RIYADH: Results of the latest 2017 housing census show that nearly one in two Saudi homes is owned.
The figure of 49.91 ownership was revealed by the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) on its official website on Thursday.
The 10-year survey was conducted between April and May last year.
This percentage does not include owned housing units constructed with non-reinforced construction materials including (clay, stone, pitch and bricks).
There has been a fall in the proportion of houses that were built with non-reinforced materials, such as clay, stone, pitch and bricks, from 13.38 percent 2016 to 10 percent in 2017.
Just over a third — 38 percent — of Saudi housing units are rented.
Employer-provided housing for Saudi households makes up 1.69 percent of the units.
The results did not show the percentage of individuals owning homes. It dealt with the characteristics of housing among households, including the type of the housing tenure within the framework of the survey.
Housing surveys rely on scientific methods of sampling selected households. The survey form gives accurate information to inform future housing initiatives, allowing the possibility of studying housing characteristics in a more comprehensive manner than in the census.
The survey was conducted with the cooperation of the Ministry of Housing, where housing surveys are one of the most important sources of data needed for development planning.
It aims to provide data on housing units occupied by households and study the impact of housing characteristics and the surrounding environment.
It also aims to create a housing information base for planners and researchers required for future development plans.
It aims to conduct local, regional and international comparisons, measuring developments and growth in housing areas in terms of type of housing and the age of the house inhabited by the households.
Nearly 50% citizens own houses in Saudi Arabia
Nearly 50% citizens own houses in Saudi Arabia
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
