MOMRAH to sign an agreement with UNDP in spatial planning field and urban landscape enhancement

Today, the Ministry of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat), to provide consulting services for the urban planning and landscape improvement program in Saudi cities. The goal is to enhance sustainable urban development, improve residents' quality of life, and elevate living standards.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the second day of the "Cityscape Global” exhibition hosted by the Kingdom in Riyadh from September 10th to 13th, 2023. The Minister of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, signed the agreement, as did Nahid Hussein, the UNDP Resident Representative for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The agreement aims to benefit from the international expertise of the UNDP in supporting and implementing six initiatives within the urban planning and landscape improvement program, overseen by MOMRAH. The collaboration will involve implementing urban plans in different provinces of the kingdom, developing public policies for urban planning, and updating planning standards and regulations for Saudi cities based on international best practices.

According to the agreement, the UNDP will provide its consultancy services to MOMRAH to activate the "Public Realm Improvement" program, which includes a package of initiatives aimed at ensuring sustainable cities, improving the quality of life for residents, and raising living standards. The UNDP will also provide technical support to local planning departments to implement a new operational model, restructure planning processes, and determine, update and improve its tools in line with the latest international classifications.

The Ministry of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing aims to leverage the services of the UNDP to improve the municipal system, update the boundaries of settlements and their classification, enhance service delivery, and improve efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, MOMRAH aims to transform the Urban Design Studio into a comprehensive urban laboratory, enabling it to utilize innovative tools to support MOMRAH’s strategic plans.

It is worth mentioning that the Cityscape Global Exhibition is the world's largest event for showcasing developments in the real estate sector, discussing its challenges, and presenting the largest and latest projects. The current edition includes the NEOM Future of Living Summit, the Property Portfolio Forum, the Design and Architecture Stage, The Real Estate Institutional Investor Forum (RIIF), the PropTech Stage and the Innovation Challenge that allows startups to present their ideas to create a more innovative future. Additionally, there is the Cityscape Global ROSHN Hackathon, which creates competition among participants to find innovative solutions in the sector.