What is Mostadam?
Mostadam is the green building rating system of Saudi Arabia, developed under the national housing and municipal ministry. It rates residential and commercial buildings on sustainability performance, including energy, water, materials, health and comfort, across design, construction and operation. It supports national efficiency goals.
What it is
Mostadam was created to give Saudi Arabia a rating system suited to its climate, culture and national goals. Its manuals cover different building types and project stages.
Like other rating systems, it awards credits across categories such as energy, water, materials, indoor environmental quality and site. Operational ratings rely on measured performance rather than design intent. Check the current Mostadam manuals for the credit requirements that apply.
For existing buildings, the practical challenge is evidence. Ratings for operation ask whether energy, water and indoor conditions are actually performing, which needs continuous measurement rather than a one-time survey. In a hot climate, cooling dominates energy use, so normalizing results for weather matters when comparing one period with another.
Who it applies to / where it is used
Mostadam is used by developers, owners, architects and engineers working on buildings in Saudi Arabia, including residential and commercial projects. It connects to national efficiency goals under Saudi Vision 2030.
How it is measured / what evidence it needs
Evidence for operational credits comes from metered water and energy use and indoor environment monitoring.
- Metered energy and water use over the assessment period
- Indoor environmental quality measurements
- Records of operational policies and maintenance
- Documentation submitted to the assessment body
How Aqueduct helps
Aqueduct uses the same operational evidence approach as Pearl and Al Sa'fat, supplying measured data to the project team.
- Energy and cooling baselines through aQ EnergySmart, normalized for climate
- Water balance and leak detection through aQ WaterGuard
- Indoor air and comfort records through aQ AirSafe
- Exportable records through aQ Assurance for the assessor