MOMAH detects idle lands within hours via advanced tech: Minister

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH) can now detect idle land within just a few hours through advanced technologies, ranging from satellite imaging to on-ground monitoring, Minister Majed Al-Hogail said.

Previously, the process took more than 18 days, he told Al Ekhbariya.

According to Al-Hogail, these technologies also help identify lands with incomplete or non-compliant regulations, stressing that they will play a key role in ensuring the success of the Idle Land Fees system.

He added that insights from the program’s earlier phase revealed areas where idle lands could not be effectively monitored, noting that the ministry is developing a new regulatory guide to address all such gaps.

According to data available with Argaam, the Cabinet approved amendments to the White Land Fees system in April, with the new executive regulations coming into effect in August.

That same month, Al-Hogail announced the geographical zones for implementing Idle Land Fees in Riyadh. The amended system applies progressive fees based on priority: the highest-priority lands are subject to an annual fee of 10% of their value, followed by 7.5% for high-priority lands, 5% for medium-priority, and 2.5% for low-priority lands.

Lands outside the designated priority zones are exempt from annual fees but are still counted within the taxpayer’s total idle intercity landholding.