Muscat – Nearly half of the government-granted residential plots in Muscat remain  undeveloped, according to a Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) study that has called for reforms to Oman’s land allocation system.

The research found that citizens’ immediate need for housing was the strongest factor determining whether they built on allocated land, outweighing the availability of roads, utilities and other services.

Financial capability ranked second, followed by the location of the plot, access to infrastructure and the overall quality of the neighbourhood.

Between 2001 and 2020, the government distributed about 613,552 residential plots across Oman through its lottery-based allocation system.

In Muscat, 17,412 plots were granted over a ten-year period. Of these, 32% were sold and only 19% were developed, while around half remained vacant, the study said.

The research team, which included Dr Aliya bint Abdulsattar Al Hashim from SQU’s College of Engineering, examined why citizens delayed construction, sold allocated land or left plots unused for years.

It found that many beneficiaries postponed building because they were already living in adequate accommodation and had no immediate housing requirement.

Others were unable to develop their plots because of construction costs, remote locations or inadequate infrastructure. These factors also encouraged some recipients to sell their land.

The study was based on focus group discussions held at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in August 2022. It involved 44 participants divided into four categories: citizens who had developed their plots, those who had not built, applicants awaiting land allocation and people who had sold their granted plots.

Researchers said the continued allocation of plots that remain vacant contributes to dispersed urban expansion, raises the cost of providing infrastructure and leaves large residential areas without active communities.

The findings raise questions over the efficiency of a system that distributes land regardless of whether applicants have an immediate need or the financial means to build.

The researchers recommended giving priority to citizens with genuine housing requirements and ensuring that essential infrastructure is available when plots are allocated rather than added later.

They also proposed mechanisms to monitor whether granted land is developed within a reasonable period and called for greater community participation in planning residential areas.

Such changes would help reduce vacant land, improve the use of public infrastructure and create more liveable neighbourhoods, the study concluded.