Muscat – H E Dr Khalfan bin Said al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, announced on Tuesday that the ministry has signed development and partnership agreements worth more than RO1.2bn for Sultan Haitham City. Notably, a part of the city will be open for foreign ownership. The announcement was made at a media briefing.

During the briefing, H E Khalfan made a visual presentation of Sultan Haitham City, highlighting its primary objective to become a sustainable and inclusive urban centre, providing housing opportunities for all citizens without any discrimination. The ultimate goal is to ensure the well-being of all segments of society.

Highlighting the government’s broader plans, he informed that several similar cities are under consideration. These include Bausher City (spread over 6.2mn sqm), Manah City (6mn sqm), Sohar City (6.650mn sqm), and Salalah City (5.3mn sqm).

H E Shuaili stated that Sultan Haitham City will cater to deserving individuals through government land grants for housing; 5% of it will be allocated to the citizens’ housing assistance system.

Development of Sultan Haitham City will be carried out in four phases. The initial phase (2024-2030) will encompass diverse and integrated facilities, including 6,743 housing units, a private hospital, a fuel station, four schools, 19 commercial plots, and other amenities.

The second phase (2028-2035) will span an area of 2.6mn sqm and accommodate over 23,000 residents. It will feature 4,200 housing units with a construction area of approximately 1.4mn sqm.

The third phase (2033-2040) will cover 2.3mn sqm and provide housing for more than 21,000. This phase will incorporate 3,500 housing units on a construction area of 1.3mn sqm.

The final stage (2038-2045) will spread over an area of approximately 5.5mn sqm and accommodate over 26,000 people in 4,500 housing units.

H E Shuaili informed that the first phase of the project will see development of three neighbourhoods spread over 3.1mn sqm comprising 3,730 housing units. Three other neighbourhoods in this phase will be available for investment opportunities. Sixty per cent of the city’s development will be completed in the next ten years.

To enhance accessibility and alleviate congestion, several new connecting roads will be constructed to provide access to the city. Creating 23 additional access points, these roads will connect to Muscat Expressway and Sultan Qaboos Street.