Oman’s population is likely to be between 7.1mn to 7.5mn by 2040, which will require 911,400 housing units, according to H E Dr Khalfan bin Said bin Mubarak al Shu’aili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning stated during a media briefing on Monday that the experience of forming 100-day committees has proven a success. 

“The ministry will continue to improve and accelerate its services in order to achieve the highest levels of quality and performance,” H E Dr Shu’aili said. 

Among the projects and initiatives included in the ministry’s executive plan for 2021 include two other programmes to achieve quick results within 100 days.

The ministry confirmed that the programme identified 421 investment sites, trained about 228 employees on technical surveys and cadastral drawings, and opened two branches for real estate registry in Bank Muscat and Bank Dhofar.

H E Dr Shu’aili issued Ministerial Decision No 346/2020 recently regarding the formation of work teams to undertake the study of ten service tasks provided by the ministry.

The decision stipulated that the results of the work and recommendations of the formed teams should be submitted within 100 days from the date of issuance of the decision.

The ministry confirmed that 91 per cent of Omani families owned housing, and the number was not an easy goal to achieve. 

‘It is highest in the world and the sultanate is one among the top five countries in the world in this regard,’ it said.

According to the latest statistics, the number of residential land plots distributed from 2010 to 2020 reached 343,692.

The ministry said it will distribute 23,066 plots of land in  various governorates of the sultanate in 2021.

The ministry confirmed that it is working on implementing a number of initiatives aimed at providing suitable housing for low-income groups through partnership with the private sector and through real estate development programmes.

The ministry also said it is working to provide electronic services such as real estate registry transactions and renewal of cadastral drawings. 

It will launch 59 new electronic services during 2021 in the various departments of the ministry such as housing, urban planning, real estate development and real estate registry.

The minister also talked about financial compensation for the residents affected by the Batinah Coastal Road project.

The ministry stated that it is working to find alternative means to complete the project and give financial compensation to the population through investment in plots of land on both sides of the road so that it can achieve financial returns byestablishing coastal recreational areas.