Saudi Housing Minister sets White Land fee zones in Riyadh

Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majed Al-Hogail, unveiled the geographic scope of the White Land fees in Riyadh, a key step to regulate the real estate market and promote balanced urban development.

In a post on the social messaging platform X, the minister said the move aligns with directives from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He added that the initiative enables landowners and developers to seize opportunities, while supporting the ministry’s goals of boosting supply and achieving balance in the real estate sector.

Under the new framework, undeveloped residential land in Riyadh will be subject to an annual fee based on priority zones, with rates set at 10% of the land value for the highest-priority tier, 7.5% for high priority, 5% for medium priority, and 2.5% for low priority. Land outside priority zones will be exempt, but still counted within the taxpayer’s total White Land holdings in the city.