The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing confirmed that the service for issuing building occupancy certificates is now available electronically via the 'Balady' platform, enabling beneficiaries to complete building completion procedures and obtain the certificate without needing to visit municipal authorities. This is part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to develop digital services, enhance the efficiency of municipal services, and improve the beneficiary experience.

The ministry explained that the occupancy certificate is an official document confirming the actual completion of the building in accordance with the approved license and requirements. It represents one of the basic stages in the construction journey, allowing the beneficiary to complete property-related procedures and benefit from related services easily and conveniently.

It stated that obtaining the occupancy certificate is done through the 'Balady' platform via easy electronic steps, starting with selecting the user type and submitting a new request, then specifying the type of owner and applicant, and selecting the building license for which the occupancy certificate is to be issued. This is followed by selecting an approved engineering office and sending the request to it to complete the technical requirements, prepare the necessary engineering report, and upload it electronically through the platform.

It added that the secretariat reviews the request, verifies it on site, and approves the certificate after completing the technical procedures and paying the fees. Then the occupancy certificate is issued directly and made available to the beneficiary for printing and use without needing to visit municipal or secretariat headquarters.

The ministry pointed out that the most prominent requirements for issuing an occupancy certificate include having a building license that was issued six months or more ago and for which no occupancy certificate has been previously issued, paying the service fees and outstanding dues, in addition to contracting with an approved engineering office for non-residential uses, and fulfilling the insurance document against hidden defects according to the relevant regulations.

It confirmed that 'Balady' enables the proactive issuance of the building compliance certificate immediately upon completion of the occupancy certificate issuance procedures and payment of fees, without the need to submit a separate request. This contributes to streamlining procedures, accelerating the beneficiary's journey, and enhancing the efficiency of the provided services.

The 'Balady' platform provides proactive notification services to beneficiaries via text messages and email, in addition to the ability to track requests and services through the beneficiary's control panel, which enhances transparency and enables real-time monitoring of the request stages.

This service comes within the efforts of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing aimed at facilitating procedures, improving the quality of municipal services, and enhancing the beneficiary experience, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to increase residents' satisfaction with municipal services and contribute to building more efficient, high-quality, and sustainable cities.