Architect
Synonyms: Architectural Engineer، Building Designer، Design Architect
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
An architect is an engineer specialized in designing buildings and spaces that combine function, aesthetics, sustainability and safety requirements; the architect prepares the architectural drawings, coordinates them with the structural, electrical and mechanical disciplines, and may supervise construction.
Overview
Legal Basis
The profession is governed by the Engineering Professions Practice Law (Royal Decree No. M/36 dated 19/4/1438H): no engineering profession may be practised without professional accreditation from the Saudi Council of Engineers (Art. 2), nor in a specialty or grade not accredited (Art. 3), and no entity may accept engineering work except from accredited practitioners (Art. 5); engineering offices and firms need a licence from the ministry (Art. 10), which became the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (now Municipalities and Housing) under Cabinet Decision No. 250 dated 7/4/1444H. Practising without accreditation, or running an office without a licence, is punishable by a fine of up to SAR 1 million (Art. 11). The Saudi Building Code Implementation Law (M/43) makes the supervising designer and the executor jointly liable for collapse and defects (Art. 8(2), added by Royal Decree M/15 of 1441H).
Practical Example
An investor in Al Khobar wants to turn a commercial plot into a three-storey office building. He contracts a licensed engineering office employing an architect accredited by the Saudi Council of Engineers, at a design fee of 3% of the estimated SAR 6,000,000 construction cost, i.e. SAR 180,000. The architect prepares the concept, reorganizes parking to meet municipal requirements, coordinates with the structural and electrical engineers and puts his name, grade and accreditation number on the sheets. After the permit, supervision is assigned to the same office under a separate SAR 120,000 contract, making it liable together with the contractor for the soundness of the work.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Dealing with a "designer" not accredited by the Saudi Council of Engineers or an unlicensed office, exposing the owner to rejected drawings and the violator to fines.
- ✗Treating architectural design as aesthetics only and neglecting building-code requirements such as fire, energy and accessibility.
- ✗Not defining the architect's scope in the contract: whether it covers construction drawings, coordination and supervision or design only.
- ✗Changing the design on the owner's direct instruction to the contractor without going back to the architect and updating the permit.
- ✗Confusing the architect with an interior decorator, although the architect is an accredited engineer responsible for the building as a whole.
International Differences
In many countries the title "architect" is regulated by a professional register separate from engineers, such as the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in the United Kingdom; in Turkey architects belong to the Chamber of Architects (Mimarlar Odası), which issues reference fee scales, and in Egypt and the UAE registration with a syndicate or local licensing body is required. In Saudi Arabia architects are accredited by the Saudi Council of Engineers as an engineering specialty, and offices are licensed by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing.
