Monday 21 / April / 2025
Muscat: The Shura Council, during its session today as part of the second regular convening of its tenth term, hosted Dr. Khalfan Said Al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.
The session focused on discussions regarding the National Spatial Development Strategy, the regulatory frameworks governing urban planning and housing, cooperation with relevant entities, digital transformation and procedural streamlining, as well as future challenges and opportunities for sustainable cities and integrated residential neighborhoods.
During the session, the Minister stated that the ministry is implementing policies that align with the National Spatial Development Strategy and the five-year plans derived from "Oman 2040" vision.
He emphasized that urban planning serves as the primary tool for the strategy, ensuring optimal resource utilization through modern mechanisms underpinning national projects. These include five future cities: Sultan Haitham City, A’Thuraya City, Sohar Future City, Salalah Future City, and Nizwa Future City, spanning a total area of 39 million square meters.
Additionally, 22 integrated residential neighborhood projects are underway, with the number expected to rise to 30 this year.
The Minister noted that the National Spatial Development Strategy has seen extensive collaboration among stakeholders, with frameworks for major projects approved across several governorates—some of which have reached advanced stages. He affirmed that the Ministry, through ongoing projects, seeks to balance urban development with environmental preservation while promoting investment to diversify the economy. This is achieved through effective public-private partnerships and flexible policies, with 90 real estate developers registered and 20 licenses granted between 2022 and 2024.
These partnerships, he explained, have boosted investment value to RO 500 million for integrated residential projects and empowered engineering consultancy firms. The Ministry is also streamlining procedures and fostering developmental partnerships to innovate smarter, more efficient solutions that support digital transformation and leverage modern technologies for service quality and speed, the Minister affirmed.
He pointed out that the Ministry is implementing detailed plans to optimize land use in response to demographic and economic growth demands. A total of 49,018 land plots have been allocated for various uses, employing innovation to enhance service efficiency and curb requests to convert agricultural land to residential zones—a practice that had previously led to housing units in non-compliant locations.
The Minister affirmed that residential land distribution follows an electronic system ensuring transparency and simplified procedures, with 69,963 land plots and housing units distributed between 2021 and 2024 under housing programs such as "Choose Your Land," "Own Your Land," "Plan Your Land," and integrated residential schemes.
He stressed the Ministry’s commitment to social stability by offering diverse housing options that meet citizens’ aspirations and support family welfare. From 2021 to 2024, 4,923 families benefited from the social housing program, while 216 units in integrated residential projects were allocated for housing assistance. Additionally, 1,000 units in Sultan Haitham City were designated, with total housing assistance allocations over the past four years reaching RO 208 million.
He revealed that real estate transactions—including sales, mortgages, and exchanges—totaled 375,132 between 2021 and 2024, exceeding RO 10 billion.
Regarding land investment, 2,189 plots for commercial, mixed-use, industrial, and agricultural purposes were offered between 2022 and 2025 to stimulate economic activity and attract investments across Oman’s governorates, he added.
The Minister also disclosed a significant increase in land development permits, rising from 20,000 in 2022 to 30,000 in 2023. However, he noted that over 18,000 residential plots were found obstructing wadi courses, with 10,000 permits compensated and approximately 1,750 existing structures in these areas.
In a key announcement, the Minister revealed Royal directives to allocate 10% of housing units and land in the "Sarouh" projects for beneficiaries of marriage funds, along with additional price reductions.
The Ministry is also establishing an investment portfolio to sustain social housing programs and optimize resources. Efforts are underway to promote major real estate development projects, offering premium investment opportunities to attract local and international firms, with the aim of delivering modern urban projects that meet future needs.
