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The purpose of this paper is to attempt to bridge the gap between sustainable housing and the use of smart technologies to improve the level of sustainability in the housing construction in Saudi Arabia, by discussing the barriers and enablers concerned with applying sustainability to housing construction in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies.

A Delphi method survey was employed, for which 25 individuals from three key stakeholder groups of the Saudi housing sector participated. They were asked about their degree of agreement (or disagreement) about the various barriers and enablers of applying sustainability to housing construction in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. This research paper must be considered as an indicative study of selected experts that do not represent in any way the total population of Saudi Arabia.

Lack of public awareness has been identified as the most significant barrier in implementing sustainable housing development in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. Raising awareness of the public to the benefits of sustainable housing and enlightening key project stakeholders in the design of sustainable housing are both essential in order to overcome the barriers discussed in this paper. In addition, it is important to adopt smart sustainable construction methods, exemplified by but not limited to, appropriate water preservation and wastewater treatment systems that are simultaneously smart and sustainable.

This particular research has dealt with only barriers and enablers in the application of sustainability to housing in Saudi Arabia, which utilises smart technologies. For a more complete understanding, there is a need for further analysis of supplementary factors.

A study such as this, which identifies and prioritises barriers and enablers, could prove useful in guiding or encouraging the relevant ministry in Saudi Arabia to develop policies founded in the implementation of sustainability to the housing sector.

This research is a preliminary investigation into the implementation of sustainable housing development as it relates to Saudi Arabia.

The purpose of this paper is to study the housing delivery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and to discuss the most significant government regulations and financial support that have been applied since the beginning of this century and especially during the past ten years, which constituted a qualitative leap in the housing sector in the country.

In this paper, the desktop study technique was used to review the key related literature, collect the data and analyze secondary data. This study used a mixed approach involving (1) literature search and review, (2) analysis of literature public documents and databases and (3) expert discussions. The content analysis technique was followed for data analysis of gathered documents and secondary data. This study used the three-step iterative process during the use of the content analysis technique.

The findings reveal that the demand for housing will continue to increase in the coming years with increase in population. The housing supply should not only match the demand but also should develop according to the social and economic characteristics of the population. Besides, the authorities have to both streamline and reinforce regulations pertaining to construction permits and building licenses. Nonetheless, the regulators are suggested to remain vigilant about potential fiscal and financial risks as the housing market develops.

The opinions of policymakers and stakeholders are very important, but because of the time limitation it has not been explicitly addressed. Instead, discussions with select experts were carried out to validate the findings. Future research can assess the housing delivery based on the viewpoints of the policymakers, professionals, academics and stakeholders to have better insights and broaden the boundaries of knowledge in this field.

Similar studies in this field are limited, which makes this paper one of the pioneering attempts to study the current housing situation in the KSA and shed light on the most significant government regulations and financial support for housing delivery in the country.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the housing delivery within the Saudi Vision 2030 through an in-depth reading of the Saudi Vision 2030 from the researcher’s point of view and to identify the most significant aspects that may affect housing delivery in the country.

In this study, the desktop study technique was followed to review the key related literature, collect the data and analyze secondary data. The content analysis technique was used for data analysis of gathered documents and secondary data.

The findings reveal that there are several commitments in the Saudi Vision 2030 from the Saudi Government to be an exemplary leading nation in all aspects, including the delivery of affordable housing. Housing shortage, housing cost, demographic changes and land scarcity are identified as significant reasons for the lack of providing affordable housing.

The opinions of policymakers is very important, but due to time limitation, it has not been addressed. Future research can assess the Saudi Vision 2030 based on the study of the policymakers, professionals and academics to have better insights.

The paper contributes to discussing the housing delivery within the Saudi Vision 2030 and identifying the most significant aspects that may affect the housing delivery from the researcher’s point of view. Only a few studies have discussed the housing issues within the Saudi Vision 2030.

This study aims to explore the effect of Saudi Vision 2030 and its government initiatives on macroeconomic variables related to housing.

This exploratory study used an empirical–analytical approach. Based on secondary data, a set of hypotheses was contrasted to verify whether there has been any change in the trends of macroeconomic variables related to housing after Saudi Vision 2030 entered into force.

The results show that the trend of percentage of housing ownership went from a continuous decrease to accelerated growth since the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030. However, the effect of these advances is not observed in non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) or in the economic activities of the construction, real estate and financial services sectors.

This study notes that despite successful housing outcomes, it appears that Saudi Vision 2030 does not have a positive impact on non-oil GDP. Consequently, government entities should review the degree to which other economic activities contribute to non-oil GDP. A limitation of the study was that the GDP of housing construction and marketing and that of granting mortgage loans were not specifically available, nor were data on public and private investment made for implementing government initiatives.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the effect of Saudi Vision 2030 on housing and its contribution to the economy.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the obstacles to the availability of suitable housing units for various socioeconomic segments of society with an emphasis on single-family homes, which is the most preferred housing type in the Saudi society.

To achieve the aim of this paper, the Delphi method was used to explore the experts’ opinions on the most important obstacles.

The findings of the study underline 17 different obstacles affecting the availability of suitable housing units for various segments of the Saudi society. The most critical obstacle is the high cost of land followed by the low income of the families, high cost of construction, high interest rate of mortgages and shortage of suitable residential lands.

The study concludes with a number of proposed recommendations that can contribute to address the current shortage of suitable housing units.

This study aims to explore and analyze the disparities in the distribution of housing types and characteristics among households in Saudi Arabia, taking into consideration the regional perspective.

This study uses quantitative data obtained from the General Authority for Statistics, specifically from the Saudi 2022 Statistical Census. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages) as well as inferential statistics, including correlation analysis (Pearson correlation) and t-tests.

The study found a distinct preference among Saudis for villas, with 85.3% choosing this housing type, while only 14.7% of non-Saudis opted for villas. The statistical analysis confirmed the significance of housing type for Saudi citizens (t = 2.561, p = 0.037), while non-Saudis did not show a statistically significant preference (t = 1.703, p = 0.132). The Pearson correlation results revealed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.641, p = 0.009) between regional landmass and the number of houses, and a very strong positive relationship (r = 0.984) between population and the number of houses across the 13 regions. As expected, with increasing population, there was a significant increase in the number of houses (p = 0.001).

This study fills a research gap by investigating regional disparities in housing characteristics in Saudi Arabia. The findings are valuable for policymakers, housing developers and the housing market in understanding these disparities. The insights from this research can inform decision-making to promote equitable access to housing types and foster social inclusivity in the housing sector.

Affordable housing provision is one of the visions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as highlighted in Vision 2030. For about 21 months now, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has ravaged the world and has increased the level of economic crisis and financial uncertainty to achieve planned projects. Studies investigating the reality of how the COVID-19 pandemic may streamline the chances of achieving affordable housing for all in 2030 are scarce. Thus, this study examined the relevance of affordable housing, the perceived impact of COVID-19 on affordable housing and proffered measures to promote affordable housing finance in Vision 2030.

Medina, Riyadh and Al Qassim were the participants' cities engaged via panel interviews and supported by existing relevant Vision 2030 documents. The Delphi method was adopted to explore the government officials, financial operators (bankers), academicians and employees' opinions, and the analysed data presented in themes.

Findings show that SA Vision 2030 blueprint expresses an exemplary country in all ramifications, including affordable housing finance for the citizens. Findings reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic threatens SA affordable housing finance Vision 2030. The increased housing shortage, high construction housing cost, increased foreclosures, increased eviction, possible homelessness, financial instability and vulnerability emerged as the perceived impact of COVID-19 on affordable housing finance in Vision 2030. Refinancing housing loans to boost Vision 2030, forbearance to promote Vision 2030, improve payment relief, among others, emerged as measures to promote affordable housing in the post-COVID-19 era.

The research only identified the possible negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on affordable housing finance in Vision 2030 and proffered policy solutions from the engaged participants' perspective. Also, the study covered three cities (Medina, Riyadh and Al Qassim). The suggestions that will emerge from this research may be adopted to address other sectors captured in Vision 2030 that are critical and hit by the ravaging pandemic.

Measures such as refinancing mortgages and strengthening government housing agencies will promote affordable housing for Vision 2030 if the relevant policymakers and mortgage institutions are well implemented.

This research identified the perceived early threats from the COVID-19 pandemic that could affect affordable housing transformation in Vision 2030 from the participants' perspective. Studies regarding COVID-19 and affordable housing in Vision 2030 are very few.

The purpose of this paper is to formulate a number of housing policies to address these two issues and meet the needs of Saudi families, in accordance with their social and economic characteristics.

The paper first provides a review of the housing policies in Saudi Arabia, highlights some of the global experiences in the field of housing and reviews the best lessons learned from those experiences. Then, the paper analyses the reality of the housing sector in Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) and discusses the most important results reached.

Finally, and based on the main findings, the paper puts forward a set of policies and actions recommended to improve housing sector in DMA.

The paper analyses the reality of the housing in DMA.

This paper aims to develop a framework for the selection of private partners in the housing industry of Saudi Arabia under the scheme of the partnership between the public and private sectors.

By investigating criteria from a comprehensive literature review and experts input through surveys, developing further surveys incorporating decision-making methods: analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to construct a framework for selection based on weightages and utilities.

The results identified criteria categorized under four categories: financial (C1), technical (C2), managerial (C3) and safety/environment (C4) and their sub-criteria. The study found that the main criteria were relatively close to each other in importance based on the subjective input of the experts with the technical and safety/environment criteria tying equally with 27% followed by the managerial with 24% and trailed by the financial with 22%.

The study and surveys were conducted for the Saudi market and the experts were within the country.

The study contributes to the Saudi housing initiative which is a part of the 2030 Vision and provides insight to international investors who would be willing to invest in the Saudi market; and to the literature as there is a notable lack of study on public-private partnership in housing in Saudi Arabia.

This study aims to investigate the house purchase behavior of low‐income Saudis regarding the sources of financing they wish to have access to, their preferences for alternative financing options, and the monthly payment amounts they could afford to make in case of mortgage financing across demographic groups.

A survey with a sample of 815 low‐income respondents with a monthly income of SR7,000 was conducted using a structured questionnaire.

The main findings of the study are that the loan from the government Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) is found to be the most preferred financing alternative, the second being cash payment; whilst the most frequently indicated option for monthly mortgage payments is between SR1,000 and SR1,500 (US$267 and US$400) among low‐income Saudis.

This study provides a snapshot of low‐income Saudi consumers' knowledge of financing options and their choice among alternative financing options.

This also offers opportunities for real estate developers to seek competitive advantage by coming up with innovative financing options to target low‐income earners.

There is limited published work exploring consumer knowledge of house purchase finance options that captures this phenomenon from the perspectives of low‐income Saudi consumers. This study contributes in filling this gap.