Al-Haqil approves the "Guide to Covering Buildings Under Construction"... and a 6-month grace period for existing buildings to rectify their situations.

His Excellency the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, approved the guide for covering buildings under construction, which aims to reduce visual distortion, improve the urban landscape, preserve the health and safety of workers in projects and road users, as well as control and regulate construction sites and licensing them according to unified standards. The guide will be applied to buildings located on commercial streets that have been issued building permits according to the technical details and standards explained in the guide throughout the Kingdom, and existing buildings will be given a grace period of 6 months to cover the buildings starting from March 15, 2023.

The ministry explained in a press statement that the covering must be uniform for the building under construction from the outside with a net woven from polyester or high-density polyethylene material in accordance with Saudi specifications and standards, and in a uniform color, and be fixed outside the scaffolding surrounding the building from the outside, with the aim of isolating the work area from the street and its users, and protecting workers and passersby from the construction work in the project, in addition to addressing the visual distortion on the commercial streets in the city. The covering also includes other types approved by the guide, such as aesthetic covering, which is made of the same materials but has an aesthetic character such as drawings or pictures.

The guide included a detailed description of the spatial organization requirements, as it is required that the unified coverage for the building under construction be applied to the building being located within the urban area of the city, on commercial streets, and that the number of floors according to the building permit be 3 floors, and an upper annex or more, and that the building has a valid building or restoration permit issued for it.

It should be noted that the guide included a number of technical and construction requirements, and the guide can be viewed by visiting the link https://www.momrah.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2023-03/qrar-dlyl-tghtyt-almbany_1.pdf .

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing called on owners of existing buildings within the scope shown in the guide to take advantage of the current grace period to address their situations, given the importance of this in improving the urban landscape, which is one of the most important pillars in achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, to provide a healthy and sustainable urban environment, in addition to addressing visual distortion and improving the quality of life.