JEDDAH— The Jeddah Mayoralty has announced the mandatory application of the Hejazi coastal architecture design guidelines to all new residential building permits and requests to renovate residential building facades across the city. Implementation of the guidelines began in May this year, and those who fail to comply with the regulations will face penalties. The guidelines aimed to develop contemporary designs that highlight the Hejazi coastal architectural identity while preserving its structural integrity and aesthetic value. This will be achieved by incorporating heritage elements into ventilation and lighting, as well as using gradations of projections and setbacks to provide natural shading for buildings. The design requirements include the use of locally sourced materials, wood or modern alternatives for prominent elements, and color palettes featuring pearl white, sandy tones, and the colors of traditional mashrabiya screens. The mayoralty clarified that fines for engineering offices failing to comply with the guidelines when applying for building permits range from SR1,000 to SR5,000. Fines for supervising offices and contractors that carry out work in violation of the approved guidelines in the permit, or for supervising offices that fail to monitor their implementation, range from SR2,000 to SR10,000. These fines are doubled for repeat offenses. Engineering and supervising offices are granted a grace period of no more than seven days to rectify violations, while contractors are given a grace period of no more than 30 days. Work on the application or permit is suspended, depending on the violation, until it is rectified.The fine for a residential building owner who modifies facade elements related to the guidelines in a manner contrary to the approved permit ranges from SR100 to SR500 and is doubled for repeat offenses. The owner is required to rectify the modification within a period of up to 14 days. Hejazi coastal architecture is one of the styles included in the map of Saudi architecture. It encompasses settlements along the Red Sea coast in Jeddah, Yanbu, and Qunfudhah, reflecting the cultural and craft influences associated with trade and pilgrimage.