If you own vacant land in one of the Kingdom's major cities, you may need a vacant land fencing licence through Balady. The main requirement is a survey report: you contract a ministry-classified engineering office, which can issue the survey decision and then the licence. Phase one of mandatory fencing covers five cities: Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and Jeddah, with covered areas shown in the platform's geographic explorer. Here is how to check coverage, the practical steps, and why survey accuracy matters before any wall goes up.

Looking for the best surveying office in Saudi Arabia? Read our guide to choosing the best surveying office in Saudi Arabia: licence, classification, KSA-GRF17 and deliverables.

What is the fencing licence?

It is a Balady licence that allows an owner to build a fence around vacant land according to approved requirements. Because the fence sits on the boundary, the licence depends on knowing that boundary precisely. A fence in the wrong place can intrude on a neighbour or the street, or cut off part of your own plot.

Is your land in the phase one area?

  1. Open the geographic explorer on Balady and locate your plot.
  2. Use the fencing areas enquiry service to confirm.
  3. If you are outside the area now, follow announcements for later phases.

City notes: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar, Makkah, Madinah.

The main requirement: a survey report

The survey report is requested through Balady's survey report service, which ends with a survey decision that the licence is based on. If you already hold a decision for the plot, review it with the office for validity and fit. Details are in our guide to the Balady survey report and survey decision.

The engineering office's role

  • Field survey of the boundary tied to national coordinates.
  • Preparing the survey report and issuing the survey decision after fees.
  • Issuing the fencing licence based on that decision.
  • Staking out the corners on site before the contractor starts.

You must authorise the office inside the platform, and you remain responsible for reviewing the data.

Step by step

  1. Confirm the title deed is valid.
  2. Check coverage via the explorer and enquiry service.
  3. Agree scope with a classified office: survey, decision, licence and stake-out.
  4. Authorise the office on Balady.
  5. Review the survey decision; use the amendment service before the licence is issued if needed.
  6. Issue and print the licence.
  7. Stake out the corners from the decision, then check fence lines before construction.

What changes on the ground between cities

  • Riyadh: limestone near Tuwaiq and wadis such as Wadi Hanifah.
  • Jeddah and Dammam: sabkha, saline soils and a high water table.
  • Makkah: mountains and steep slopes, so level differences between corners matter.
  • Madinah: volcanic harrat basalt that makes markers and excavation harder.

More in surveying rocky and sabkha ground.

Checklist before you sign

  • Is the office ministry-classified and able to handle the survey report and licence on Balady?
  • Does the scope include staking out the corners after the licence?
  • Will you receive the coordinate file and plan in a format the contractor can use?
  • Who re-stakes markers lost during works?

Common mistakes

  • Building before the licence is issued or the corners are staked out.
  • Following a neighbour's fence instead of official coordinates.
  • Assuming every plot in the five cities is covered.
  • Losing corner markers during works.

Requirements and areas are updated, so check Balady for the latest rules before contracting.

FAQ

Can I get a fencing licence without a survey report?

The survey report is the main requirement on Balady, and the licence is based on the resulting survey decision.

Which cities are in phase one?

Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and Jeddah. Confirm your specific plot through the geographic explorer and enquiry service.

Can the engineering office issue the licence for me?

Yes. A ministry-classified office, once authorised on the platform, can issue the survey decision and then the licence.

How EL EMAN can help

We are preparing to serve projects in Riyadh, Jeddah, the Eastern Province and other cities with surveying, contracting and equipment sales and rental, and are taking requests now via WhatsApp or the contact form.

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