The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing and the United Nations continue to strengthen their partnership in developing urban policy.

Monday 08 June 2026
NM

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing continued its work on developing the national urban policy by organizing the second workshop within the current phase of the project, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), with broad participation from representatives of government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions and a number of international partners .

This workshop is part of the participatory process for preparing the Kingdom’s first national urban policy, which contributes to unifying and integrating national efforts in urban planning, management and development, and establishing a comprehensive national framework that guides urban development and raises the efficiency of the planning system, in line with the Kingdom’s vision objectives and the best international standards and practices .

The workshop aimed to review and develop the draft of the proposed policies and procedures, enhance coordination between sectors and at various levels of governance, improve the alignment of national priorities with regional and local planning frameworks, and find participatory solutions to develop practical mechanisms for implementation, follow-up and monitoring, in order to ensure the achievement of the targeted impact .

During his speech at the opening of the workshop, Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Ghamlas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for Urban Planning and Lands, affirmed that developing the national urban policy represents a strategic step towards enhancing the efficiency of responding to current and future urban challenges, stressing the importance of continuing integrated work between relevant parties to ensure the formulation of a policy that reflects the Kingdom’s priorities and keeps pace with rapid urban transformations.

Al-Ghamlas added: “This stage represents an important milestone in the policy-making process, as the views and proposals put forward will contribute directly to developing the next version of the policy and formulating its executive framework in a more integrated and clear manner.”

During the workshop, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in the Kingdom, Nahed Hussein, and the Representative of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Habitat), Ms. Taina Christensen, stressed the importance of integrating national and international expertise and strengthening institutional cooperation to ensure the development of an urban policy capable of supporting sustainable development, achieving inclusivity, and enhancing the quality of life in the Kingdom’s cities .

Ms. Nahed Hussein said that what is particularly encouraging is the strong focus on coordination, participation and implementation, as these are essential elements in any national policy that aims to achieve tangible results on the ground.

For her part, Ms. Taina Christensen pointed out that a strong national urban policy can act as a linking fabric that brings together economic diversification, housing, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and quality of life across the cities and regions of the Kingdom, noting that this policy supports coordination between institutions and different levels of government, ensuring that urban development contributes to achieving national priorities in a systematic and long-term manner.

Al-Jawhara Al-Qaid, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy Integration Department at the Assistant Agency for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, also participated in the workshop, stressing that sustainable urban development is a national priority. She reviewed aspects of integration between national initiatives in the field of sustainable development and national urban policy, which enhances the consistency and integration of efforts within a comprehensive development framework .

The workshop featured interactive discussion sessions that addressed the priorities of urban challenges and opportunities, mechanisms for enhancing spatial integration, improving resource utilization efficiency, and supporting institutional coordination between different entities, in addition to discussing the implementation, operation and follow-up paths for the national urban policy in its next stages .

This initiative is part of a comprehensive program led by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing to develop the urban planning system in the Kingdom in partnership with a number of national and international bodies, with the aim of strengthening the regulatory and legislative frameworks for urban planning, building institutional capacities, and enabling integrated and sustainable urban development in various regions of the Kingdom .

National urban policies are globally recognized tools for promoting coordination between different sectors and levels of governance, guiding the future course of urban development, setting fair priorities, and stimulating investments towards more productive, inclusive, and sustainable cities .

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing affirms its commitment to continuing to develop a national urban policy that reflects the Kingdom’s aspirations for more balanced, resilient and sustainable cities, based on a comprehensive participatory approach that ensures the involvement of various stakeholders in all stages of preparation and development.

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia