RIYADH: The Housing Ministry is expected to start building residential units near stations of the Riyadh Metro, according to an online newspaper.

Ali Al-Jabir, undersecretary for planning and studies at the ministry, said that this was part of the ministry’s tenth development plan, which would be carried out in cooperation with the Riyadh Development Authority. He said there has been a lack of a diverse range of housing products in the market for several years. The ministry has set up 22 programs to deal with the situation, he said.

This includes using land near populated areas in cities, diversifying the role of the Real Estate Development Fund, and setting up a national center for research.