The Shura Council will host H.E. Dr. Khalfan Saeed Al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, on Monday, April 21, where he will deliver his ministerial statement before the Council. This comes within the framework of the approved ministerial statement program for the second regular session of the Tenth Term, aimed at discussing key aspects of the Ministry’s performance and its future plans in the fields of housing and urban planning.

This was stated by H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Al Nadabi, Secretary-General of the Shura Council, who noted that the Council will convene its ninth regular session for the second session (2024–2025) of the Tenth Term (2023–2027), which will be dedicated to discussing the statement by the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning. This marks the third ministerial statement discussion within the current session’s program, which includes statements from four service-related ministries, in line with Article (69) of the Law of the Council of Oman. This Article stipulates that:

Majlis Al-Shura shall, on the basis of a joint proposal by the office of the majlis and the chairs of its permanent committees, decide at the beginning of every annual session on the programme for ministerial statements that will be delivered through the session and their debate topics for discussion. The chairman of the majlis shall notify the government of this programme and specify the elements and topics that must be included in each statement in accordance with the matter or sector that the statement relates to.

H.E. the Secretary-General added that the statement will address five main themes previously identified by the Council. The foremost of these is the National Urban Development Strategy and the Ministry’s programs under the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). This includes reviewing the Ministry’s performance indicators concerning the strategic programs entrusted to it, the general policy for housing and urban planning, and the role of the national strategy in advancing planning mechanisms and achieving sustainable development across governorates. It will also examine the Ministry’s contribution to job creation in the governorates, the expected impact of the National Social Housing Plan, and policies for preparing maps and urban plans.

The second topic will focus on the legislation and regulatory frameworks governing the housing sector, including existing legal structures and prospective legislative directions related to urban planning.

The third topic will highlight inter-agency integration and collaboration, showcasing the Ministry’s efforts in fostering partnerships with government entities and the private sector, attracting real estate investments and developers, and enhancing planning standards through the development of guides and performance indicators aligned with the National Urban Development Strategy. It will also touch upon coordination with other sectors such as transport, agricultural expansion, and renewable energy.

The fourth topic will address digital transformation and procedural simplification, through the Ministry’s initiatives in applying artificial intelligence, geographic information systems (GIS), and real estate process governance.

The fifth and final topic will discuss future challenges and opportunities for sustainable cities and integrated residential neighborhoods, focusing on cost, social values, financing mechanisms, and their role in addressing the growing backlog of social housing applications.