Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued a royal decree on Sunday which ordered merging the Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and form “Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing.”
The move comes in line with the steps and measures aimed at stimulating the public sectors to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Vision.
Specialists said the decision completes the reform and development process, raises the efficiency of performance, and enhances government integration on services provided to citizens and beneficiaries.
The merger process for two ministries with almost similar roles will boost unified efforts and speed implementation, specialists noted.
They pointed out that this decision would reduce the measures taken in many areas and accelerate the production process, positively affecting beneficiaries and the economy, in general.
Both ministries work on attaining economic growth and developing the service aspects.
Merging the two ministries promotes development in both sectors and unites their efforts in serving citizens, the newly appointed Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid al-Hogail, tweeted.
He expressed appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for their confidence.
Expert in real estate affairs Dr. Abdullah al-Ahmari said the decision to merge both ministries is “correct and important” since they share all specializations, except for the Real Estate Development Fund.
The two ministries faced some problems regarding decisions and procedures before this merger, Ahmari noted.
The kingdom had earlier transformed the Saudi General Investment Authority (SAGIA) into the Ministry of Investment, the General Sports Authority into the Ministry of Sports, and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) into the Ministry of Tourism.
The royal decree also stipulated merging the Ministry of Labor and Social Development with the Ministry of Civil Service and changing its name to become the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
