Saudi Arabia has strengthened cooperation with the United Nations as the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to advance the country’s first National Urban Policy (NUP).
The collaboration was highlighted during the second workshop of the current policy development phase, bringing together representatives from government entities, private sector institutions, academia, and international partners.
The event underscored a shared commitment to shaping a comprehensive urban framework that reflects both national priorities and global best practices.
The workshop forms part of a broader consultative process aimed at preparing a unified policy to guide urban planning, management, and development across the Kingdom.
The National Urban Policy seeks to establish a cohesive national framework to manage urban growth, improve the efficiency of planning systems, and align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Participants reviewed and refined draft policies and procedures, with discussions centered on strengthening coordination across sectors and governance levels.
Emphasis was placed on aligning national strategies with regional and local planning frameworks to ensure coherence and consistency.
Image via SPA | Cropped by GBN
Focus on implementation and measurable impact
Sessions during the workshop examined practical solutions for implementation, monitoring, and follow-up mechanisms to ensure that the policy delivers measurable outcomes. Interactive discussions addressed key urban challenges and emerging opportunities, alongside mechanisms to enhance spatial integration, resource efficiency, and institutional collaboration.
Khalid bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Ghamlas Saudi Deputy Minister for Urban Planning and Land
“The development of the National Urban Policy represents a strategic milestone in strengthening our response to both current and future urban challenges. Sustained coordination among all relevant entities is essential to shaping a forward-looking policy that keeps pace with the Kingdom’s rapid urban transformation. The insights, proposals, and feedback gathered during this workshop will directly inform the next draft of the policy and help us establish a clearer and more comprehensive framework for implementation.”
UNDP Resident Representative Nahid Hussein and UN-Habitat Representative Taina Christiansen highlighted the value of combining national and international expertise to strengthen institutional cooperation and advance sustainable urban development.
Christiansen emphasized that a well-structured National Urban Policy can link economic diversification, housing, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and quality of life within a unified framework. She added that such coordination strengthens alignment across institutions and different levels of government.
Senior Director of Policy and Strategy Integration at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Aljawhara Al-Quayid, underscored sustainable urban development as a national priority and reviewed efforts to integrate broader sustainable development initiatives within the NUP to ensure policy coherence.
The initiative is part of a wider program led by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing to modernize the Kingdom’s urban planning system in cooperation with national and international partners.
The program aims to enhance regulatory and legislative frameworks, build institutional capacity, and support integrated, sustainable urban development across Saudi Arabia.
