RIYADH: Majid Al-Hogail, the Saudi minister of housing and municipal and rural affairs, on Monday launched the National Housing Company’s new online platform for the purchase of building materials, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The launch took place on the opening day of the three-day Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh. The platform is designed to connect contractors and real estate developers with suppliers of building materials approved by the NHC. It offers access to a variety of building materials at reduced prices with the aim of increasing efficiency in production, lowering the cost of housing units and increasing home ownership. The National Housing Company is the investment arm of the initiatives and programs of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing in the real estate, residential and commercial sectors. It aims to increase the proportion of Saudi families who own their home to 70 percent.