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Housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has transformed from that of a traditional 'Bedouin' society into new and advanced housing units, prompted by the use of modern architectural construction methods and design styles similar to those in many developed societies. However, Saudi Arabia's rapid population growth has caused a housing crisis, and the modern housing supply is neither sustainable nor efficient in meeting the cultural and environmental needs of the occupants. This book seeks a solution for sustainable housing in Saudi Arabia that adopts and respects the conservative Islamic culture of the community and the local environmental conditions. It identifies the key stakeholders in the Saudi construction industry and reveals their understanding of sustainability and how to apply it within the housing industry. It also reveals the barriers and critical success factors (enablers) for the application of sustainability to housing in Saudi Arabia. The main outcome is the formation of a model that will help the development of sustainable housing in Saudi Arabia and to be economically viable for low- and mid-income families.
About the author
Dr Al Surf holds a PhD in Sustainable and Green Construction, is Assistant Professor at Effat University and USGBC Faculty member. He is dedicated to applying a systematic approach to Green Construction and Sustainable methods applied on projects in Saudi Arabia to induce quality of life while preserving the depleting supply of natural resources.
