المملكة: Urgent – 29 days is the maximum stay for tourists in private hospitality units

Introduced Ministry of Tourism Draft precise regulatory requirements for licensing private hospitality units of various types. The new standards aim to oblige owners to provide a safe and comfortable environment for tourists, setting the maximum length of stay at twenty-nine consecutive days.

The Ministry defined The private hospitality unit is an independent furnished property that provides overnight accommodation for tourists in exchange for a daily wage.

The regulation clarifies that these facilities include apartments and residential villas, whether they are within a shared building or stand alone as an integrated housing unit.

The new standards required the installation of efficient surveillance cameras to cover the main entrances to the building around the clock to ensure the security of guests.

The requirements stressed the necessity of providing entry systems that guarantee privacy, in addition to providing fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid tools, and a clear evacuation plan behind the unit door.

The Ministry obligated service providers to provide parking for at least one car per unit, with the requirement that there be an elevator for buildings consisting of three floors or more.

The mandatory equipment included providing wireless Internet service, smart TV screens no less than thirty-two inches in size, in addition to full blackout curtains for the windows.

The requirements set a minimum area for bedrooms of no less than fifteen square meters, and twenty-four square meters for studios.

The regulations stipulate the provision of beds of specific sizes and clean sheets that are completely replaced between guests, while prohibiting the use of plastic eating utensils in units that do not contain kitchens.

The instructions required displaying the price list for additional services in Arabic and English, and displaying the general instructions for using the unit and emergency numbers in a visible place.

The Ministry pointed out the necessity of developing a quick response code for the “Spirit of Saudi Arabia” program, and providing a prayer rug with the precise direction of the Qibla.

With regard to units that include swimming pools, the Ministry stipulated the installation of safety barriers to prevent children from entering without supervision, the provision of rescue means, and the complete isolation of electrical installations from water.

The standards stressed the importance of developing indicative posters to rationalize water and electricity consumption to enhance the concept of environmental sustainability within hospitality facilities.