The building system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia receives great support and attention from the wise leadership, led by my master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness my master, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz - may Allah protect them - for what it represents as a fundamental pillar in enhancing quality of life, achieving sustainable development, protecting lives and property, and supporting the national economy.
In line with the comprehensive development journey witnessed by the Kingdom in various sectors under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the Saudi Building Code Center was established pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision No. (656) dated 1446/09/04 AH, to form an institutional and legislative turning point in the building code journey, by transforming the National Committee that has been developing the building code for more than two decades, into an independent center with a regulatory and legislative nature, concerned with updating and developing codes to keep pace with international best practices. This transformation from the National Committee to an independent center came to reflect the importance of this phase, and our wise leadership's aspirations to develop the regulatory infrastructure of the construction sector through a unified technical and legislative reference that supports the quality, safety and sustainability of buildings.
The Center works to develop the Saudi Building Code as the national technical reference that defines the minimum requirements and technical specifications that ensure the protection of lives and property, safety and structural sustainability, and operational efficiency. The code covers multiple areas including fire protection, energy efficiency, public health, and environmental safety, and is considered a primary tool for controlling building quality and enhancing its efficiency in the long term.
At the Center, we strive to develop national capabilities through designing training, qualification and awareness programs in cooperation with relevant authorities, developing policies, plans, programs and initiatives, preparing studies and research related to building code fields, providing technical consultations to concerned authorities, and activating our partnerships with government and private entities, engineering offices, contractors, real estate developers, and academic institutions, in a way that contributes to empowering practitioners and elevating the capabilities of concerned entities, and ensuring compliance with Saudi Building Code requirements in a unified and effective manner across all regions of the Kingdom.
We also believe that the Saudi Building Code Center will be - God willing - a milestone in developing the urban environment in the Kingdom, and a fundamental enabler for achieving a safe, sustainable, and highly efficient urban environment that contributes to protecting society, supporting the economy, and achieving the nation's aspirations in urban and regulatory leadership at both regional and international levels.
In conclusion, we affirm at the Saudi Building Code Center our full commitment to moving forward in developing the Saudi Building Code system, facilitating its implementation and enabling entities and practitioners to comply with it in cooperation with relevant authorities. We always welcome suggestions and observations that contribute to developing the Center's work and enhancing the impact of the code on our urban environment and national economy.
Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you,
Engineer/ Saad bin Saleh bin Shuail
