The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing confirmed the availability of an electronic service for issuing building occupancy certificates through the Balady platform, enabling beneficiaries to complete construction procedures and obtain the certificate without needing to visit municipal authorities, as 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 according to the license and approved requirements, and represents one of the key stages in the construction journey, allowing the beneficiary to complete property-related procedures and benefit from related services with ease and convenience.

It stated that obtaining the occupancy certificate is done through the Balady platform via simple electronic steps starting with selecting the user type and submitting a new request, then specifying the owner type and applicant, selecting the building license for which the occupancy certificate is to be issued, followed by choosing an accredited 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 municipality reviews and verifies the request on-site and approves the certificate after completing the technical procedures and paying the fees, after which the occupancy certificate is issued directly and made available for the beneficiary to print and use without needing to visit municipal offices or secretariats.

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 has not previously had an occupancy certificate issued, payment of the service fee and outstanding dues, in addition to contracting with an accredited engineering office for non-residential uses, and fulfilling the insurance document against hidden defects according to the regulations.

It confirmed that Balady allows for the proactive issuance of the building compliance certificate as soon as the procedures for issuing the occupancy certificate are completed and fees are paid, without the need to submit a separate application, which contributes to shortening procedures, speeding up the beneficiary's journey, and enhancing the efficiency of 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 allows for step-by-step follow-up of the request stages.

This service comes as part of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing's efforts to simplify procedures, improve the quality of municipal services, and enhance 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.