JEDDAH — The Shoura Council is finalizing a new law to protect the rights of citizens who purchase apartments. The “Saudi building code” will soon be submitted to the higher authorities for approval. Tariq Fadag, a member of the Housing and Public Utilities Committee in the Shoura Council, told Al-Watan newspaper that the new law will protect the rights of apartment buyers by imposing fines of up to SR1 million on builders and contractors who renege on their promises. The authorities may also suspend or revoke the licenses of such contractors. The law has been formulated after years of discussions between the Civil Defense, the ministries of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Justice, Commerce and Industry, and Water and Electricity. The law will be reviewed every five years by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. Fadag said the new law requires the use of the best measures and specifications to ensure the safety. All buildings should be fire resistant and must incorporate safety features. It also stipulates certain conditions that contractors must fulfill before they are granted licenses from the municipalities. The head of the Property Evaluation Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, Abdullah Al-Ahmari, said some Saudis violate the law by providing cover-up to some expatriates to build and sell apartments. These foreigners try to minimize their cost by using cheap and unsuitable building materials. He blames the problem on inadequate monitoring of the contractors by the concerned government bodies. Al-Ahmari said the responsibility lies on consultants who were licensed by the municipality, as their role should also include supervising the construction of the buildings. Electricity should not be connected to a building until the approval of the municipality is obtained after ensuring that there are no violations. A spokesman for the Civil Defense said the force is not currently authorized to inspect residential buildings to ensure safety means and measures are applied. It only responds to complaints from the public, at which time a committee inspects the building and decides whether to evacuate its occupants or not. The Civil Defense has forced the evacuation of two recently built residential buildings in Jeddah after cracks appeared in the structures.
