Idle Lands Program says joint landowners required to pay fees

Logo of The Idle Lands

The Idle Lands Program confirmed that all partners recorded in the deed of the land plots that fall in the urban growth boundary announced by the program and whose borders are shown in the electronic portal are required to pay the fees based on each partner’s share.

In a statement, the program stressed that owners of the idle lands that fall in the announced urban growth boundaries should register their lands in the portal, pay the relevant fees, develop their lands, or offer them in the real estate market, according to the phase applied in the city.

The program clarified that it takes into account landowners who are serious about developing their lands as it helps and supports them through partnerships and extension of the payment deadlines as per the relevant legal procedures.

Waleed Obaidallah, General Supervisor of the Idle Lands Program at the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, said the application of the law contributes to enhancing the supply of developed lands, which makes a balance between supply and demand.

This also helps provide residential lands at reasonable prices, as well as protect fair competition and reduce monopolistic practices.

Further, the program seeks to motivate landowners to develop and benefit from their lands, as well as exempt them from the fees in case of developing the lands.

"We launched the second phase of idle land fees in Riyadh on December 15, which means that the deadline for registration will end in almost 120 days,” Obaidallah said, expecting the launch of the second phase in other Saudi cities.

The program earlier revealed that SAR 2 billion worth of fee revenues were spent to develop infrastructure projects and deliver services to more than 80 housing projects in various cities across the Kingdom, since the launch of the program until the end of 2021, according to data compiled by Argaam.