Paper Title
Factors Leading to High Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia

Abstract
In developing countries like Saudi Arabia, the experience of a rapid rate of urbanisation and ‎infrastructure expansion, especially with respect to buildings is immense. The role of buildings is even more ‎important as they account for around 80% of the total national electricity consumption. Based on the 2030 local ‎energy consumption trends, forecasts indicate an increase in domestic energy consumption with a growth rate ‎which could reach 4 to 5% annually. A significant portion of this energy consumption growth results from the ‎inefficient use of energy, and absence of coordinated enforcement and stakeholder engagement.This paper ‎reports on an exploratory public survey to elicit information on respondent’s views on issues such as the ‎awareness and applications of sustainable building. The aim of this article is to identify factors influencing the ‎development of sustainable buildings and energy consumption in residential sector in Saudi Arabia. A ‎structured questionnaire was designed and electronically distributed to collect information from respondents ‎across Saudi Arabia, employing a random sampling technique (Snowball Technique). The findings have ‎significant implications for policy makers and practitioners. The implementation of sustainable residential ‎buildings code requires strong support from the public, government and the housing industry.‎ Keywords - Energy Efficiency, Consumption, Building, Design, Performance