Al-Haqil: Huge investment opportunities in the municipal and housing sectors
His Excellency the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, emphasized the pivotal role of the municipal and housing sector in shaping the urban and economic landscape of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during his participation in the ministerial session of the Public Investment Fund and Private Sector Forum. He highlighted the sector's immense size, currently overseeing more than 7 million workers and over 970,000 establishments, making it a cornerstone of the national economy.
The context of transformation and Vision 2030
The minister's remarks come at a time when the Kingdom is undergoing a historic transformation in the management of cities and public facilities, driven by the objectives of Vision 2030. The ministry has shifted from a direct service provider to a regulator, legislator, and supervisor, paving the way for the private sector to lead development. This strategic shift has not only contributed to increased operational efficiency but has also enhanced the quality of life and humanized cities—concepts that have become top priorities in modern urban planning in Saudi Arabia.
Five Pillars Strategy
Al-Haqil explained that the ministry has relied over the past years on five fundamental pillars to ensure sustainable development: quality of life in cities and neighborhoods, enhancing urban identity and the urban landscape, attracting quality investments, ensuring the sustainability of cities and their ability to withstand risks, and operational efficiency in achieving objectives. He pointed out that the significant overlap between the municipal and private sectors stems from the nature of the regulations and specifications that have been developed to be more flexible and attractive to entrepreneurs and investors.
Promising figures and investments
In terms of figures that reflect the scale of the opportunities, Al-Haqil revealed important economic indicators, explaining the following:
- The housing sector: It has been fully privatized in terms of development, value chain and financing, with investment opportunities exceeding 250 billion riyals.
- Municipal sector: Direct investment opportunities in the non-development sector are expected to reach more than 130 billion riyals by 2030.
- Parks and facilities: Approximately 190 contracts for parks were signed during 2025 with a financial impact exceeding 1.5 billion riyals.
Opportunities platform and partnership with the private sector
His Excellency praised the success of the "Opportunities" platform, which has attracted over 180,000 investors and resulted in contracts worth approximately 13 billion riyals, encompassing micro, small, medium, and large enterprises. He affirmed that the Ministry has already begun transitioning from traditional contracts to large-scale, executive contracts with strategic partners to ensure service quality and resource efficiency.
Economic and future impact
These initiatives are expected to create thousands of new jobs and increase the non-oil sector's contribution to GDP. Al-Haqil concluded by emphasizing the importance of adopting future technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, to enhance the sector's efficiency, expressing his optimism about the Kingdom's ability to attract foreign investment and boost economic growth in a new phase of comprehensive development.
