Is BIM mandatory in Saudi Arabia? Government and EXPRO requirements explained

Is BIM mandatory in Saudi Arabia? For government-funded projects, in practice yes: EXPRO's National Manual for Project Management already requires design data and drawings to come from 3D models, and sets out BIM roles and data formats. For private buildings that only need a municipal permit, we found no published BIM requirement. Reports of a single national mandate exist, but they disagree with each other and none cites the official document.

Below we go through each source in turn so you can see where the requirement comes from and how firm it is.

What does EXPRO require on government projects?

The Expenditure Efficiency and Projects Authority (EXPRO) publishes the National Manual for Project Management for government entities. Arab News reported its launch in June 2022 as a 16-volume project management guide alongside a 17-volume asset and facilities management guide. Volume 6, Engineering, holds the BIM content.

Two documents in that volume matter most:

• Project Automation Requirements and Deliverables Guideline (EPM-KE0-GL-000020, revision 001, 15 August 2021). It states that "all project data and drawings related to the design of a facility shall be generated from 3D models", with limited exceptions for 2D. It requires a separate architect and engineer (A/E) BIM Manager on large projects with a significant BIM component. It says data should be exchanged in COBie format using IFC files, and it refers to a BIM execution plan template and BIM LOD matrices.
• Project Submission Standards and Requirements (EPM-KE0-GL-000015, 21 April 2022). It tells each government entity to put the chapter's requirements, BIM considerations included, into the A/E scope of work for all projects. Part of the wording is conditional: "Entities deploying BIM on their projects shall" set up BIM to suit the CAD procedures in the chapter.

What this meansOn government-funded work, expect the A/E scope to include 3D-model-based design, a BIM execution plan, LOD matrices and COBie data in IFC. The manual sets these as deliverables. It does not read as a standalone law, and some clauses assume the entity has chosen to deploy BIM.

If you are an owner's team in a ministry or agency, these documents give you the language to put in your A/E contract. Our BIM standards and ISO 19650 consultancy turns them into project-specific information requirements.

Do building permits in Saudi Arabia require BIM?

Not according to the published requirements. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH, formerly MOMRAH) lists the documents for a building licence on its e-services page. The list includes the title deed, a cadastral report, a contract with an engineering office for the architectural designs and a soil study. It does not include a BIM model, a 3D model or an IFC file.

Permits are now largely digital. Arab News reported in July 2026 that the ministry issued more than 34,000 building permits in the first half of the year and credited the Balady platform for simplifying the process. The report does not mention BIM.

One academic source says more. A 2025 master's thesis at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals states that the ministry requires engineering offices to submit 3D design models, and links this to a January 2024 initiative. We could not find the ministry circular behind that statement. Treat it as reported by researchers, and check Balady for your building type before you submit.

Is there a national BIM mandate?

Several sources say so. They do not agree on what it is.

None of these cites a decree number, a circular or an official URL. We could not find a government page for a "National BIM Strategy". The January 2024 date also needs care: Dubai Municipality's BIM circular 9-1-2, dated 13 October 2023, took effect on 1 January 2024, and LRQA's article covers Dubai and Saudi Arabia together. The Saudi date may come from the Dubai rule. That is our reading, not a confirmed fact. We compare the two markets in BIM in the UAE and GCC compared with Saudi Arabia.

Our honest summary: EXPRO's national manual sets BIM and 3D-model deliverables for government-funded projects, and several industry sources report a broader public-sector mandate. We could not locate the official instrument for that broader mandate as of October 2026.

Does the Saudi Building Code require BIM?

We found nothing in the code updates that does. SBC 2024 replaced the 2018 edition and became mandatory on 30 June 2025 after a 180-day transition, according to a Chambers and Partners practice guide. The same guide reports that the national code committee became the Saudi Building Code Center under a Council of Ministers decision in March 2025. Neither source mentions BIM.

BIM still helps with the code. A model lets you check fire compartments, egress widths and energy performance against SBC requirements faster than drawings alone, and Saudi universities are researching automated code checking from BIM. For energy and sustainability checks, see our article on LEED and BIM under Vision 2030.

What about PIF and the giga-projects?

We found no published PIF regulation that requires BIM on every new project. The PIF-backed developers, including NEOM, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya, ROSHN and Diriyah, set BIM and information requirements in their own tender and contract documents. Our article on BIM on Saudi giga-projects sets out what is public for each one.

What should owners and contractors do now?

Plan for BIM whenever the client is a government entity or a giga-project developer, and read the contract rather than relying on a general mandate. In practice:

1. Find the governing document. For government work, it is the EXPRO deliverables written into the A/E scope. For giga-projects, it is the developer's information requirements. For private work, it is your own appointment.
2. Answer it with a BIM execution plan. Structure it on ISO 19650, which most Saudi clients recognise.
3. Agree the level of development per stage, from design coordination to LOD 400 shop drawings and LOD 500 as-builts.
4. Plan the handover data. EXPRO names COBie in IFC format. Our as-built and COBie handover team builds that data as the project runs.

If the rules change, we will update this article and the sources below.

Frequently asked questions

Written by the AIM United BIM team in Jeddah. AIM United delivers BIM, scan to BIM, digital twins and design-build across Saudi Arabia.