Recording Real Estate and Land Sale Transactions by Cameras… Witnesses to Be Eliminated
Every citizen has the right to object to the administrative valuation through the Land Department’s website.
Electronic services have made citizens’ transactions easier to complete… with no objections reported.
Interview conducted by Editor-in-Chief Issam Mubaideen
The Director General of the Land and Survey Department, Engineer Khaldoun Al-Khalidi, confirmed that the department’s electronic services have become highly advanced and now meet the needs of both citizens and investors.
During an extensive tour with “Jafra News” — the first for a media outlet inside the department’s divisions — Al-Khalidi stated that these services were introduced to serve citizens and investors and to ensure they receive the best possible services through procedures that facilitate the completion of their transactions smoothly and efficiently. He emphasized the importance of delivering optimal services with speed and efficiency while reducing time, effort, and expenses.
Al-Khalidi explained that every citizen in registration directorates where the administrative valuation system has been launched can visit the Land Department’s website to review the administrative value of their property. Based on that, they may submit an objection or request a reconsideration of the declared administrative value.
He reassured all citizens that their properties are fully protected and preserved, and that sales procedures are carried out with the highest levels of accuracy and strictness. He noted that the new real estate ownership project includes recording real estate sale and purchase transactions through cameras installed at Land and Survey Department offices, and that the requirement for witnesses in property transactions will be eliminated. These recordings will be archived for many years within the department to serve as a reference for all relevant parties when needed.
For his part, Engineer Ahmad Jarar told “Jafra News” that the valuation mechanism is scientific, while legal and administrative procedures are also followed. He explained that the administrative value is initially assessed by a local committee within the registration directorate. This committee includes representatives from the registration directorate, private-sector real estate appraisers from the area, and regulatory authorities from the same region.
The administrative value is determined based on many factors, most importantly market sale values — meaning the prices at which land plots or properties are sold in a given area — as well as all historical data from previous sales transactions. Zoning is also taken into consideration, including whether the property is commercial, residential, or outside zoning regulations, in addition to the location of the plot and other relevant factors.
Regarding the meaning of administrative value, he stated: “As the Land Department, we are the official reference for the market value of real estate. Therefore, if any investor or citizen wishes to know the approximate market value of their property, the Land Department should be the reference authority. This is also stipulated by law, as an administrative value must be established for all properties and reviewed every three years.”
Concerning the types of objections they receive, Jarar explained that objections relate to the value itself. Citizens can review the announced administrative value of their land or property, and if they have any objection or differing opinion, they may submit a written objection to the registration directorate. The objection is then reviewed by a central committee responsible for examining objections, and the results are also announced on the website.
Jarar further revealed that, as of today, objections concerning 27,281 apartments since the beginning of 2024 have been reconsidered, in addition to 117,401 land plots. Administrative values for several land basins in villages across the Kingdom have also been reassessed.
“Jafra News” attended the expanded meeting of the Central Committee for Land Revaluation, which included Engineer Ahmad Jarar, Engineer Mohammad Al-Adwan, Engineer Hisham Al-Qatamin, Engineer Asma Ziyadat, Engineer Mohammad Al-Hajaj, Ms. Linda Al-Assaf, Ms. Samira Al-Amoush, and from the private sector, Awwad Al-Rahamneh and Hisham Al-Natour.