• The following words and phrases wherever they appear in this Regulation shall have the meanings indicated next to them unless the context requires otherwise:

  • Ministry: Ministry of Municipal and Housing Affairs.
  • Minister: Minister of Municipal and Housing Affairs.
  • Municipal Authority: The Secretariat or Municipality.
  • Authority: Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.
  • Center: Saudi Building Code Center.
  • Competent Department in the Ministry: The Central Unit for the Saudi Building Code at the Ministry of Municipal and Housing Affairs.
  • Code: Saudi Building Code, which is a set of conditions, requirements, and related implementing regulations and appendices concerning construction and building to ensure safety and public health.
  • Requirements: Design details, methods of execution and construction, and specification of standard specifications, which constitute the basis and reference for applying the Code.
  • Conditions: Procedures and regulations for building permits and preparation of engineering plans and their requirements for buildings and facilities, which are an integral part of the requirements.
  • Law: Law on Implementation of the Saudi Building Code.
  • Regulation: Implementing Regulation of the Law on Implementation of the Saudi Building Code.
  • Violation Classification Regulation: Regulation for Classification of Code Violations and Determining Penalties Prescribed for Each Violation.
  • Review Committee: Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Saudi Building Code.
  • Building / Structure: What is architecturally constructed and prepared for use and occupancy, and has a classification in the Code.
  • Certified Designer: The natural or legal person licensed by the competent authority, contracted by the owner to conduct studies and designs that meet his needs and requests in accordance with the Code.
  • Supervising Designer: The natural or legal person licensed by the competent authority to practice supervision works, contracted by the owner as a responsible designer to supervise the execution according to the approved permits and plans.
  • Executor (Contractor): The natural or legal person licensed by the competent authority to practice construction activities, contracted by the owner to execute construction, installation, operation, or maintenance in accordance with the Code.
  • Hidden Defect: Any defect in structural works or their protective elements that weakens the strength, stability, or steadiness of the building, or any defect resulting from errors, faults, or deficiencies in design, materials, location, or construction, provided that this defect was not discovered at the date of issuance of the occupancy certificate.
  • Inspection: Examination of a product or product design, procedure, or construction and determining its conformity to the Code requirements, or general requirements based on a technical regulation or standard specification, and according to the Code requirements.
  • Inspection Entity: A "third party" entity accepted by the Authority and licensed to carry out inspection works within the Code’s fields.
  • Inspector: The person licensed and accredited by the Saudi Council of Engineers to perform inspection works on buildings according to the Code.
  • Supervision: Responsible follow-up and monitoring by a registered professional engineer possessing the necessary qualifications and relevant experience to perform responsibilities related to inspection.
  • Building Permit: A written authorization issued by the municipal authority, in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Municipal Licensing Procedures and its Implementing Regulation.
  • Occupancy Certificate: A permit to occupy the building issued by the municipal authority after verifying the building’s compliance with the Code.
  • Practice License: A professional permit issued by the competent authority to natural and legal persons to practice studies and designs, execution, supervision, or inspection works, in accordance with the Code.
  • Relevant Authorities: Governmental authorities concerned according to their jurisdiction with monitoring the application of the Code. They are: Ministry of Municipal and Housing Affairs, Ministry of Interior (General Directorate of Civil Defense), Ministry of Energy, and Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.
  • Violation: Any intentional or unintentional breach of the Code or its implementing law or regulations.
  • Violator: Any natural or legal person who violates the Code or any provisions of its implementing law or regulations.
  • Serious Violation: Any violation of the Code that, if not promptly removed or corrected, exposes lives or property to danger or directly causes harm to human health or the environment.
  • Public Services: Electricity, telephone, water, and sewage.

The code aims to establish the minimum requirements and conditions that achieve public safety and health through the durability, stability, and firmness of buildings and structures, while taking into account universal accessibility, providing a healthy environment, adequate lighting and ventilation, rationalizing water and energy use, and protecting lives and property from the dangers of fire, earthquakes, and other risks associated with buildings.

• The code consists of the following:

  • 1- Administrative requirements.
  • 2- Architectural requirements and conditions.
  • 3- Structural requirements and conditions.
  • 4- Electrical requirements and conditions.
  • 5- Mechanical requirements and conditions.
  • 6- Energy conservation requirements and conditions.
  • 7- Health requirements and water conservation conditions.
  • 8- Fire protection requirements and conditions.
  • 9- Earthquake resistance requirements and conditions.
  • 10- Requirements and conditions for existing and historical buildings.
  • 11- Requirements and conditions for green buildings.
  • 12- Requirements and conditions for residential buildings.
  • 13- Reference standard specifications.
  • 14- Any other requirements or conditions issued by the center.

The requirements and conditions of the code are considered an integrated unit that must be applied.

• The code shall be applied, and the application of any other code is prohibited on all construction and building works in both the public and private sectors according to the classification of buildings, including the design, implementation, operation, maintenance, and modification of the building, as well as on existing buildings in the case of restoration, change of use, expansion, modification, or demolition, effective from the date of the law's enforcement according to the phased implementation detailed in the annex of the code application stages, and upon completion of the implementation stages, the code shall apply to all types of construction classified therein.

The requirements and conditions of the code related to thermal insulation and fire prevention and protection shall apply to all construction works immediately upon the enforcement of the law, without regard to the phased stages referred to in Article Five of the regulation.

The application of the code requirements and conditions to existing buildings shall be according to the feasibility of implementation, based on a technical report from an accredited engineering office that includes possible engineering solutions, and in accordance with the law.