Her Excellency Mrs. Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, participated in the dialogue session of ministers concerned with housing affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, within the framework of the first Gulf Housing Conference organized by the Sultanate of Oman within the activities of the First Gulf Housing Week, which coincides with the meeting of housing ministers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In Muscat, where the session discussed the latest developments in housing policies and plans in the GCC countries.
During the session, the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning confirmed that the social housing sector is witnessing many challenges, especially with regard to the growing volume of demand for housing services, and the continuous development of plans and programmes, to achieve the goal of sustaining the provision of housing for citizens, noting that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are moving at a rapid pace. We are committed to achieving this goal, through expanding the diversification of the axes of housing policies, and adopting innovative options and solutions in partnership with the private sector.
The Minister said that the Kingdom of Bahrain has given the involvement of the private sector in the social housing system a high priority in government programs, whether in terms of providing affordable housing financing to citizens, or contributing to the implementation of social housing projects, noting that the plans of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning are currently based on 3 The main tracks are the housing financing program and the government land development rights program, in addition to continuing the implementation of its existing projects in housing cities.
The Minister said that the new housing programs are popular with citizens, and have been able to meet thousands of requests since their launch in mid-2022, stressing that the housing financing program options are widely accepted by citizens, as a result of the flexibility they provide in choosing the type, area, and location of housing that suits their needs. In addition to obtaining housing services without long waiting periods.
She added that the diversity of financing options is represented in allowing the citizen to buy a housing unit, build it, buy land, or buy land and build it, in addition to the option of sharing among a group of individuals to buy or build a joint property. Citizens wishing to buy or build a property have also been granted Building a property in the homes of their relatives has the right to do so.
At the level of the government land development rights program, the program witnessed a successful launch, through the launch of the “Suhail” housing project, which represents the program’s first projects. The project received interest in buying its units when it was launched in the second edition of the Housing Finance Exhibition, which was held last June from Citizens benefiting from financing services, and 93% of the total project units were reserved within just 10 days, stating that this confirms the feasibility of the vision of providing housing units in partnership with the private sector at prices commensurate with the value of housing financing.
The Minister said that the Ministry is currently working on expanding the projects of this program, by implementing two new projects in Salman City and Khalifa City, in addition to preparing to implement 8 new housing projects through the program in housing cities and a number of regions in various governorates.
Regarding the third track of implementing housing city projects, the Ministry continues to implement residential units and apartments according to advanced building models. The Ministry also works in coordination with relevant ministries and government agencies to provide infrastructure services and health, educational, commercial and sports facilities in addition to places of worship. The goal is to form communities. New and sustainable urbanism.
His Excellency Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Engineer Suhail bin Muhammad Al-Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, and His Excellency Dr. Khalfan bin Saeed Al-Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning in the Sultanate of Saudi Arabia, participated in the ministerial dialogue session. Oman, Her Excellency Mrs. Maryam bint Ali Al-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family of the State of Qatar, and His Excellency Engineer Rashid Hadi Al-Anazi, Director General of the Public Institution for Housing Welfare in the State of Kuwait.
The panel discussion was followed by their Excellencies and ministers taking an inspection tour of the Gulf Housing Exhibition and visiting the pavilion of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where they were briefed on the Ministry’s plans to implement the projects of the Government Land Development Rights Programme, and the standards and provisions included in the programme. They were also briefed on the financing options that Provided by the Housing Finance Programme, the attendees praised the Kingdom’s expansion of housing programs and initiatives that achieve the sustainability of providing housing services to citizens.
