A Chair in the service of scientific and applied research in the field of housing was created by Royal Decree in 2007. The Chair is to operate under the auspices of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Institution for Developmental Housing, dedicated to his Parents. The Chair is geared to provide support for the process of specialized research, scientific and applied studies as part of the University’s efforts in providing specialized consultation in various scientific areas as well as its material assets including libraries, labs and equipment, and in cooperation with scientific research centers in the field of housing.
This research program shall be focused on conducting research and studies in the areas and disciplines that are geared to help develop affordable housing and make it available for all Saudi families in accordance with their social needs and financial capabilities as well as with the rules governing the natural environment sustainability, national economic development, housing quality and affordability and the urban environment development for the housing projects and the regions where they are located.

Mission
Helping enhance excellence of scientific production at King Saud University at the local and global levels.
Securing the proper environment for investing national, regional and international knowledge and experience in the area of developmental housing.
Fostering an outstanding generation of national researchers and graduate students in the field of developmental housing.

Vision
Achieving regional and global leadership in research for King Saud University in the area of developmental housing.

Goals

• Enhancing and promulgating the culture of innovation, creativity and development in the field of developmental housing, promoting excellence of participation in national and global research production, encouraging publication of research in the field in specialized periodicals with international reputation.
• Promoting societal partnership with the University, optimizing investment of excellent human potentials nationally and internationally in order to investigate, study and explore pivotal issues and problems in the field of developmental housing and hence deduce ensuing strategies, alternatives and criteria.
• Enhancing training, Bachelor’s degree and graduate studies programs at the College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, as well as motivating researchers towards innovation, creativity and development in developmental housing.

Research Fields

• Strategies of developmental housing .
• Planning and design of developmental housing compounds .
• Design of developmental housing facilities.
• Planning and design of developmental housing compounds service networks .
• Design of developmental housing units.
• Building techniques and construction methods of developmental housing units.

Effectiveness and Activities
After approval of the Chair’s action plan the first workshop was held on Sunday 14/04/1429H (20/04/2008) thereby officially marking the start of the Chair’s activities. This took place in an official ceremony attended by Their Excellencies, the University Rector, the Secretary General of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Institution for Developmental Housing, dedicated to his Parents, the University Vice-Rector for Knowledge Exchange and Technology transfer, the dean of the College of Architecture and Planning, the College’s faculty and guests from outside the College.

During the course of the ceremony a special website for the Chair was inaugurated. The Chair completed all the preparatory steps for the organization of a symposium on the institutions and associations working in the area of charity and developmental housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Such a symposium is aimed at establishing contact with these institutions and associations in order to survey and study their previous experiences towards helping develop work in this respect in the future.

All the necessary preparations for holding the International Conference on Developmental Housing were made. The Conference shall discuss developmental housing issues from local, regional and global perspectives with the view to gathering international experiences in the area of developmental housing and then surveying the latest developments and findings in this respect. The Conference shall represent a valuable opportunity to draw lessons from other nations’ experiences and practices in the field of developmental housing. The Conference shall also feature a survey of the Kingdom’s local experience and practice in this regard.

Prospective Projects
Regarding the prospective projects, the Committee is making the necessary arrangements in order to organize a symposium at the Arab or international level. We are currently setting forth the initial perceptions of the topics to be discussed during the Symposium.
 
Chair’s Achievements

1. Meeting Mr. David Hinsesky, Chairman of the Department of Housing Research at Toronto University.
2. Work is currently underway to release a book on developmental housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
3. Mechanisms for selecting the finish materials for affordable housing are currently being developed.
4. Warranty and registration book in the library of King Abdulaziz entitled Provision of Housing with the Participation of Beneficiaries.
5. The following research items continue to take effect:

• Sustainability of Affordable Housing Construction Systems: The City of Riyadh as Case Study - by Dr. Khalid Al Jammaz.
• Project Guide for Charity and Developmental Housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - by Prof. Mohammad Abderrahman Al Hassine & Dr. Khalid Al Jammaz.
• Methods to Reduce the Cost of Interior Construction Materials for Small Residential Units in the Kingdom: A Case Study of the Consultancy Projects in Riyadh – by Dr. Rayed Mansour Al Dakhil; Prof. Ali Salem Bahammam; Usama Ahmad Abdah; Prof. Mahmoud Idriss; Dr. Imad utah Bashi; Dr. Ahmad omar Mohammad & Dr. Faysal Adbelkader Ajiani.
• Rehabilitation of Slums in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – by Dr. Fahad Mohammad Al Jasser.
• Design of Affordable Housing – by Prof. Ali Salem Bahammam & Dr. Imad utah Bashi.
• Urban Compatibility of Developmental Housing in the Heritage City – by Prof. Usama Saad Khalil Ibrahim.
• Design and Programming of a Special Database System for Developmental Housing in the Kingdom – by Dr. Salih Ibrahim Al Freeh.
• Mutual Use of Residential Spaces – by Dr. Mohammad Abdulaziz Al Shoraim.
• Principles and Concepts of the Completion and Processing of Affordable Housing Units – by Dr. Rayed Mansour Al Dakhil.
• The Use of Advanced Clay Construction Methods in the Building of Low-Cost Housing Projects- by Dr. Mansour Abdulaziz Al Jadid.
• Wrong Architectural Practices in the Housing Design Elements: Case Design of the Villa in the City of Riyadh – by Dr. Ibrahim Rashid Al Juwair.