Required certification · Saudi Arabia
Balady Platform
Ministry of Municipalities and Housing portal for building permits and municipal services
Market position
Balady is the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing's online platform and mobile app for municipal services. Building permits are issued, renewed, amended and transferred there, along with building completion certificates, demolition, restoration and excavation permits, construction-stage inspections and contractor classification. The ministry says a new building permit takes 1-10 days.
Saudi Arabia-specific note
For a new building permit the ministry lists an electronic title deed, a valid cadastral report, a soil study, contracts with a design office, a supervising office and a contractor, and latent defects insurance, and an inspector checks the plans against the Saudi Building Code. Contractor and engineering office classification requests are also filed on Balady.
Pros
- + Building permits, completion certificates and inspections in one portal and app
- + Ministry quotes 1-10 days for a new building permit
- + Balady requests the latent defects insurance certificate from the insurer automatically
Cons
- − A permit needs a design engineering office, a supervising office and a contractor under contract
- − Soil study, cadastral report and latent defects insurance are required documents
- − Applications are checked against the Saudi Building Code
Typical Saudi Arabia pricing
Fees depend on the application: the ministry says permit fees are calculated in Balady's fee calculator and paid by a payment link sent to the design office and owner. Some services, such as classification requests and certificate checks, are listed as free.
Why this matters for Saudi Arabia trades
The Engineering Professions Practice Law requires Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) accreditation before anyone practises engineering, with fines of up to SAR 1 million. Under the Contractor Classification Law, government bodies may not accept a bid for a project subject to classification unless the contractor is classified in its field, activity and grade; classification requests and building permits are filed on Balady, where permit plans are checked against the Saudi Building Code and latent defects insurance is a required document. ZATCA’s Phase 2 requires businesses called in by turnover wave to connect their invoicing software to the Fatoora platform (EY reports that Wave 25 reaches taxable turnover above SAR 187,500 and that businesses in it should prepare to comply with Phase 2 starting from 1 February 2027). Nitaqat places each entity in one of five Saudization ranges that decide access to services such as new expatriate visas and work permits, and Argaam reported in 2018 that firms must join the Saudi Contractors Authority before bidding for tenders.
Saudi construction and trades software selection is shaped by ZATCA’s mandatory e-invoicing regime (Phase 2 integration with the Fatoora platform, rolled out in turnover waves), contractor classification by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for public projects, building permits on Balady checked against the mandatory Saudi Building Code, Saudization ranges under Nitaqat tracked on Qiwa, and government tenders run on Etimad. Several vendors listed here offer Arabic and English interfaces, and some publish SAR prices.
Frequently asked
Is Balady Platform a good fit for Saudi Arabia trades?
Balady is the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing's online platform and mobile app for municipal services. Building permits are issued, renewed, amended and transferred there, along with building completion certificates, demolition, restoration and excavation permits, construction-stage inspections and contractor classification. The ministry says a new building permit takes 1-10 days. For a new building permit the ministry lists an electronic title deed, a valid cadastral report, a soil study, contracts with a design office, a supervising office and a contractor, and latent defects insurance, and an inspector checks the plans against the Saudi Building Code. Contractor and engineering office classification requests are also filed on Balady.
What does Balady Platform cost in Saudi Arabia?
Fees depend on the application: the ministry says permit fees are calculated in Balady's fee calculator and paid by a payment link sent to the design office and owner. Some services, such as classification requests and certificate checks, are listed as free. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current Saudi Arabia pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Other Saudi Arabia vendors
Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE)
Required certification
Contractor Classification (MOMAH)
Required certification
Saudi Building Code (SBC)
Required certification
ZATCA E-Invoicing (Fatoora)
Required certification
Qiwa & Nitaqat (Saudization)
Required certification
Saudi Contractors Authority (Muqawil)
Required certification