Ministry of Municipalities and Housing Advances National Urban Policy in Partnership with United Nations Development Program and UN-Habitat
Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UN-Habitat, is progressing the development of Saudi Arabia’s National Urban Policy (NUP), aimed at establishing an integrated framework linking economic diversification, housing, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability across cities and regions in the Kingdom.
As part of the current phase, the ministry organised the second workshop in partnership with UNDP and UN-Habitat, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency. The workshop forms part of a participatory process to prepare the Kingdom’s first NUP, designed to unify and integrate national urban planning, management, and development efforts.
The policy seeks to create a comprehensive national framework to guide urban growth, enhance the efficiency of planning systems, and align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 as well as international best practices.
During the workshop, participants reviewed and refined draft policies and procedures, strengthened cross-sector and multi-level governance coordination, and improved alignment between national priorities and regional and local planning frameworks. Discussions also focused on identifying participatory solutions and practical mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, and follow-up to ensure measurable outcomes.
In his opening remarks, Vice Minister for Urban Planning and Land Affairs Khalid Al Ghamlas described the NUP as a strategic step toward enhancing responses to current and future urban challenges. He emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration among relevant stakeholders to ensure the policy reflects national priorities and keeps pace with rapid urban transformation.
Al Ghamlas noted that the current phase marks a key milestone in the development process, adding that proposals and feedback from the workshop will directly inform the next draft of the policy and contribute to a clearer and more comprehensive implementation framework.
UNDP Resident Representative Nahid Hussein and UN-Habitat Representative Taina Christiansen highlighted the importance of integrating national and international expertise and strengthening institutional cooperation to deliver an urban policy that promotes sustainable development, inclusivity, and improved quality of life across the Kingdom’s cities.