SPGA endorses state real estate registry rules

The State Properties General Authority (SPGA) said its board of directors approved the rules and procedures governing the state real estate registry, the authority announced late on Nov. 14.

State-owned properties includes all land and buildings owned by the government inside and outside the Kingdom and documented by title deed, except where excluded by statute, as well as land within the Kingdom not held under private ownership.

The new rules aim to define the procedures needed to affirm state ownership of all its assets and to develop an integrated database that records any changes or transactions affecting those properties.

Article 3 states that all government-owned properties be registered under the name “State Properties,” except where specific orders or decisions provide otherwise. It also mandates the registration of properties gifted or donated to government entities under the same name, without prejudice to applicable laws, provided the title deed specifies that the property is a gift or donation, identifies the beneficiary, and notes any conditions set by the donor.

Article 7 establishes an electronic registry, the “State Real Estate Registry” managed by SPGA. The registry will record all state-owned properties, their geographic information, subsequent transactions—such as allocation, leasing or investment—after they are registered in the cadastral system, as well as government licenses issued for the property and service-related data such as electricity or water connections.

The registry will support document storage and archiving and enable tracking of amendments. Allocation decisions must be logged within 30 days of issuance; leasing and investment contracts within 30 days of signing; and barter, purchase, sale and grant transactions within 30 days of the completion of title transfer or their registration in the cadastral system, in line with the Real Estate In-Kind Registration Law.