Historicising social housing delivery approach is extensively carried out for Western countries, but studies of social housing policy journey are less focused on developing nations and examining the policy development within resource-abundant Middle Eastern countries is even rarer. Applying a critical juncture approach through the historical institutionalism lens, this paper seeks to understand the evolution of social housing policies within the Saudi Arabian context. An in-depth policy review suggests that the institutional response in this sector has transitioned from a public-welfare perspective to a more neoliberal vision in recent times. The study also indicates a time-lag in policy development regarding social housing within the urban development process in Saudi Arabia compared to global movement. During the past few years, the government has begun to focus on social housing under the developmental housing program with a commitment to link these strategies to the Saudi Vision 2030. While this is a significant policy-shift in the service delivery approach, such vision could be workable as long as sufficient room is built in for other non-government actors to work within their specific protocols and frameworks as they collaborate to provide affordable and appropriate housing for the neediest groups of the society.

This study examines the influence of the arrangement of roads, buildings, and land use on abating terrorist attacks. The study analyzes seven cases of terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in 61(86%), and 197(88%) of the total deaths and injuries recorded within the last three decades, respectively. It finds that urban design features aided the attacks and recommends redesigning entrances and approaches to places of worship, establishing buffer zones between them and parking lots, and ensuring unobstructed views along approach paths. Urban planning guidelines alongside other security measures can significantly reduce the risk of terrorist attacks in public places.