Muscat: His Excellency Dr. Khalfan Al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, announced that over 69,000 plots of land and housing units have been allocated from 2021 to 2024.
During the second regular session of the 10th term, the Shura Council welcomed His Excellency the Minister, who presented a comprehensive statement from his ministry. This statement outlined five key areas: the National Urban Development Strategy, the laws and regulations governing urban planning and housing, collaboration with relevant authorities, digital transformation and procedural simplification, as well as the challenges and future prospects for sustainable cities and cohesive residential communities.
His Excellency the Minister stated, "The Ministry is concentrating on urban planning initiatives that encompass five future cities: Sultan Haitham City, Thuraya City, Sohar Future City, Salalah Future City, and Nizwa Future City, which collectively span 39 million square meters, along with 22 projects aimed at creating integrated neighborhoods and residential developments."
Additionally, the Ministry has issued 20 licenses for real estate development projects between 2022 and 2024, amounting to an investment of OMR 500 million, which includes neighborhood initiatives and comprehensive residential plans.
His Excellency highlighted that the Ministry is committed to developing integrated smart cities that adhere to the latest sustainability standards, enhancing the capacity of governorates to accommodate population growth in a modern way that considers both environmental and social factors. Over 49,000 plots of land have been prepared and designated for various purposes.
The Ministry has allocated residential land through an electronic system that upholds transparency and streamlines processes. From 2021 to 2024, a total of 69,963 plots and housing units were distributed.
Approximately 4,923 families benefited from the social housing program during the same period. Furthermore, 216 units have been designated within integrated residential neighborhood projects to enhance the housing assistance initiative, along with around 1,000 units in Sultan Haitham City.
The Minister noted that the total number of real estate transactions, which includes sales, mortgages, and exchanges, reached 375,132 from 2021 to 2024, with a total value exceeding OMR 10 billion.
