Published 23 October 2026 · 5 min read
Project fencing, also called site hoarding or construction hoarding, is the temporary screen around a building site or road works for as long as the work runs; when it carries project graphics it is called advertising hoarding. The common types in Riyadh are white corrugated-sheet (shinko) fencing, printed hoarding on steel frames, lit hoarding for main roads, and hoarding mounted on New Jersey barriers for road works. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing's construction-site fencing guide sets the height, the material and what may be printed on the fence by project type and street width. This guide covers the types, when a fence counts as advertising, how to design it and what the municipality requires, drawing on our current projects in Riyadh.
What is project fencing?
A project fence is a temporary screen around the site with two jobs. The first is security: it marks the site, keeps the public out and screens the work and dust from the street. The second is marketing: a fence hundreds of metres long on a main road shows the project render and the developer's name to everyone who passes, for the whole build.
A construction-site fence is not the same as the permanent fence around vacant land. The first is temporary, tied to the building permit and removed when the work ends; the second has its own Balady service, the vacant land fencing licence.
What types of project fencing are used in Riyadh?
These are the types we install on our current projects in Riyadh, and where each one fits:
| Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White corrugated-sheet (shinko) fencing on a steel frame | Residential projects, and sites that need a uniform fence that can be moved quickly | The guide specifies white corrugated aluminium sheets of one size for residential projects |
| Steel-framed hoarding with printed panels | Developer and commercial projects that show the project render and identity | Graphics are printed large-format and approved before printing |
| Lit printed hoarding | Main roads and sites seen at night | Night lighting is required on commercial streets wider than 40 m |
| Hoarding on New Jersey barriers | Road works and traffic diversions | The barrier separates traffic and the hoarding screens the work; both move with each diversion |
| Tall hoarding with triangular braces | Long frontages and sites exposed to wind | The braces hold the fence from inside the site |
| Weather-resistant timber or metal hoarding | Commercial projects on streets wider than 40 m | The material the guide specifies for these streets |
- Concrete barriers on their own do not count as a building-site fence: the guide bans them, along with wire mesh and fabric screens.
When is a fence advertising, and what may be printed on it?
A project fence becomes advertising hoarding when it carries graphics: the project render, the developer's logo and name, and a way to get in touch. What may be printed depends on the project type:
- Commercial projects on streets wider than 40 m: the whole fence is covered with a high-quality render of the project, with no wording unrelated to the project and no names or pictures of people.
- Residential projects: the render is optional, the owner's, designer's and contractor's names may appear in small type, and commercial advertising is not allowed.
- An advert for a product or brand unrelated to the project counts as a separate advertising sign: it needs a sign operating licence, is allowed on roads 40 m wide or more, and an unlicensed advertising sign is fined SAR 1,600 per square metre.
- Every fence also needs a board with the permit and contractor details, including the contractor's commercial registration; a missing or unmaintained board is fined SAR 1,000.
How do you design advertising hoarding?
- Start from the street width and the project type: they set the fence height (from 1.5 m up to 7 m), the material and what may be printed.
- Design for the whole frontage, not one panel: lay the graphics across the panels so the joints do not cut through the logo or text, and plan the corners and gates up front.
- Keep the message short enough to read from a moving car: project name, developer, a clear render and one way to get in touch.
- On commercial projects the fence cannot be fully solid: the guide calls for 20 × 40 cm viewing openings at 150 cm height, or slats with 15 cm gaps, so allow for them in the design.
- Leave room for the permit board, reflective signs and safety messages, and for lighting on commercial streets wider than 40 m.
- Approve proofs before the full print run, and an on-site mock-up if you need one, especially for colours and the logo.
- If the fence will be moved with traffic diversions, ask for standard panel sizes so it can be reinstalled at the next location without reprinting.
Heights and materials at a glance
From the construction-site fencing guide. A residential project larger than 1,500 m² follows the rules for commercial projects on streets narrower than 40 m. The full detail and the fines table are in our guide to construction site hoarding requirements.
| Street | Fence height | Material |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | At least 1.5 m | White corrugated aluminium, one panel size |
| Commercial, 40 m wide or less | 2 to 3 m | White corrugated aluminium; the summary table also lists timber or metal |
| Commercial, wider than 40 m | 2 to 7 m | Weather-resistant timber or metal, covered with the project render |
How Bariq Arabia delivers project fencing
- Survey: we measure the frontages and mark the gates, pedestrian walkways and street type.
- Design and approval: we prepare the layout, elevations and print artwork and approve them with you before fabrication.
- Fabrication and printing: we make and paint the steel frames and gates at our Riyadh factory, and print and laminate the panels in-house.
- Installation: our crew installs the fence around the site, by day or at night depending on traffic.
- Maintenance: regular inspections and replacement of damaged panels and prints for the life of the project.
- Relocation and removal: we take the fence down and reinstall it with every traffic diversion on road projects, and remove it when the work ends.
Our current project fencing work in Riyadh
Each project has its own page with photos and scope in the projects section:
- Sports Boulevard for Al-Mabani: frames from our factory, taken down and reinstalled at new locations as the work moves.
- Prince Turki Al Awwal Road diversions for Al-Mabani: hundreds of frames moved with every diversion.
- KAFD road works for Al-Mabani: under the Al Thumamah bridge, on the ring road and at the King Fahd Road exit.
- King Khalid Road, Diriyah: printed and lit panels along the road.
- Dirab Road development: shinko on steel frames with printed panels, with New Jersey barriers.
- Critical Intersections project at the Digital City and Saeed Al Salmi Road: taken down and reinstalled at every phase.
- Printed Oud Reserve banners on the site fence.
- White shinko fencing with triangular braces for Nesma on Prince Turki Road.
- Al-Rusan project, Al Janadriyah: 4 m braced frames with printed panels.
How to choose a project fencing company in Riyadh
- Does it make the frames and print the panels itself? In-house fabrication shortens repair and replacement times and keeps your programme off another supplier's schedule.
- Does it know the municipal rules for your street width and project type, and price to them?
- Does the quote include gates, the pedestrian walkway, the permit board, lighting and maintenance until removal?
- Can it take the fence down and reinstall it at night with traffic diversions without stopping the work?
- Does it have live projects you can see, and a documented safety system such as ISO 45001 for work on scaffolds and next to traffic?