Transformation of traditional dwellings and income generation by low-income expatriates: The case of Hofuf, Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to examine the degree and the stages of transformation of the traditional dwellings of Hofuf that are changed into market places. They exhibit three different physical shapes namely discrete, linear and focal. It also claims that despite limitations the domestic spaces of these buildings are transforming mainly for economic reasons and for income generation as a survival strategy of the occupants. An attempt to evaluate these economic activities in the domestic spaces is evaluated within the context of the potential to accommodate new functions.