# Labour camp rules in Saudi Arabia: every requirement, with the numbers

URL: https://sknliving.com/en/resources/labour-camp-rules-saudi-arabia/

**Short answer:** the main Saudi rules for labour camps and worker accommodation are **4 m² of bedroom floor per person**, **no more than 10 people per room**, **one sanitary set per 8 people** or fewer, a full-time Saudi supervisor, a central kitchen or catering, and Civil Defense approval before the licence. The source is MOMAH's regulation, the Health, Technical and Safety Conditions Required in Group Housing for Individuals.

## The official regulation (PDF)

Its full title is **Health, Technical and Safety Conditions Required in Group Housing for Individuals** (الشروط الصحية والفنية والسلامة اللازم توافرها في المساكن الجماعية للأفراد). The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing publishes it in Arabic: [download the regulation (PDF)](https://momah.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2024-04/dlyl-alshrwt-alshyt-walfnyt-walslamt-allazm-twafrha-fy-almsakn-aljmayt-llafrad-.pdf).

There have been several versions: a 1445H ministerial decision, publication in the Umm Al-Qura gazette in August 2025, and an update covered in the press in September 2026. Before any big decision, make sure you're reading the latest.

## The key numbers

| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bedroom floor area per person | **at least 4 m²** |
| People per room | **10 maximum** |
| Sanitary set (toilet, basin and shower) | **one per 8 people or fewer** |
| Shared dining or rest room | **at least 0.7 m² per person** |
| Room windows | **at least 8% of the floor area**, half of it opening for ventilation |
| Bathroom window | 0.30 m² |
| Licence term | **one year**, renewable |
| Over 1,000 residents | A first-aid room with a nurse licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties |
| Over 5,000 residents | A clinic with a licensed doctor and nurse, plus occupational health and safety services |

## Capacity is calculated, not counted

Capacity comes from room areas, the number of facilities and the shared spaces, not from how many beds fit in a room.

**Example:** a 24 m² net bedroom ÷ 4 m² = **6 people**, even if ten beds would fit.

The lowest result is the one that counts. If the rooms allow 60 people but there are only 6 sanitary sets, capacity is 48. Work it out for your building with the [capacity calculator](/en/worker-housing-capacity-calculator/).

## Numbers that circulate but are wrong

Several guides online quote figures that don't match the current regulation:

| Circulating (wrong) | Correct |
|---|---|
| Max 8 people per room | **10** |
| One toilet per 6 workers | **One sanitary set per 8** |
| Ceiling height 2.7 m | Not the stated figure; 2.2 m applies to mobile cabins |
| Windows at 10% of floor area | **8%**, half of it opening |

## Facilities and operations

- A central kitchen or a catering service.
- An equipped isolation room for infectious cases.
- Security cameras to the approved system and its implementing rules.
- A **full-time Saudi supervisor** responsible for the housing, with access to every facility and full knowledge of emergency procedures.
- Full separation of men's and women's housing, with separate entrances and facilities.
- A bed, bedding and a lockable wardrobe per person.
- A contracted cleaning and disinfection company or dedicated staff, with a cleaning log.

## What's not allowed

- Cooking stoves or washing machines in bedrooms.
- Housing people on roofs, in corridors or in basements.
- Asbestos in mobile cabin construction.
- Balconies projecting into setbacks, or AC units installed in them.

## Water, power and air conditioning

- Safe drinking water; clean, rust-resistant tanks, **disinfected every 6 months**.
- Roof tanks fully insulated, holding **at least 5 days' supply**, and **at least 2 m** from the sewage pit.
- Ground-floor drainage connected straight to the main line, separate from the upper floors.
- Electrical wiring concealed in the walls.
- Cooling and heating with air-purifying filters in bedrooms.

## Fire safety

- **Civil Defense approval before** the operating licence is issued.
- An approved evacuation plan.
- Fire extinguishers no more than **23 m** apart.
- Illuminated emergency signs that run for **90 minutes** in a power cut.

## Mobile cabins (category C)

- Used for the length of the project, or a year at most, renewable.
- Bedroom ceiling height **at least 2.2 m**.
- Cabin floor raised **20 cm** above the surrounding ground.

## Location rules

**Where group housing is allowed:**

- Land zoned commercial or commercial-residential, on a commercial street approved by the municipality, with the site entrance on that street.
- Inside workshop, warehouse, light-industrial and car-showroom plans, as a separate site at a safe distance from hazardous areas.
- Inside category (A) and (B) fuel stations, under the service-centre requirements.
- In agricultural areas, for that agricultural project's own workers.
- Inside a hospital, as one of its facilities.

**Restrictions:**

- **At least 300 m** from schools and hospitals inside the urban boundary.
- Site entrance on a road **at least 20 m wide**.
- Not on roads or in vital or tourist areas marked on Balady.
- Away from pollution sources, flood channels, heritage sites and nature reserves.
- Respecting neighbouring buildings' privacy.

**Parking and planting:**

- One car space per 40 people (inside the urban boundary).
- Bus parking for half the residents.
- One tree per 100 m² of open space.

> Each municipality, Dammam and Khobar included, sets its own restricted streets and zones on Balady. A site is confirmed with a Balady inquiry, not just by reading the regulation.

## Leave the rules to us

With SKN, your crew lives in licensed buildings whose capacity is calculated to these rules, with a supervisor, meals and periodic cleaning. [Request housing](/en/request/), or if you have a building to license, see [our page for owners](/en/owners/).

Read next: [Saudi group housing licence](/en/resources/saudi-group-housing-license/) · [What group housing is](/en/resources/what-is-group-housing-saudi/) · [Saudi worker housing regulations at a glance](/en/saudi-worker-housing-regulations/)

## FAQ

### How many workers are allowed per room in Saudi Arabia?

Ten at most, provided there are 4 m² per person. A 24 m² room takes 6.

### How many toilets per worker?

One sanitary set (toilet, basin and shower) per 8 people or fewer.

### Where can I find the labour accommodation regulation PDF?

On the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing website, titled «الشروط الصحية والفنية والسلامة اللازم توافرها في المساكن الجماعية للأفراد». The link is at the top of this guide.

### Can a labour camp be in a residential neighbourhood?

As a rule, group housing must be on an approved commercial street, at least 300 m from schools and hospitals inside the urban boundary, with its entrance on a road at least 20 m wide.

### Does a labour camp need a Saudi supervisor?

Yes, a full-time Saudi supervisor responsible for the housing.

### Are the rules the same in industrial cities?

The technical rules are the same, but the licensing body differs: MODON through the Shareek platform, or the Royal Commission in Jubail and Yanbu.

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**Sources:** [MOMAH: Health, Technical and Safety Conditions Required in Group Housing for Individuals (PDF, Arabic)](https://momah.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2024-04/dlyl-alshrwt-alshyt-walfnyt-walslamt-allazm-twafrha-fy-almsakn-aljmayt-llafrad-.pdf) · [Balady: Issuing a Collective Housing License for Individuals](https://balady.gov.sa/en/services/issuing-collective-housing-license-individuals) · [Amlak: coverage of the updated conditions (Arabic)](https://amlak.net.sa/109704/) · [Ghran News: location requirements (Arabic)](https://ghrannews.com/372800/)

Last updated: 2026-10-18

_A guidance summary, not legal advice._