Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Sakani housing scheme of the Ministry of Housing continues handing over plots of land free of cost to the beneficiaries. A total of 17,059 plots were allotted to the beneficiaries in preparation for the start of construction of homes in various regions of the Kingdom during the last month, according to a Sakani scheme statement.

The allotment of the plots of land included 2,738 for the eligible citizens in the Makkah region; 2,208 plots in Madinah; 1,116 in Riyadh region, and 922 in the Eastern Province. A total of 1,858 plots distributed in Asir region while 4,237 citizens received free land in the Jazan region; 1,828 in Qassim region; 748 in Hail, and four citizens in the Tabuk region. The program also handed over 585 residential plots in Najran; 383 plots in Al-Baha, 291 in the Northern Border region and 141 in Al-Jouf.

The program pointed out that this step is an extension of the previous allotment to the citizens benefiting from housing support in various regions of the Kingdom, stressing that procedures for the allotment of free land continue in the branches of the Ministry of Housing in various governorates with areas ranging from 450 sq. meters to 527 sq. meters per piece of plot. This will be after the beneficiaries completing the booking procedures and choose the appropriate scheme for them. The ministry noted that details of all the allotments of land are listed on the portal https://sakani.housing.sa/plans-map.

The Sakani scheme, launched in February 2017, allocated around 280,000 residential units during the year across the Kingdom. These included 120,000 fully constructed and to be-built housing units and 75,000 residential plots. Also, for the year 2018, more than 300,000 residential units were allocated to beneficiaries.

The ministry launched on Jan. 15 this year Sakani program 2019 and that includes allocation of 200,000 housing units in major areas of the Kingdom for beneficiaries of the Sakani scheme. These units will comprise mortgage units, under-construction units, off-plan units (Wafi), and plots of land allocated free of cost. A total of 50,000 units will be built under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The ministry also seeks to build 70,000 residential units using the modern techniques and develop 69 million sq. meters as free-of-cost plots of land.

Beneficiaries list will be announced on the 15th of each month. The program will also comprise 100,000 mortgage loans secured by the Saudi Real Estate Development Fund (REDF). Under the scheme, the waiting lists for applicants will be cut by 75 percent by 2019-end, and there will be no waiting-list candidates in 2020.