40% of space in Saudi homes dedicated to guests: Study

DAMMAM: Saudis allocate 40 percent of the space in their homes to entertaining guests, and these spaces are only used on 19 days per year on average, according to a study presented at an architectural seminar organized by the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce in Dammam on Wednesday, a report published in Asharq Al-Awsat said on Friday..

“These 19 days heavily influence the way the house is designed,” said engineer Abdul Muhsin Al-Dhiyab.

“Viewing houses as hospitable spaces makes us forget that they’re places where family relationships are formed, and that the most important function of a residence is making memories,” he added.

“In Riyadh, about 70 percent of Saudis use the first floor of their houses as living areas while leaving the ground floor for guests. This reveals the Saudi housing crisis.”

Al-Dhiyab said Saudi residences have the least operational efficiency in the world due to the predominance of areas within them allocated to hospitality.

It is rare for Saudi houses to have just one floor, which is problematic because they often do not reflect the needs of their residents, he added.

Engineer Turki Al-Husaini said there are many opportunities to be hospitable outside the home, and it is important that residents think about what they need from a home so it can accommodate them.

“Large areas are wasted in buildings, and when it comes to the building stage, we try to convince clients to reduce the amount of space allocated to entertaining guests,” he added.

“In many villas, we were able to save between 100 and 150 square meters by doing this, but many Saudis do not accept this idea.”