Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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To counter this inefficient growth of Saudi settlements, largely caused by their
modernization programs, the government introduced the Urban Domain (UD) in 1986, as
mentioned earlier. Huraimla's UD was adopted in 1988. Accordingly, its,peripheral
development would be subjected to controls limiting growth to two phases, 1995 and 2005
respectively, based on analyses of general trends in each town, the needed developable
land, type of public services needed and quantities to be allowed per phase (Figure 8.16). 27
The UD projections were meant to help government planners allocate sufficient funds for
the coming two decades in line with the national five-year development plans.
Table 8.2
Huraimla's Land Uses, Current Area and Future Needs (in hectares)
Land Uses Existing Existing Needed Land Needed Land
Area Area by 1995 by 2005
(hectares) (%) (hectares) (hectares)
Residential 51 10.8 20 27
Commercial 0.7 0.15 2 3
Mixed (Comm. Res.) 0.5 0.11 1.5 3.5
Industrial 0.2 0.04 1.5 4.5
Government (public)* 24.73 5.3 8.57 6.95
Government (private)** - - - -
Public Services/Utilities 30 6.4 6.3 8.14
Agriculture - - - -
Historical 1 0.2 - -
Open Space 20 4.3 1 1.5
Restricted Areas - - - -
Land for Future 342 72.7 233 107
Development
Total Area 470 100 273.87 161.59
Total (commulative) 470 - 743.40 905.00
* Area designating Government (public) denotes local and regional administrative services.
** Denotes governmental land that is currently or reserved for military and security departments. Source:
Atlas of Saudi Cities: Urban Domain (1989), 15.
Table 8.2 shows current and projected land uses based on 1987 surveys of Huraimla.
It tallies the trend of the large share of government ownership and management of
considerable land uses and functions in contemporary urban forms. Huraimla's new
industrial zone, which accounted for 38.5 hectares is owned and rented by the municipality
to establishments at subsidized, nominal fees, while "public services," "open space,"
"restricted areas" are controlled and developed directly by the state. The total area of these
land uses amounted to 73.4 percent of the total developed area of Huraimla in 1987. When