Short answer: “group housing for individuals” (السكن الجماعي للأفراد) is the official Saudi term for what the market calls worker accommodation or a labour camp. It covers buildings, compounds or cabins where people live without their families, usually the workers of one or more companies. It’s regulated by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH), licensed on the Balady platform, and required for every establishment with 20 or more workers.
Why two names for the same thing?
- “Worker accommodation”, “labour camp” and «سكن العمّال» are what people and adverts use.
- “Group housing for individuals” is the term in the regulation and in government services: Balady, Qiwa, and the official requirements.
When you deal with the authorities, use the official term. And when you read any guide online, check it goes back to the official text; plenty of circulating guides quote old or wrong numbers.
The regulation behind it
The core regulation is MOMAH’s Health, Technical and Safety Conditions Required in Group Housing for Individuals. It has eight chapters:
- Definitions
- Classification
- Licensing requirements
- Location (spatial planning) requirements
- Technical requirements
- Fire prevention and protection
- Operating requirements
- General provisions, grievances and complaints
There have been several versions. The latest update, covered in the press in September 2026, gave licensed housing up to a year to correct its operating position (Amlak, 1 September 2026).
The three types of group housing
| Category | What it is |
|---|---|
| (A) Residential building | A building with residential units, facilities and services, no taller than 23 m |
| (B) Residential compound | Several independent buildings (apartment blocks or villas) inside a wall, with gates and security |
| (C) Mobile cabins | Temporary units on a project site; the licence runs with the project |
A licence can’t be issued for part of a building: the whole building has to fit one of these categories.
Who has to provide it?
- Every establishment with 20 or more workers. Enforcement started in September 2025 and is being phased in: large establishments first, then medium, then small.
- It’s triggered by headcount and housing type, not by job titles.
- It covers the whole establishment and all its branches, even where CRs are unified under one number.
- The housing must cover the workforce registered on Qiwa. The electronic link between Balady and Qiwa flags any shortfall.
Is a housing allowance enough?
These are two separate questions:
- The Labour Law: the February 2025 amendments made accommodation a legal obligation. An employer either provides housing and transport, or pays a cash allowance instead.
- The group housing licence: paying a monthly housing allowance does not exempt an establishment from the group housing licence requirement (Al-Watan, 29 December 2025).
So with 20 or more workers, an allowance doesn’t replace licensed housing.
Who oversees it?
The sector is overseen by the National Program for the Development of Group Housing for Individuals, chaired by MOMAH, with these members:
- Ministry of Interior
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD)
- Ministry of Commerce
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources
- Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
- MODON (Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones)
- Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority
- Public Health Authority (Weqaya)
In practice there are three authorities, each with its own proof, and satisfying one doesn’t cover the others:
- The municipality: the group housing licence and the property’s permitted use.
- Civil Defense: fire safety approval, required before the licence.
- MHRSD: the employer’s obligations to the worker.
What does licensed accommodation include?
These are requirements of the regulation, so every licensed bed comes with them:
- A bed, bedding and a lockable wardrobe per person.
- At least 4 m² of bedroom floor per person, and no more than 10 people per room.
- One sanitary set (toilet, basin and shower) per 8 people or fewer.
- A central kitchen or a catering service.
- A full-time Saudi supervisor for the housing.
- An equipped isolation room, and security cameras to the approved standard.
- A contracted cleaning and disinfection company or dedicated staff, with a cleaning log.
- Full separation of men’s and women’s housing.
All the numbers are in our labour camp rules guide.
Your options
- License your own housing: if you own a building or lease the whole of it. The steps are in the Saudi group housing licence.
- Rent in licensed housing: and issue a group housing proof certificate against the owner’s licence. See staff accommodation in Saudi Arabia.
- Leave it to us: with SKN, you tell us the city, headcount and start date, and we house your crew in licensed buildings with transport and meals. Request housing.
FAQ
What’s the difference between worker accommodation and group housing?
There isn’t one. “Group housing for individuals” is the official name; “worker accommodation” and “labour camp” are the everyday ones.
Is group housing mandatory for every company?
It’s mandatory for establishments with 20 or more workers, across all their branches.
Does paying a housing allowance exempt a company?
No. An allowance doesn’t exempt an establishment from the group housing licence requirement.
Who issues the group housing licence?
Balady; in MODON industrial cities, MODON through the Shareek platform; in Jubail and Yanbu, the Royal Commission.
Do mobile cabins count as group housing?
Yes. They’re category (C), and the licence runs for the length of the project.
Sources: MOMAH: Health, Technical and Safety Conditions Required in Group Housing for Individuals (PDF, Arabic) · MOMAH: National Program for the Development of Group Housing for Individuals · Okaz: establishments with 20+ workers must license (Arabic) · Al-Watan: a housing allowance does not exempt (Arabic) · Al Tamimi: key amendments to Saudi Arabia’s Labour Law
Last updated: 2026-10-18
A guidance summary, not legal advice.