Oman’s Shura flags housing issues amid MHUP’s bold plans

Post by: Omar Nasser

the members of Oman’s Majlis A’Shura talked about many problems with homes and city planning in the country. They met to hear the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Dr. Khalfan bin Saeed Al Shuaili. He spoke about what the ministry has done and what they want to do soon. The meeting was led by Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali, who is the head of the council. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Nadabi, the council’s secretary, was also there.

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Some members were not happy with the current housing plans. They said that the new house designs do not fit with what people like or with Oman’s land and weather. They were also unsure about the big goal of making more money from housing — from 2.6% in 2024 to 6.5% in 2025. They felt this may be hard to do.

They also talked about how cities near the sea may face trouble from strong weather and rising water. Old homes in many areas are breaking down. There are not enough green parks for families and children. Some factories are too close to homes, which may not be safe. They also said that many people wait too long to get help with housing. Some people are given land, but the land has no roads, no water, or no lights, so they cannot build homes there.

The members also said the rules about land need to be more fair. People from other countries buying land should follow better rules. They also want different government offices to work together in a better way.

The council looked at the ministry’s past reports. It said about 600,000 pieces of land were given to people. But many of these lands are in far places with no basic needs like water, roads, or electricity. From 2014 to the end of 2024, about 447,612 people asked for land, but only 343,629 got it.

The council asked: What will the ministry do to fix these problems? How will it make sure people get land that they can use?

Dr. Al Shuaili answered that from 2021 to 2024, about 4,923 families got homes through the Social Housing Program. He also said that between 2022 and 2025, 2,189 lands were given for shops, farming, and other work. In the last three years, about 70,000 homes and plots were given. During this time, land buying and selling was worth more than RO 10 billion.

The minister said that they are now building five big future cities — Sultan Haitham City, Al Thuraya, and new towns in Suhar, Nizwa, and Salalah. These new cities will cover a very large area — 39 million square meters. They are also working on 22 new living areas with houses and plan to make 30 by 2025.

He shared another good plan. Ten out of every 100 new homes will be for young couples who are helped by the Marriage Fund. These couples will also get these homes at lower prices.

At the end, the council said the ministry has many big and good ideas, but it is very important that these plans help real people in Oman and fit what they truly need in daily life.

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