Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Plans have been initiated for the establishment of future sustainable cities in Salalah, Nizwa, Sohar and Muscat on an area of 5 million square metres, said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning Ministry.
These cities will host a number of housing units ranging from 10,000 to 30,000, accommodating between 50,000 to 130,000 people, according to a model that achieves its goals and requirements by providing basic services for building integrated urban communities.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning also confirmed that it aims to distribute 23,000 residential land plots and register more than 30,000 applications for verification and registration of ownership, as well as ensuring the stability of 1,200 families as part of the housing assistance programme during 2023.
The Ministry is also preparing a layout for Al Jabal Al Akhdar which will be completed in 2023. It will also launch the identity of the same project, which is a multi-use investment destination that aims to raise economic potential while preserving its geographical nature.
During its third media dialogue, which was held in Muscat on Monday, the Ministry said that the number of families which benefited from exemption of housing loans during 2021 stood at
more than 700 families whose monthly income is less than OMR350. The financial cost of exemption stood at more than OMR13 million. In 2022, the number of families exceeded more than 1,600 whose monthly income is less than OMR450 at a cost of OMR29.7 million.
As for social housing programmes, the Ministry said that the number of families benefiting from housing assistance exceeded 1,400 with an amount of OMR35 million during 2022.
The Ministry pointed out that it continues to provide housing assistance to more than 1,200 families at a value of OMR35 million during 2023. The housing units programme delivered 53 completed units, in addition to 143 residential units “under implementation” from 2022 until this year (2023).
The Ministry affirmed that it is seeking, within the framework of initiatives of the paradigm digital shift, to render services of high level of proficiency and professionalism with the aim of streamlining and improving the procedures and services provided.
To this end, “Amlak” platform operated 23 electronic services in 2022, and continued to complete the operation of 36 services so as to launch all 59 of its services during 2023.
“Tatweer” platform for real estate development services is witnessing remarkable developments, as the electronic bidding has been activated with the usufruct system, by bidding on more than 200 land plots under the usufruct system in 2022.
