Her Excellency Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, participated in the interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue sessions held as part of the high-level meeting for the mid-term review of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, where she participated in the session “Achieving Development for People: Expanding the Provision of Adequate Housing, Land, and Basic Services, and Promoting Inclusion”, in addition to the session “Accelerating Implementation: Financing sustainable urban development on a large scale”, reviewing the Kingdom of Bahrain's experience in developing housing programs, modernizing the housing financing system, and strengthening partnerships with the private sector, in a way that supports the sustainability of urban development and improves the quality of services provided to citizens.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning reviewed the approach followed by the Kingdom of Bahrain in developing the housing services and programs system, by providing housing solutions for various purposes for ownership, including the possibility of purchasing housing units and lands, in addition to building lands, as well as purchasing housing units off-plan, in addition to developing housing financing programs to keep pace with the various eligible categories, provide greater flexibility in choosing housing solutions, and contribute to enhancing ownership opportunities and achieving family stability.
Minister Al Rumaihi also discussed the efforts made by the Kingdom to improve the quality of government services related to the housing sector, through re-engineering procedures, expanding digital transformation, and launching integrated electronic services that contributed to shortening the beneficiary's journey, accelerating the completion of transactions, and raising the efficiency of government services, which enhanced ease of access to housing services, improved the beneficiary's experience, and consolidated the principles of efficiency and sustainability in providing services.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning added that the development of housing programs in the Kingdom of Bahrain is based on continuous review of policies and programs, ensuring that they keep pace with economic and social changes, and providing more flexible solutions that respond to the needs of citizens, in addition to enhancing integration between housing and financing services, which raises the efficiency of the housing system and enhances its sustainability.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning highlighted the Kingdom of Bahrain's experience in developing the housing finance system, by diversifying financing tools, strengthening partnerships with banks and financing institutions, and developing flexible financing programs that provide broader options for citizens, which contributes to accelerating their access to housing services, supports the sustainability of financing, and keeps pace with the increasing demand for housing solutions.
Minister Al Rumaihi also reviewed the government land development program as one of the most prominent national models of partnership between the public and private sectors, which contributed to maximizing the benefit from government lands and enabling real estate developers to implement integrated housing projects according to quality and sustainability standards, which provided new housing options for citizens, helped accelerate the pace of project implementation, enhance the efficiency of resource investment, and consolidate the role of the private sector as a major partner in supporting the housing system.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning explained that the development of the housing finance system was not limited to providing financing, but included innovating more flexible financing solutions, simplifying procedures, and enhancing integration between government agencies and the financial sector, which contributes to raising the efficiency of implementing housing programs, achieving financial sustainability, and enhancing the ability of the housing system to keep pace with future needs.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Al Rumaihi met with Ms. Anna Claudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The two sides discussed prospects for expanding technical cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the programme, benefiting from international expertise in the fields of urban planning, developing housing policies, and promoting innovation in urban development, in addition to discussing opportunities for implementing joint programmes in the fields of capacity building and knowledge exchange Supporting initiatives that enhance city sustainability and quality of life.
During the meeting, the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain attaches great importance to enhancing cooperation with international organizations and brotherly and friendly countries, based on its belief that exchanging expertise, developing partnerships, and benefiting from successful international experiences represent essential pillars for supporting the development of housing programs, enhancing the efficiency of the financing system, and improving the quality of government services, in line with citizens' aspirations and contributing to achieving more sustainable urban development.
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