Abstract
Saudi Arabia vision 2030 adopts comprehensive development standards in all fields of Saudi society. To achieve such standards, many initiatives and programs have been launched to achieve sustainable goals while meeting the needs of the present without compromising the requirements of future generations. Sustainable buildings are highly important in achieving sustainable development goals due to their excellent ability to reduce energy consumption, increase building efficiency, and reduce harmful emissions of greenhouse gases. The Kingdom aims to be the largest investor in the world in the sustainable buildings sector. To this end, the "Mostadam" evaluation service was recently launched in order to assist existing and new buildings in achieving sustainable building standards in a way that is in keeping with the privacy and principles of Saudi society. The present paper presents an extensive investigation to assess the current state of sustainable buildings in Saudi cities. Moreover, the main categories of sustainable residential buildings according to the "Mostadam" rating systems are discussed, and the potential of such categories in Saudi Arabia is explored. Finally, suggestions are given for some practical strategies and future policies targeting the total transformation towards sustainable buildings and, consequently, towards sustainable cities. This will have a great impact on achieving comprehensive sustainable development in Saudi Arabia in line with vision 2030.