In a hotel or furnished apartment, the occupant is asleep and does not know the building well. These two factors make early warning and clear exits a matter of life. This is what you need to know about Civil Defense requirements for hotels and furnished apartments.
How to Find Your Activity's Requirements on the Salamah Portal
Civil Defense licenses are issued through the Salamah portal. The application track is determined by the establishment's data: the request type, the main activity and the activity's floor area. Civil Defense guidance documents describe two tracks: an instant track completed online by attaching the requirement (an invoice or safety equipment certificate, or a technical report from an engineering office accredited on the portal, depending on the case), and a non-instant track that includes a site inspection. Read: Instant and non-instant activities on Salamah and When is a technical report required, and when is a safety equipment certificate enough?
Principles Governing Residential and Hotel Buildings
Among Civil Defense's preventive requirements for residential buildings:
- The fire hazard in residential buildings is classified as light hazard.
- Residential units are separated from one another, with each treated as an independent fire compartment.
- A fire barrier or fire door is required if a corridor exceeds 30 metres and where corridors meet.
- Vertical openings should preferably be enclosed by a wall with at least one hour of fire resistance and doors rated at no less than 45 minutes.
- Basements may not be used for accommodation except in special cases approved by Civil Defense, with an additional exit and an automatic sprinkler system.
Tall Buildings
The firefighting system requirements call for dry standpipes in buildings of five or more floors including the ground floor, or 18 metres or more in height, and wet standpipes in buildings over 28 metres high.
Guest-Specific Requirements
- Smoke detectors in rooms and corridors, and an alarm audible in the rooms. Read: Conventional or addressable fire alarm.
- A simplified evacuation plan on the back of every room door. Read: Evacuation signs and escape routes.
- Training reception staff on emergency procedures and guiding guests.
- Furnished apartment kitchens: gas and installation safety.
Converting a Residential Building into Furnished Apartments
A change of use changes the requirements. The Civil Defense regulations state that an existing building may continue only as long as its classification and activity remain unchanged, and any change requires applying the regulation's conditions. Read: Changing the activity and safety requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do furnished apartments need a Civil Defense license?
Yes, as a licensed commercial activity they are subject to Civil Defense licensing according to their track on the Salamah portal.
Are sprinklers mandatory in hotels?
It depends on height, area and classification according to the code. Read: When are automatic sprinklers mandatory?
Are the requirements the same for all establishments with the same activity?
No, they vary with floor area, number of occupants, classification and the building the establishment is in, and the actual requirements appear in the investor journey on the Salamah portal.
Who is responsible for maintaining fire systems?
The Ministry of Municipalities' requirements for warehouses and workshops, for example, state that the owner is responsible for installing and maintaining firefighting systems, with regular maintenance and calibration according to Civil Defense instructions.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office in Riyadh that provides safety and fire protection services: designing and approving safety drawings, technical reports, compliance reports and following up licensing through the Salamah portal. Learn about our Civil Defense license service, or Details of how we can help are on our Civil Defense Permit service page. contact us to identify your facility's requirements.
Start with the complete guide: Salamah portal: the complete guide to Civil Defense licensing.
Information is based on the regulations and requirements of the General Directorate of Civil Defense (998.gov.sa) and the Saudi Fire Code; Civil Defense guidance documents do not replace the code. Requirements vary by activity, area and classification, so always refer to the investor journey on the Salamah portal. Last reviewed: October 2026.