Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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compared to the traditional built environment, the private (mostly residential) uses
accounted for the majority of the mass area. What could be considered public space in the
traditional environment was that of circulation, religious and cemeteries; all the remaining
space was private.
SUMMARY
The role of the state in shaping the product of the spatial map of Huraimla can be
summarized in the following points. First, the state has set the standards of the
contemporary urban forms by using its prerogative right to make decisions concerning
municipal zoning and land use regulations. Second, the central government has*contributed
immensely to the production of the modern spatial system, both in character and scope, by
directly allocating funds for construction and maintenance of public, military and social
services, all paid by the government without the imposition of taxes on the inhabitants.
Third, the indirect role of the state must not be underestimated. By offering free land, the
government has increased the number of landed population dramatically. Also, through
REDFs generous free-interest housing loans, the central government has increased the
number of home owners, and specifically expedited the adoption of the villa, the hallmark
of Saudi contemporary housing forms. Since the establishment of REDF in 1975,
Huraimla inhabitants have obtained 346 loans, with costs totaling SR85.5 million ($23.75
million or $68,654 per loan), which amounted to 42% of Huraimla's 818 unit housing
stock. These provisions helped recipients gain extra income which consequently
contributed to the improvement of the construction sector, and, through the multiplier
factor, gave impetus to a nascent private commercial and service sector.
The promulgation of the new nation-state has ushered in a new era of peace and
security to the Kingdom's settlements. In its efforts to modernize the nation, the
government has supplied administrative, police, social and public services to every
settlement based on various criteria, including population size, urban economy, and
national security, among others. The inauguration of the imarah (principality), the
establishment of a police power, the resumption of public schools, and the establishment of
the municipality (baladyyah) in 1965, embodied the increasing role of the central state in
the local affairs and building practices of Huraimla. The municipality is a local government
institution which derives its support and instruction from the national Deputy Ministry for
Municipalities and Rural Affairs at Riyadh. This means that decisions concerning local