The General Supervisor of Rental Sector Regulation at the Ministry of Housing, Engineer Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Bati, confirmed that the unified residential rental contract will adopt the Hijri solar calendar, along with its Gregorian equivalent, as the official reference for determining the rental year, as well as the approved date for the start and end of the contract and the schedule for payment installments during the rental period. This is in line with the new mechanism for salary disbursement in government sectors.

Engineer Al-Bati explained that adopting the Hijri solar calendar will become effective starting from the launch of the Electronic Network for Rental Services, which is expected during the first quarter of 2017, noting that this step comes within the framework of facilitating matters for citizens.
He said:  "The final version of the unified contract is designed to serve all parties to the rental process, as part of efforts to regulate the rental sector, improve its performance, and protect the rights of tenants, lessors, and real estate brokers. One of the features it offers is adopting a unified date for the residential rental contract and agreed-upon payment dates, in line with the new mechanism for salary disbursement in government sectors."
The Ministry of Housing had previously announced its plan to launch the Electronic Network for Rental Services, expected during the first quarter of 2017, after giving citizens, residents, and other interested parties the opportunity to provide their feedback and suggestions.

The unified residential rental contract offers a number of advantages, most notably safeguarding the rights of all parties to the rental process and reducing potential disputes between contracting parties. It is also considered a binding executive instrument.