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The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing issued a directive reminding owners and operators of shared residential facilities to meet updated health and technical safety requirements while underlining their duty to deliver safe living environments and sustain emergency readiness. Evacuation routes and emergency exits must remain unobstructed with illuminated directional signs and automatic backup lighting for use during power failures, the ministry said in the announcement reported by Saudi Gazette. Emergency doors need to open freely from the interior without blockage. Fire detection and firefighting systems require routine inspections and random storage of materials is banned from corridors or exits under the rules.
The ministry further called on facility operators to observe approved occupancy limits as a means of lowering risks associated with overcrowding. Employers and accommodation managers must draw up approved evacuation plans, post maps in prominent positions that highlight exits and gathering points, and confirm that residents grasp the emergency protocols in place. Human preparedness stands as a central aspect of the safety framework, with the directive advocating regular drills alongside instruction in emergency responses and proper handling of firefighting equipment.
This reminder builds upon regulations the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing introduced in August 2025 that capped capacity in shared residential buildings at 500 occupants while requiring official permits, safety plans, fire detection installations, emergency routing and accessibility provisions for disabled residents, Gulf News reported at the time. Those standards mandated prior authority approvals for public health aspects and set baseline criteria for worker accommodations across the kingdom. The 2026 directive places added emphasis on day-to-day operational adherence and preparedness measures.
Fire safety has remained an area of focus following earlier events such as a 2017 incident in which 11 migrant workers died in a shared house fire, according to a BBC account from the period. A study published in Applied Sciences in 2023 recorded 825 fire-related deaths throughout Saudi Arabia in 2020 against a background of more than 51,000 fires reported in 2016. The CTIF World Fire Statistics report listed Saudi Arabia with 34,218 fires in one recent tabulated year, a substantial share of which began in buildings.
The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing released an updated guide to health, technical and safety requirements for shared housing that addresses spatial layout, supporting facilities, signage and preventive protocols including alarms and risk safeguards, according to the ministry’s official platform. Shared accommodations, frequently used by expatriate workers, fall under these minimum standards for space, hygiene and emergency features, an overview on the Mnzil.com platform indicated. The regulations integrate with ongoing municipal oversight aimed at consistent application across facilities.
