About 27 million square meters of Riyadh land has entered development since January.
Owners of undeveloped land in Saudi cities now have clear routes to transfer their plots, as the government pushes idle land into development without letting anyone skip the tax.
The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing approved new rules for deals on land subject to white land fees, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Why it was needed: under a Cabinet decision, land hit by the fees can't change hands until every riyal owed is paid. That froze many ordinary deals, from inheritances to joint developments.
What's now allowed: owners can put a whole plot into a real estate investment fund, split land among heirs, or sell to a buyer who commits to build within the owner's grace period.
Owners can also divide or merge plots among themselves to develop them. Court-ordered transfers, approved off-plan projects and government deals, including expropriations, are covered too.
What isn't changing: the ministry stressed the rules are not a tax exemption. Every transfer still needs the outstanding fees paid in full.
The bigger picture: the fees are working. About 27 million square meters of Riyadh land has entered development since January, enough for about 70,000 homes. The new rules give owners who can't build themselves a legal way to pass land to people who can.
Why it matters: housing supply in Riyadh depends on land actually reaching developers. Clear rules make that faster, and make it harder to stall.
What to watch: how many owners use the fund route, which lets them hand a plot to developers and pass the fee on.
