Zoning Laws in Saudi Arabia and the USA: A Comparative Analysis Report

This report offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of zoning regulations in Saudi Arabia and the United States, focusing on key differences in urban planning and land management. The study begins by defining zoning and its historical context, highlighting the role of municipalities in controlling land use through zoning laws. It then delves into the specific zoning systems of Saudi Arabia, including its institutional framework, the roles of various ministries and authorities, and the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. The report contrasts this with the zoning practices in the USA, detailing the roles of cities and counties, the structure of county codes, and the common elements of zoning regulations. The report concludes by summarizing the contrasting approaches, noting Saudi Arabia's centralized regional and local authorities and the USA's decentralized system. The document also touches upon the planning framework in England as well as urban regeneration and its process. Overall, the report aims to provide insights into the similarities and differences in urban planning strategies and regulations in the two countries, highlighting their impacts on urban development, land use, and planning standards.

Running head: URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
QUESTION-ANSWER ON URBAN PLANNING/LAND MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors note

2URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Answer- 1
Zoning is a technical method that establishes a variety of zones in a city or area to ensure
that the land is used for various purposes. Throughout the 20th century, the approach began by
defining zone by height, use, and range (Helmi 2015). The zoning concept is governed by the
municipalities, which may control buildings and the right to use the property in a specific area.
The concept is that commercial and industrial residential areas are included in every zone
('Zoning' description, n.d.). The operation has to be carried out by the municipalities to
administer the zoning by three basic elements. First of all, municipalities have to create an
overview plan which covers all the uses of land, highways, residential areas, commercial areas
and schools, parks and other vital areas (Osra and Jones 2018). Later, each property, building
form for a permitted use, has to be assigned a defined pf regulation. Finally, the zoning
authorization is used as a means of extending these zoning rules to all land uses and building
authorizations (Hassanain, Hamwda and Sanni-Anibire 2018). The aims of applying the zoning
principle to cities are therefore to safeguard and offer new homes, build new buildings, increase
tourism, improve the healthy society, develop the open space between urban areas and other
significant advantages under the enhanced zoning system (DLRCOCO Development Plan,
2010). This paper aims to discuss the distinction between the Saudi Zoning Regulation and the
zoning law in the USA.
Second, the system of zoning in Saudi Arabia includes 13 regions, which has been
assigned in 1992 and updated in 1994 consisting of 105 governing authorities and 1356 centers.
Various related parties, such as the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA),
provincial and local councils as well as high commissions with their various names are
responsible for the urban planning of Saudi Arabia (MOMRA, UN-Habitat, 2018).

3URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Nonetheless, MOMRA is regarded to be as Saudi Arabia’s chief ministry applicable to
each urban planning, which consists of 7 main departments. The Ministry Agency for City
planning with three key aspects is regarded as to be the most relevant department responsible for
urban planning, zoning, and comprehensive urban development. The first aspect is relationships
with the regional and regional levels of local planning. The second aspect includes strategic
planning, architecture, zoning and regulations on land use and specifications (Calder 2017). The
final aspect is related to the department responsible for some research. Thus, the Ministry
Agency for City planning which is connected with MOMRA comprises of five separate
departments accountable for achieving the following three core objectives (MOMRA, UN-
Habitat, 2018), such as:
 The General Administration for Urban Planning
 The General Administration for Local Planning, Administration
 The General of Urban Design
 The General Administration of Urban Studies
 The General Department for Projects Coordination.
Concerning the city municipality in which a service agency has been developed for all
citizens with the following purposes (MOMRA, UN-, 2018) (MOMRA), such as:
i) Establish the city according to structural future;
ii) Deliver licenses to expansion projects and inspecting their work to be according to the
guidelines;
iii) Construct gardens, parks, and squares, and sustain the appearance and hygiene of the city;
iv) Inaugurating markets within the city;

4URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
v) Emphasis where are the profitmaking and marketing areas within each region;
vi) Establishing the fees and incomes of municipalities, such as by imposing fines and
penalties; and
vii) Defending all privately and publicly owned lands accordingly.
Besides the MOMRA, there are also other ministries and municipalities responsible for
urban development, such as the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Transportation, the
Ministry of Economics and Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture and all of these agencies
also play a significant role in urban planning and zoning. Finally, certain further governmental
authorities are also linked with urban planning, which includes Development of Riyadh,
Makkah, Madinah, Yanbu, and Jubail Authorities as well as other belonging agency such as
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) and other fitting
governmental agencies (MOMRA, UN-Habitat, 2018).
Figure 1The simplified institutional framework for the authorities involved in urban planning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(MOMRA, UN-Habitat, 2018)

5URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Today with Saudi Vision 2030, a new approach is being developed in the field of land
planning and zoning to improve future cities with a more structured plan and zoning control. The
three main goals of the Saudi Vision plan includes a vibrant world, a healthy economy, and an
intimidating nation (Future Saudi Cities, 2017).
Secondly, towns and counties in the United States have a significant role to play in land
use. Cities govern the land within their boundaries, while regulations and decisions have been
made by the countries. Another term is the extension of the state government that is mainly
responsible at the provincial level for dealing with public policy (Hirt 2015). The roles of county
authorities are also to provide services and take decisions on public health, education, public
parks, criminal justice, leisure facilities, and other public services as well as on policy-making
and control on land use. While cities are not an increase in the state government, residents
provide services such as sanitation, drainage, healthcare, protection, and other municipal services
but establish urban boundary planning strategies (Public Health Law & Policy 2007).
Throughout the U.S., Zoning now distracts society by restricting what can and can be
constructed on the property. The law on zoning reflects the use, height, reservoir, the plane area
ratio and the size of the building and every community can regulate the use of a particular land
and approve the building according to its approved planning strategies. It usually includes public
parks, forestry, suburban enterprises, industrial areas, mixed-use areas, and overlaying areas
(Public Health Law and Policy 2007).
Every town and county in the United States has its county code. There are common local
codes like protection, fitness, corporate licenses, and regulation as well as planning and zoning.
Typically, the zoning code is within the city code but can be isolated occasionally (Mandelker

6URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
2016). Chapters containing a subject that is called title are included in the code. Besides, the title
includes a section with numbers that include, a paragraph overview of each local code as shown
in Figure 2. The County Code will cover all land use, the zoning rules, thickness, activities and
other codes connected with urban planning (Public Health Law & Policy, 2007).
Figure 2 United State Common County Code Layout (Public Health Law & Policy, 2007)
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that Saudi Arabia has several
regional and local authorities answerable for all zoning regulations and local code which
generate some mistakes in the new zoning process, and that is why the objectives of Saudi 2030
Vision aims to develop specific goals and targets for the growth of the zoning regulation and
local code to improve the economy, social life and health conditions. Besides, the zoning law in

7URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
the United States is very simple and straightforward, as both state and local laws have clear
objectives without ambiguity.
Answer- 2
Throughout England, the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 created the planning
framework. This is a basic method of systematic planning. For Britain, the planning system is
distinct from that of other European countries. English development varies from other countries
due to three key elements. First, the planning approvals are independently handled from the
building management. Secondly, permits for planning are established based on a development
plan. Third, there is no higher-level legal structure in the development plan, as required in law by
regional planning or national policies (Jha-Thakur and Fischer 2016).
The decision-maker on planning in the UK is focused on the local authorities and
neighborhood of the County Council. Many local authorities in England have three levels:
county councils, city councils, and municipalities. The county would possibly focus on the large
plan program to create local plans, approve zoning documents for excessive and unrealistic
development control (Hilber 2015). The city concentrates mostly on the panning network and not
those associated mostly with the district waste planning and transport planning. In some of the
county of England, the district and the city have several common authorities. The city plays a
vital role in urban planning and sustainable development strategies, which provide decision-
making and community planning rules to speed up the new development phase allowances.
Furthermore, the Secretary of State reviews the whole planning program and takes a small
decision on behalf of the national beneficiary (Plain English Guide to the Planning System 2015)

8URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
The government has also published a National Planning Policy (NPP) to ensure continuity
in the social, economic and environmental aspects of development, making clear that the
planning system is aligned with the local government, county and municipality. To ensure high-
quality infrastructure projects, such as stations and the main improvements in transport, the
infrastructure planning strategy is often differentiated from the NPP. The Planning Inspectorate
has the responsibility on behalf of the Secretary of State to determine the importance of
infrastructure growth. Later, the recommendations will be added to the final adoption decision by
the Secretary of State (Plain English Guide to the Planning System 2015).
Under the Localism Act 2011, the most efficient planning where people engage in the
development plan process is even where collective obligations do not apply (Plain English Guide
to the Planning System 2015). As a result, a few procedures are required to obtain planning
permission. If the application for planning is necessary, the proposal and final decision are
reviewed by local planning. First, the locals should allow the people to vote on the plan. It takes
up to 21 days to continue. The central planning agency has a recommendation for up to 8 weeks
and major projects for up to 13 weeks. The developer can start the development for up to three
years and after that, the project revised (Plain English Guide to the Planning System 2015).
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that local planning authorities
are explicitly advised about NPP policies and priorities to ensure that the best way of deciding on
the economic, social and sustainable development is taken. Eventually, the planning must follow
the community plan or the city’s initial development plan. There is, conversely, the application,
namely ‘Called-In’ permits the Secretary of State, instead of the local planning authority, to take
over a certain development. That is typically the case when the construction scheme is not
available in the local planning situation (Plain English Guide to the Planning System 2015).

9URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Answer- 3
Cities around the world are threatened by an unhealthy and unsustainable climate due to
world population and demographic growth (Kyriazis, Balassis and Patsavos 2016). Health is one
of the major issues in cities. Thirty-six million people worldwide suffer from traditionally urban
life-giving diseases. Urban regeneration is a multi-dimensional and difficult operation. A broad,
clear vision of the resolution of the urban crisis can be defined as a means of improving the
economy, the community and the environment (Aldossary 2018.). The above-mentioned
numbers demanded substantial changes to the urban planning system to rebuild the existing
conditions of the cities.
A few phases move through the regeneration process of a town, city or even a peaceful
environment. First, the scoping process starts by defining the regenerated areas required and
creating a strategic plan that clearly outlines priorities to allow the local leaders to encourage the
growth and regeneration of urban areas and make the best possible decision. The scope method
analyzes all the histories and concerns of the region in question to understand what the city
needs. Secondly is the planning phase where the new future vision is planned which meets all the
scope phase strategies goals and objectives yet also meets all of the land, community, and
environmental issues. Thirdly, the financial scale of the urban regeneration process is also very
critical since many services are required and not every city is capable of affording the expense of
such a huge project. Cities usually collaborate with private sector investors and other approaches
to fund the project. Finally, the application or execution step is primarily about the formal
strategy for all involved parties in the execution process and has the specific objective of each
party’s project obligations to confirm that all the project objectives and timescales are achieved.

10URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Due to the large scale and expense of this project (World Bank 2020), political leadership
considers it the most important party in the implementing process.
One of the Saudi government's main investments would be economic construction,
infrastructure, transportation, and urban regeneration. In 2006 the government spent $10.7bn
(Oxford Business Group, 2015) on building projects and $20.1bn in 2007. Growth is rising in
Saudi Urbanization and is expected to rise by 97.6% by the year 2030. In the capital, the majority
of the population resides, and Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, and Medina are considered to be
secondary. Growth in urban development calls for increasing infrastructure sources including
water, electricity, highways, waste management, and public service (Saudi Arabia- Urban Issues:
UN-Habitat, n.d.). Saudi Arabia is now growing in terms of urban growth, finance, and
management, reaching a total of 260 cities and villages that create new urban challenges (Saudi
Urban Forum, 2016). The rapid growth and new policy of spatial planning have brought about a
great deal of tension between conventional and new growth in development that involved urban
redevelopment to take into account modern spatial planning and services. Many of the current
urban areas do not take into account many of the essential elements of planning which do not
reflect population growth and mindset (Orbaşlı 2017). The growth of the existing cities or
several other towns around the countryside would entail the regeneration of environmental issues
and other core components of urban development that meet the needs and quality of life of
citizens and new generations.
The report of Saudi Vision 2030 notified that the rise in population makes it very
necessary for all people, for example in all public facilities, open countryside and the need for
leisure for every citizen to continue to enhance their quality of life (Saudi Vision 2030, 2016).
For instance, in the city of Jeddah, Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company

11URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
(JDURC) has been established by the municipality to interact with the private sectors to focus on
development in certain areas. The first phase of the seafront project, near Palestine Street, which
covered 58,000sq meters that allowed retail investors to grab a great opportunity with high-
quality environments (Oxford Business Group, 2015). Moreover, Jeddah's new Downtown is a
public fund that developed recently and presently known as the Jeddah Water Desalination. This
would cost $5 trillion to create 36,000 jobs, 12,000 housing units, 58,000 new tourists and a new
destination for tourism. The project will be working parallel with the priorities and objectives of
Saudi vision for the sustainable development of the world (Arab News, 2017).
Finally, it can be concluded that the Saudi strategy includes 12 approaches for the Saudi
Vision 2030 and Quality of Life is one of those approaches. The program of Quality of Life aims
to boost the role of the Saudi cities among the best cities worldwide. With this vision of 2030,
the urban regenerating model, along with new towns, such as the King Abdullah Economic City
in Rabigh and other newly-developed cities, will, therefore, play a significant role to make all the
slum settlements into a sustainable environment in the entire country.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the entire discussion, it can be concluded that zoning is very important
for Saudi Arabia because it aims at promoting the health, security, moral and general welfare of
the city, maintaining and protecting the integrity of the building and promoting the best use of
the land. On the other hand, Development Management previously known as planning or
development control is considered to be an aspect of the United Kingdom city and land planning
system in which the local authorities or Secretaries of State oversee land use and new
construction. Whereas, 12 approaches of Saudi Vision 2030 aims to improve the quality of life of
every individual. All of these have some differences but their aim is similar.

12URBAN PLANNING & LAND MANAGEMENT
Reference
Aldossary, N.A., 2018. Application of Urban Sustainable Design Strategies for Development and
Rehabilitation of Al-Qahad Heritage Village. Future Cities and Environment, 4(1).
Arab News, 2017. $5bn ‘Jeddah Downtown’ project at heart of Red Sea regeneration.
Calder, V., 2017. Zoning, land-use planning, and housing affordability. Cato Institute Policy
Analysis, (823).
Definition of 'Zoning/zone', n.d. The Economic Times. [Online]
Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/zoningzone
[Accessed 05 04 2020].
DLRCOCO - Development Plan, 2010. Land Use Zoning Objectives, s.l.: s.n.
Future Saudi Cities, 2017. Urban Planning Reviews, s.l.: MOMRA, UN-Habitat.
Hassanain, M.A., Hamwda, M. and Sanni-Anibire, M.O., 2018. Weighted Evaluation Method for
Corporate Real Estate Site Selection in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Urban Planning and
Development, 144(1), p.05017012.
Helmi, M., 2015. The ability of the local planning authority to implement zoning regulations: a
case study of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University).
Hilber, C.A., 2015. UK Housing and Planning Policies: the evidence from economic research.
Hirt, S.A., 2015. Zoned in the USA: The origins and implications of American land-use
regulation. Cornell University Press.