RIYADH — Khaled Al-Tayyash, secretary general of the Saudi Society for Architectural Sciences, has warned that many of the aging buildings in the Old Ministries District, which serves as the hub for most the state’s ministries, are obsolete or are approaching obsolescence.

In an interview with Al-Hayat newspaper, Al-Tayyash said the 40-50 year life cycles of these government buildings, which are situated in the middle of the city on the Old Airport Road, have already passed and many are more than 53 years old.

However, due to regular maintenance and the durability of the reinforced buildings materials used, many of the buildings can be safely used for another 20 years.

“The capital’s buildings last longer then buildings in other parts of the Kingdom because the soil in Riyadh is not affected by humidity and salinity,” he said while adding that both factors lessen the life cycles of buildings in other regions by up to 30 percent.

Al-Tayyash said the state of many of the residential buildings in the same district in Riyadh require immediate attention as many are more than 70 years old.

“Residential and commercial buildings can last for 60 to 70 years because the construction companies which build them cannot cut costs and compromise the quality of concrete and iron rods used as these materials make up the core of a building’s life cycle.”

Referring to the popular trend in which families stay in a building for a short period and then move to another, newer building, Al-Tayyash said many people believe living in a new building is a measure of social status.

“Unlike the past, residential buildings have a high turnover rate and not only do families waste financial resources simply because they want to maintain a certain image but whenever a large number of people leave a residential building, owners are often left with no choice but to turn the building over to commercial establishments and this decreases the life cycle of a building, which can be improperly used as warehouses or as housing for a company’s workers,” he said.

“If enough buildings are used for commercials purposes, this can also change the demographic structure of an area, which in turn affects how these districts are developed and maintained.” — SG