Jeddah Mayoralty: Design guidelines for Hejazi coastal architecture mandatory

JEDDAH— The Jeddah Mayoralty has issued a mandate requiring the use of Hejazi coastal architecture design guidelines for all new residential building permits and renovations to building facades in the city. The rules, introduced in May, stipulate penalties for non-compliance. The aim of the guidelines is to create modern designs that showcase Hejazi coastal architectural identity while maintaining structural integrity and aesthetic value.

This is to be done by integrating heritage elements into ventilation, lighting, and using gradations of projections and setbacks for natural shading. The design requirements include the use of locally sourced materials, predominantly wood or modern alternatives, and a color palette consisting of pearl white, sandy tones, and traditional mashrabiya screen colors.

Penalties for engineering offices violating the guidelines when applying for permits range from SR1,000 to SR5,000, and from SR2,000 to SR10,000 for supervising offices and contractors. These penalties double for repeat offenders. Engineering offices have a seven-day grace period to correct violations, while contractors have 30 days.

Work is suspended on permits until violations are rectified. Residential owners who modify facade elements contrary to the approved permit face fines from SR100 to SR500, doubled for repeat offenses, with up to 14 days to correct the modification. Hejazi coastal architecture is part of the map of Saudi architecture, encompassing settlements along the Red Sea coast in Jeddah, Yanbu, and Qunfudhah, reflecting cultural and craft influences associated with trade and pilgrimage.