The Ministry of Housing, represented by the Ejar Program, held an introductory workshop on the program in the Najran region at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters on Thursday, 24/1/1440 AH, corresponding to 4 October 2018.  This workshop comes as part of the Ministry of Housing’s ongoing efforts to introduce its programs and initiatives. Its objective was to present the Ejar Program, its diverse activities, strategic partnerships, and its modern services, which aim to enhance the real estate rental sector, improve the quality of its services, and facilitate and streamline rental procedures.

The workshop began with an introduction to the Ejar Program and the benefits it provides to all parties of the rental process (tenant, lessor, and real estate broker). Abdulrahman Al-Sammari, Strategic Performance Manager, explained that contracts registered in the Ejar Network are approved by all government entities and are considered executive instruments. This ensures faster dispute resolution and better protection of the rights of all rental parties.

Al-Sammari highlighted that the "Ejar" network offers numerous advantages for its registrants. He recently announced the integration of the network with electronic marketing platforms, enabling real estate units registered in the network to be displayed through accredited real estate brokers or lessors registered in the Electronic Network for Rental Services. This aims to enhance the marketing of real estate units. The network also provides electronic payment options and a variety of payment plans, including monthly payments, which have been utilized by over 20% of new contracts. In addition, it allows the issuance of electronic receipt and payment vouchers and enables contract monitoring remotely and at any time, contributing significantly to facilitating the rental process.

The "Ejar" program also includes supervision and oversight activities for real estate brokerage establishments to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, as well as the Ejar Support Program, which assists citizens facing difficulties in paying housing rent. Furthermore, the "Real Estate Brokers" application provides a service for locating the nearest accredited real estate broker registered with Ejar, along with the ability to submit reports regarding establishments that violate regulations.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the floor was opened for attendees to participate, ask questions, and seek clarification on all aspects of the Ejar program. Their feedback was heard with the goal of improving the network and its services and making network usage procedures easier.

It is worth noting that the Ejar program was officially launched on 12 February 2018 and is currently focused on documenting residential rental contracts. It will soon introduce a service for documenting commercial rental contracts, targeting commercial units designated for rent.