Majlis A'Shura to host Housing Minister Shu'aili on April 21
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Muscat – H E Dr Khalfan bin Saeed al Shu'aili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, will address Majlis A'Shura on April 21 to review his ministry's performance and outline future strategies related to housing and urban development in the country.
The session, the council's ninth regular sitting, will focus on five main areas of discussion, according to Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Nadabi, Secretary General of Majlis A'Shura.
H E Shu'aili will begin by presenting an overview of the National Urban Development Strategy and the ministry's initiatives under the 10th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). This section will cover performance indicators for strategic programmes, housing and urban planning policies, and planning tools intended to promote sustainable development across governorates. It will also address the ministry's contribution to employment generation and projected outcomes of the National Social Housing Plan.
The second section will examine legal and legislative frameworks that govern the housing sector, including existing laws and upcoming legislation linked to urban planning.
The third part will focus on the ministry's efforts to coordinate activities of public and private entities, including partnership development, real estate investment promotion and urban planning improvements supported by standardised guidelines and performance measures. The discussion will also touch on cross-sector collaboration in areas such as transport, agriculture and renewable energy.
The fourth section will highlight progress in digital transformation, particularly the use of artificial intelligence and geographic information systems (GIS) to streamline procedures and enhance governance in real estate.
The final section will explore future opportunities and challenges in building sustainable cities and integrated residential communities. H E Shu'aili is expected to detail financing strategies, cost structures and social outcomes, especially as these relate to meeting growing demand for social housing.
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