Saudi Arabia’s Roads General Authority (RGA) said on 13 October 2026 that the Saudi Road Code recommends allocating 5% of parking spaces on commercial roads to electric vehicles, equipped with charging points. The Road Code is the national technical reference for road design, used by ministries, development authorities and municipalities. Including EV parking in it means charging can be designed into new commercial streets from the start rather than added later.
Key Takeaways
- The Saudi Road Code recommends reserving 5% of parking on commercial roads for EVs with charging points.
- The RGA highlighted the recommendation on 13 October 2026.
- The code guides ministries, development authorities and municipalities.
- Planning charging at design stage avoids costly retrofits.
What Changes
- A design benchmark: planners now have a stated share, 5%, for EV spaces with chargers on commercial roads.
- Who uses it: the Road Code guides ministries, development authorities and municipalities when they plan, design and upgrade roads.
- Consistency: the RGA presents the code as part of a unified regulatory framework for roads, supporting the Roads Sector Program.
A recommendation in a technical code is not the same as a binding quota, but codes like this tend to shape tender documents and municipal approvals. Developers who follow the code from the design stage avoid costly retrofits of ducts, cabling and transformer capacity later.
Background
Commercial roads, lined with shops, restaurants and services, are natural places for destination charging: drivers stop for 30 minutes to a few hours, which suits AC charging and lower-power DC. Setting a share of parking aside for EVs also helps municipalities plan electrical supply for whole streets, instead of handling one-off requests from individual businesses. The approach mirrors building and parking rules elsewhere that require a percentage of EV-ready bays.
What It Means
For contractors and developers in the Kingdom, 5% gives a concrete starting number for load calculations and conduit runs. On a 100-space strip of commercial parking, that means five EV bays to power. Shared-power AC equipment such as the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station, which serves two bays from one unit with up to 43 kW shared, keeps the electrical connection modest. Our commercial charging solutions outline layouts for retail and street parking.
Related Reading
- EV Charging for Restaurants and Retail: Turning Dwell Time Into Visits
- EV-Ready New Construction: 2026 Building Codes and the Real Cost of Waiting
- EV Charging News: Philippines Plans Mandatory EV Charging in Parking Lots
