The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has unveiled comprehensive group housing regulations—limiting occupancy, mandating safety and technical standards, and reconfiguring infrastructure for shared accommodations.

Group Housing Categories and Capacity Limits

• Residential Buildings: Up to 500 residents; maximum 10 occupants per room; minimum 4 m² per person; must have shared kitchens, bathrooms, rest areas, laundry, climate control, potable water, cleaning, pest control, and local Saudi supervision. 

• Residential Complexes: Up to 10,000 residents; same space standards; plus prayer rooms, laundry, emergency rooms per 1,000 people, and clinics per 5,000.

• Mobile Cabins: For temporary project housing; follow same occupancy rules; include central kitchen, isolation room, clinic, prayer area, laundry, climate systems; built with steel/aluminum frames, insulated walls, anti-slip floors, pitched roofs for relocation resilience. 

Permits, Safety, and Accessibility

• Facilities require prior approvals including building permits, execution plans, and health and safety documentation. 

• Mandatory safety systems: fire detection, first-aid kits, emergency access, maintenance routines, disability access. 

Urban Planning and Infrastructure Enhancements

• Built-up area capped at 40% of the plot.

• Essential services required: fuel stations, EV charging, repair centers, commercial zones, shaded parking, bike/pedestrian paths, recreational zones, modern lighting. 

• Parking: one spot per 100 residents; bus parking for 50% of residents; designated disabled spaces. 

Architectural and Design Standards

• Required: safe stair railings, compliant window heights, roof barriers, rainwater drainage, waste disposal systems.

• Bans on: boundary walls on commercial streets, barriers above fences, placing AC units or satellite dishes on balconies.