المملكة: United Nations.. Al-Haqil reviews indicators of national transformation in the Kingdom
Confirm Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail that The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established an advanced model in sustainable urban development, and has moved from the planning and policy formulation stage to the implementation and impact stage, based on the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which made quality of life, housing, municipal development and sustainability main axes for national transformation.
This came during the Kingdom’s speech delivered at the high-level General Assembly meeting on the urban agenda in New York City.
Al-Hogail explained that the Kingdom submitted its updated national report for the year 2026 To the United Nations Habitat programme, which documents the urban transformation that the Kingdom has witnessed over the past years, and highlights the transition from the stage of building frameworks and policies to expanding the scope of implementation and achieving tangible results on the ground.
The percentage of Saudi families owning homes
The Minister of Municipalities and Housing reviewed the most prominent indicators achieved by the Kingdom, indicating that the percentage of Saudi families owning homes increased from 47% in 2016 to 66.24% by the end of 2025, approaching the 2030 target. amounting to 70%, while more than 25% of Saudi families benefited from housing support services within the housing programs during the period between 2018 and 2025.
He pointed out that urban development witnessed rapid development, as the per capita share of public spaces increased from 5.2 square meters to 6.9 square meters, while the Bahja program added more than 12 million square meters of community spaces.
While the Riyadh Metro registered more than 100 million passengers during its first nine months of operation, and the number of bus users within cities exceeded 96.8 million passengers during the year 2025, which reflects the development of the urban mobility system and the improvement of the quality of life.
He stressed that the urban transformation in the Kingdom extended to social aspects, as the percentage of women’s participation in the labor market increased from 22.8% to 36%, and the employment rate of people with disabilities doubled, while the number of non-profit sector organizations exceeded 7,213 organizations, achieving growth of more than 341%, indicating the expansion of community participation in the development process.
Developing the urban governance system
Al-Hogail explained that the Kingdom continues to develop the urban governance system by enhancing the financial independence of municipalities, integrating urban data, and integrating climate risk assessment into urban planning, in addition to continuing to implement the Saudi Green Initiative and the National Renewable Energy Program, in a way that enhances the sustainability of cities and their ability to face future challenges.
He pointed out that partnerships and investments It formed a major pillar of this transformation, as the Kingdom concluded more than 56 partnership agreements with the private sector to support infrastructure projects and municipal services, in addition to signing a strategic cooperation agreement with the United Nations Habitat Program and the United Nations Development Program for the period 2024-2027.
The Kingdom also issued green bonds and sustainable sukuks worth $9.1 billion during the year 2024, in addition to the green financing framework of the Public Investment Fund, whose commitments exceed $10 billion by the year 2026.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister of Municipalities and Housing affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to continue supporting the goals of the New Urban Agenda, enhancing international cooperation, and expanding access to sustainable financing, which contributes to building more comprehensive and sustainable cities, and enhances the quality of life for future generations.
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