How to license a worker residence on Balady

Property owners and employers must complete the following digital workflow to achieve compliance:

  1. 1

    Step 1: Register the National Address

    Ensure the building holds an accurate Short Address and National Address registered with Saudi Post (SPL).

  2. 2

    Step 2: Engage an accredited engineering office

    Commission an approved engineering consultancy through the Balady platform to perform the on-site technical inspection.

  3. 3

    Step 3: Upload Civil Defense compliance

    Attach the active Salamah safety certificate verifying operational fire suppression and alarm systems.

  4. 4

    Step 4: Issue the Balady license and sync Qiwa

    Pay the municipal fees, download the approved Collective Housing License, and map the authorized capacity directly into your Qiwa company profile.

The collective housing regulatory mandate

Under the National Program for the Development of Collective Housing for Individuals, Saudi Arabia enforces comprehensive municipal, health, and labor standards on staff accommodations.

Joint field inspections conducted by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMRAH), the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), Civil Defense, and the Ministry of Commerce ensure that all shared housing provided by employers meets dignity, safety, and hygiene standards.

Mandatory space, hygiene, and Civil Defense specifications

To obtain a Collective Housing License, the property must pass an inspection conducted via an accredited engineering office covering the following specifications:

Space Allocation: A minimum living space of approximately 4 square meters per resident, with strict ceilings on the number of bunk beds or occupants per sleeping quarters.

Sanitary Facilities: Dedicated bathroom and shower ratios relative to the total headcounts, ensuring hygienic hot and cold water supplies and proper sewage connections.

Civil Defense Protocols: Operational fire alarm systems, smoke detectors in all corridors and dormitories, functional fire extinguishers, clear illuminated exit signage, and certified safe electrical distribution panels.

Location Zoning: Facilities must be located within designated commercial, light industrial, or approved worker housing zones, preventing overcrowding in purely single-family residential neighborhoods.

How Balady and Qiwa electronic synchronization works

The most powerful enforcement mechanism is the direct API integration between Balady and Qiwa. When an employer assigns an expatriate employee to a company residential unit on Qiwa, the system queries the active Balady license for that specific National Address.

If the address does not hold a valid Collective Housing License, or if the employer attempts to register more workers than the maximum capacity authorized by the municipality, Qiwa flags an immediate compliance breach.

Fines up to SAR 100,000 and automated service freezes

Firms that house workers in unlicensed, crowded, or substandard premises face multi-agency enforcement.

Municipal fines range from SAR 10,000 to over SAR 100,000 depending on establishment size and repeat infractions. In severe life-safety violations, Civil Defense can order immediate facility evacuation and administrative closure. Crucially, the Ministry of Commerce and MHRSD will suspend the company's Commercial Registration (CR), freezing all Qiwa visa issuances and employee transfers.