Experiences of Suitable Housing Developers in the Jeddah Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia

摘要

The rising demand for suitable housing for low- and middle-income Saudi residents in the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia metropolitan area exceeds the supply. This study explored the possibilities and obstacles facing private sector real estate developers in the development of suitable housing in the Jeddah metropolitan area. The study identified and described developers' perspectives relative to supply and demand trends, obstacles that inhibited the development of suitable housing, incentives that might help build suitable housing, and possible long-term solutions to address the ongoing mismatch between supply and demand. The study employed a qualitative case study design, and the case was private sector real estate development in Jeddah. The researcher conducted semi structured, open-ended interviews with 16 private sector, residential real estate developers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Case study findings revealed four major obstacles: bureaucratic frustrations with the Ministry of Housing and the Municipality of Jeddah; lack of financing options for potential homeowners and private sector developers; lack of land with the necessary infrastructure to create communities; and potential homeowners' culture-based desire, or housing norm, for large, expensive villas. Future research could investigate the efficacy of the solutions recommended by the study's participants; how other nations' housing solutions could be adapted to the Saudi context; and best practices for integrating the study's findings, conclusions, and recommendations with the Kingdom's National Transformation Program 2020 and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 .