Industrial land is not an open space where you can build as you please. MODON publishes building standards and requirements guides for industrial cities, the reference against which drawings are reviewed before approval. MODON has described this guide as a reference for knowing all building requirements in its industrial cities. Understanding these requirements before design determines how much production area you can actually build, where to place the warehouse, offices and loading area, and how much space remains for expansion. This guide explains the MODON guides library, the main items in the requirements, energy efficiency, designing for expansion, and the relationship with other regulations.
The MODON Guides Library
The standards and requirements guides page on the MODON website includes: building requirements guides, operational guides, health, safety and environment guides, a services guide, energy efficiency requirements for factories, a tenants' guide for ready-built factories, and a guide to compressed gas cylinder requirements.
Main Items in Industrial Building Requirements
| Item | Effect on design |
|---|---|
| Setbacks from plot boundaries | Set the actual buildable area and circulation around buildings |
| Building ratio and heights | Set the size of production halls and future expansions |
| Entrances and exits | Truck movement and civil defense access |
| Parking | For staff, visitors and trucks |
| Loading and unloading areas | Their position and relationship to warehouses |
| Safety and environment | Fire systems, waste management and emissions |
Numerical values for setbacks and ratios are taken from the guide in force at the time of design and may differ by city and product. Do not rely on circulating figures without referring to the guide.
How to Turn Requirements Into a Site Plan
- Internal roads: widths that allow trucks and fire engines to move around buildings. Read: Factory internal roads.
- Separating traffic: the truck route kept away from staff parking and the administration entrance.
- Loading docks: placed to serve the warehouse directly. Read: Loading dock design.
- The production line: determines the hall's shape and position. Read: Designing a factory around the production line.
- Services: electrical rooms, generators, water tanks and fire pumps.
Energy Efficiency
MODON has included energy efficiency requirements for factories in its guides, affecting insulation, air conditioning and lighting. See our energy efficiency design service.
Designing for Expansion
Reserve space from the start for production expansion or an additional warehouse within the requirements. Read: Adding buildings or warehouses on an industrial plot and Factory expansion in MODON.
The Requirements and the Technical File
These items appear in the building permit's technical file, and breaching them is a cause of comments. Read: Industrial building permit documents and MODON comments on factory drawings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the requirements guide?
On the standards and requirements guides page of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones website.
Do municipal requirements apply inside MODON?
The reference inside industrial cities is MODON's regulations and requirements, with recourse to the Kingdom's regulations in force where MODON has no rule, as the operating licence conditions state.
Do requirements differ for ready-built factories?
MODON has a special guide for tenants of ready-built factories.
Does the Saudi Building Code apply inside MODON?
Yes, the Saudi Building Code and its disciplines are a technical design reference alongside MODON's guides.
Can an exception to the requirements be requested?
That is subject to MODON's procedures and discretion; it is safest to design within the requirements.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office that designs factories and warehouses in industrial cities according to MODON's guides: a considered site plan, separated traffic, space for expansion, energy efficiency and safety drawings. See our factories and warehouses design service, or contact us.
Regulatory information is based on the Balady platform and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and procedures may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.
