Municipalities Ministry Highlights 56 Years of Progress in Aerial Surveying

Riyadh, August 13, 2026, SPA -- The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing revealed that 47 aerial survey and mapping projects have been implemented since 1970, contributing to the establishment of a geospatial database covering more than 771,172 square kilometers. The projects have supported urban planning, provided historical and modern aerial imagery of urban areas across the Kingdom, enhanced decision-making, and supported the implementation of development projects.
The data documents a 56-year journey marked by continuous development in aerial surveying, beginning with analog film imagery and progressing to high-resolution digital photography.
The ministry said the aerial survey system witnessed a gradual transition in the use of technologies, beginning with black-and-white photography, followed by color photography and then high-resolution digital photography, culminating in the production of digital cadastral maps, reflecting the development of surveying and information systems in the Kingdom over the past decades.
The ministry stressed its continued efforts to develop the aerial imagery, topographic, and cadastral mapping system, enhance the integration of spatial information, improve the efficiency of urban planning, and support the implementation of development initiatives and projects, in line with the objectives of sustainable urban development and quality of life.
-- SPA