Minister Al-Mashaan objects to 20-meter height limit in private areas
The Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs disagreed with the Municipal Council's decision to limit maximum construction height for private and anti-housing areas, insisting on maintaining it at 15 meters.
Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan, the Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, objected to the Municipal Council’s decision to limit maximum construction height in private and anti-housing areas to 20 meters and maintain it at 15 meters, as specified in the current regulations outlined in Ministerial Decision No. 206 of 2009 and its amendments.
In a letter addressed to the head of the Municipal Council regarding its ratification of decisions made at its sixteenth meeting on March 25, 2024, Al-Mashaan objected to the requirements and specifications for private and anti-housing buildings as follows:
Ninety percent of the allowable building interface on the property boundary within the jurisdiction of the service street, as mentioned in paragraph No. 1 of the second section (‘It is permissible to build on the boundaries of the plot under the following conditions’), is permitted. However, the proposal introduced by the executive body is set at seventy percent.
The maximum construction height is set at 20 meters, while maintaining it at 15 meters as specified in the table for the requirements and specifications of private housing buildings under Ministerial Resolution No. 206 of 2009 and its current amendments in force.
The proposed net height of the basement is six meters, while the executive system suggests a height of five meters for the basement.
The maximum height of parts attached to the main construction or its components within the property limits on the ground floor of inner streets surrounding the higher building is six meters. However, it allows for a height of seven meters if approved by the neighbor. We ensure that the height of these parts does not exceed the property limits on the ground floor of internal streets surrounding buildings higher than five meters, as outlined in the requirements and specifications schedule of special housing buildings and urban development under Ministerial Resolution No. 206 of 2009 and its current amendments. Additionally, any increase in height adjacent to the neighbor must not exceed 7.7 meters.
The phrase ‘and it is allowed to link the honorary stairs only three roles with a maximum’ contradicts what was stated in the building design items, which specify that the first and ground floors must be designed as one unit. In the case of a basement, the ground floor and basement must also form one unit. However, the suggestion provided by the executive system is as follows: ‘It is allowed to connect the honorary staircase from the basement to the first floor only.’
Excluding awnings and umbrellas within an area of 100 square meters is permitted on the surface. However, we note that the proposal presented by the executive system includes the calculation of umbrellas within the allowed 100-square-meter surface area.
The phrase ‘and the other is an honorary that allows only three floors to be connected to a maximum,’ mentioned in paragraph (d) of item (1- It is permissible to reside with two adjacent units at most on one documented plot within special and typical housing areas), contradicts what was stated in the building design items, which specify that the first and ground floors are designed as one unit. In the event of a basement, the ground floor and basement should form one unit. However, we note that the proposal submitted by the executive system is as follows: ‘and the other is an honorary that reaches the first floor only.’
