Land and Vacant Real Estate Fees Program continues its role in stimulating development by applying fees to lands located within the geographical areas specified by the system, in addition to providing the systemic deadlines for serious taxpayers to develop their lands according to specific technical controls, which contributes to accelerating the pace of development and turning white lands into effective urban projects and products that support economic and urban growth.

She added that the Real Estate Developers Services Center “Etmam” continues to provide support to owners of undeveloped land through an integrated digital system that includes more than 35 services covering various stages of development, and provides clear and easy pathways to complete licenses, approvals and coordination with relevant authorities, which contributes to accelerating the implementation of projects and raising the efficiency of land development within urban areas.

The results in the Makkah region come as an extension of what the program has achieved in a number of regions of the Kingdom, as the areas of white lands included in development and traded amounted to about 71 million square meters in the Riyadh region, and 146 million square meters in the Eastern region, within the framework of efforts aimed at raising the efficiency of land use, stimulating urban development and increasing the supply of real estate and housing.

The ministry affirmed that the integration between the application of fees and enabling owners to benefit from development services contributes to promoting sustainable urban development, raising the efficiency of land investment, and achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build more organized, sustainable, and higher quality cities for life .

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia