Inspection authorities approve the Saudi Building Code for 3 years... and 10 million in insurance for high-risk projects

has approved The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing new amendments to the regulations for the general requirements for appointing inspection bodies and inspectors for the Saudi Building Code, with the aim of raising the efficiency of the control system for the building and construction sector , and enhancing the quality of technical and engineering compliance, which contributes to improving safety levels, raising the quality of buildings, and ensuring the application of the requirements of the Saudi Code throughout the stages of construction and operation.

According to the approved amendments, the Ministry has obligated all buildings to undergo inspections and tests during the construction phase, in accordance with the requirements specified in the Saudi Building Code. The regulations also stipulate the need for inspections to continue during the building's operation phase, in order to ensure continued compliance with the approved technical and engineering requirements.

The regulations clarified that the responsibility for contracting with accredited inspection bodies rests with the owner or his accredited agent, provided that this is done separately from the executing contractor, in order to enhance the independence of the inspection body and ensure the integrity of the technical evaluation of the project.

The amendments granted the competent authority the power to accept entities wishing to work within the code’s inspection system, whether in one field or several fields, provided that the relevant government agencies undertake the task of appointing those entities according to the scope of specialization specified for each agency.

The regulation allowed engineering offices and companies licensed by the Saudi Council of Engineers to apply for accreditation to work as inspection bodies, thus expanding the base of qualified entities and enhancing professional competition in the market.

On the transparency side, the amendments obliged government agencies to publish all their requirements and mechanisms for providing their services electronically, in addition to announcing the contact information of the approved or appointed inspection bodies, in order to facilitate access for beneficiaries to these services.

The regulations confirmed that obtaining official accreditation from the Saudi Accreditation Center is now a prerequisite for acceptance for inspection bodies, with these bodies being classified into four main categories according to specific criteria that include technical, administrative and operational capabilities.

The ministry stressed the need for all inspection bodies to prove the qualification of their inspectors according to the standards specified in the regulations, while ensuring the continuity of qualification and professional development, in addition to complying with any additional requirements issued by the Saudi Center for Accreditation.

The amendments included obligating inspection authorities to provide insurance coverage against professional and public liability, covering accidents and potential risks during the period of activity, provided that the insurance documents remain valid throughout the acceptance period.

Strict professional obligations and prevention of conflicts of interest

The new regulations require each inspection authority to appoint a full-time director or head, in addition to a number of qualified technical managers according to the size of the work, with the requirement of direct supervision of all inspection operations.

The regulation prohibits technical directors and chief executives of inspection bodies from working with any other entity that provides similar services, in a move aimed at preventing conflicts of interest and enhancing the independence of technical decision-making.

The amendments granted the competent authorities the power to conduct review and audit operations on the work of inspection bodies and inspectors at any time, including reviewing records, evaluating performance, examining documentation mechanisms, in addition to opening special reviews when receiving complaints or reports.

The regulation stipulated that the accreditation period for inspection bodies would be three years, starting from the date of issuance or renewal of the accreditation certificate, with the possibility of renewal for an additional three years when an application is submitted 90 days before the end of the period, provided that it is proven that all regulatory requirements continue to be met.

She confirmed that failure to submit a renewal application within one year of the expiry of the acceptance automatically leads to the cancellation of the accreditation, and obliges the entity to reapply in full compliance with the requirements.

The ministry obligated inspectors and inspection bodies to bear full responsibility for their work in accordance with the Saudi Building Code, with the necessity of adhering to technical standards, reference specifications, and the risk matrix for inspection work.

It also stressed the prohibition of any activity that could affect the impartiality of the inspector or the integrity of the inspection body, including having financial interests or direct or indirect ties to the projects being inspected.

This clause is one of the most prominent regulatory clauses aimed at enhancing the independence of inspectors and increasing the reliability of their technical reports.

Inspecting construction documents before implementation

The amendments require inspectors to review all approved building documents before starting inspections, and to ensure their adequacy, validity, and conformity with what the project's engineering designer has approved.

The inspector is responsible for verifying that the work carried out on the ground is fully in accordance with the approved plans, code requirements and technical specifications.

In order to enhance documentation and governance, the regulations require inspection bodies to keep detailed records for each project for a period of no less than ten years, including test results, field records, laboratory reports, technical observations, shortcomings, treatment dates, and documentary photographs.

The amendments require the inspection supervisor or chief inspector to review all daily, weekly and final reports to ensure they conform to the approved plans and work requirements, and to officially document these reviews within the project records.

The inspection supervisor or chief inspector becomes directly responsible for approving all technical work carried out by the inspection body, through signing and officially sealing the requests, procedures and reports related to the project, thus giving the issued reports an official character and clearly defining professional responsibility.

The amendments require the director of the inspection authority to notify the appointing authority within a period not exceeding ten days from the date of completion of any inspection process in a satisfactory manner, using the forms and procedures approved within the checklist for inspectors and examiners in the Saudi Building Code.

This condition enhances time-based monitoring of the performance of entities, and prevents delays in submitting results or disruption to the completion of the project's organizational cycle.

Full cooperation with government investigations

In order to raise the level of transparency, the regulation stipulated that all inspectors and inspection bodies must fully cooperate with any investigations or reviews carried out by the competent government agencies or other regulatory bodies, whether within project sites or in the manufacturing facilities associated with them.

She stressed the need to provide accurate, prompt and complete information on all work subject to inspection, making regulatory cooperation an integral part of the accredited entity’s obligations.

Among the most prominent new controls is the prohibition of any inspection body or inspector from carrying out work that does not fall within the scope of the category or field approved for him, or before fulfilling all the acceptance conditions stipulated in the regulation and code.

The ministry did not limit itself to regulating the human and organizational aspects, but extended the requirements to the technical structure of the inspection bodies, as it obliged each body to possess the tools and equipment necessary to carry out its work, with the necessity of maintaining and calibrating them periodically in accordance with the approved technical systems and standards.

On the enforcement side, the regulation granted inspection authorities a direct role in monitoring violations during project implementation, and informing the supervising engineering office or the contractor to correct them within an agreed period.

If the violation is not addressed within the specified period, it will be automatically referred to the competent review committee to take the necessary regulatory measures in accordance with the Saudi Building Code and its executive regulations.

As for violations classified as “dangerous”, the regulations stressed that they should be referred immediately to the competent committee in parallel with the request for treatment, in a step that confirms the priority of public safety over any operational considerations.

The ministry designated the “Baladi” platform as an official channel for receiving complaints against inspection authorities, where the ticket is submitted electronically and transferred directly to the competent authority for consideration.

This measure enhances access to grievance mechanisms and supports the principle of transparency and accountability to beneficiaries.

The amendments stipulate that the competent center shall have the right to interpret the articles of the regulation, in order to ensure uniformity of understanding and application among all parties, and to prevent conflicting interpretations in implementation.

She explained that amending the regulations in the future will only be done through the same regulatory mechanism by which they were issued, which gives them regulatory strength and legislative stability.

In a significant organizational shift, the Ministry has developed a new classification matrix for inspection bodies based on ten fixed criteria, including the classification of the Saudi Council of Engineers, general specialization, field of professional practice, number of qualified inspectors, level of occupancy risk, type of building, its height, area, financial value, in addition to the minimum insurance coverage.

Five graduated categories

The first category is allocated to large and high-risk projects such as towers and huge facilities that exceed a height of 23 meters, with the requirement of having highly experienced consultants and professionals and a minimum insurance of 10 million riyals.

The second category covers projects similar in terms of the nature of the risks but within a smaller financial and spatial scope, with a minimum insurance limit of 5 million riyals.

The third and fourth categories target medium-risk buildings, such as medium-sized educational, commercial and industrial buildings, with reduced financial and technical requirements in proportion to the size of the project.

The fifth category was allocated to small, low-risk projects, primarily residential buildings that do not exceed three floors, with an insurance limit starting from half a million riyals.