Saudi Arabia introduces new white land rules

The Ministry of Municipalities of Saudi Arabia and Housing (MOMAH) has published a draft regulation proposing stricter penalties and fines on owners of undeveloped land and vacant properties, as part of efforts to boost housing supply and curb land speculation.

The proposed rules fall under the “White Land and Vacant Properties Fees” system and are currently open for public consultation on the government’s Istitlaa platform. The consultation period will run until 11 January 2026, according to the ministry.

White Lands in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are vacant lands intended for residential or commercial residential use within the boundaries of the urban area. Their boundaries are delineated by maps in urban planning documents that depict the different phases of urban development.

The draft outlines a range of violations and penalties aimed at compelling landowners to develop idle plots within city boundaries rather than holding them as passive investments.

In a statement, the ministry said the measures are designed to “raise compliance with the White Land and Vacant Properties Fees Law, improve the efficiency of fees, increase the supply of developed land and real estate units, and achieve balance between supply and demand, protect fair competition and combat monopolistic practices.

The message from the authorities is straightforward: undeveloped land within city boundaries should no longer be treated as a passive investment, it must be used productively.