MUSCAT: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) reviewed on Thursday during its sixth media dialogue at the Experience and Sales Centre in Sultan Haitham City, the most prominent transformations and achievements it has realised over the past five years.

The event was held under the auspices of Dr Khalfan bin Said al Shueili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.

This ranges from the approval and implementation of the urban strategy, the launch of structure plans, and the implementation of future cities, to the development of the 'Sorouh' initiative, the launch of housing options, and the enhancement of the legislative and regulatory environment, during a phase in which Oman is witnessing rapid urban and developmental transformations.

The dialogue highlighted the pillars of the Greater Muscat Structure Plan and its main components, as well as the associated future projects and cities, foremost among them Sultan Haitham City and A’Thuraya City.

The Ministry affirmed that more than 8,000 families were able to achieve housing stability during the period from 2020 to 2025.

Dr Khalfan bin Said al Shueili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning at the sixth media dialogue in Sultan Haitham City

Meanwhile, financial allocations for social housing programmes exceeded RO 200 million, benefiting 2,794 families during the past year. The number of housing assistance cases increased from 1,260 in 2020 to 1,782 in 2025. The Ministry indicated that more than 90,000 beneficiaries were able to choose a land plot or a residential unit during the period from 2021 to 2025, while 15,434 families benefited from housing options during the year 2025.

The Ministry clarified that the traded value in the real estate sector rose to RO 3.3 billion during the years 2024 and 2025, achieving a cumulative growth of 37.5 per cent compared to 2020. The compound annual growth rate for real estate trading reached 6.6 per cent, whereas Gulf real estate investment in Oman between 2024 and 2025 recorded a growth of 95.3 per cent, and foreign investment grew by 39.4 per cent.

The Ministry emphasised that this growth reflects the success of Oman in building a more competitive investment environment, anchored by a clear vision, stability of legislation, and the integration of efforts between the public and private sectors, alongside the growing presence of Omani projects in the global investment landscape.

In the field of digital transformation, the Ministry continued to develop its services to enhance performance efficiency and improve the beneficiaries' experience. The service automation rate reached 99 per cent of the total services provided, while the beneficiaries' satisfaction rate with digital services reached 92 per cent during 2025, with the completion of more than 425,000 digital transactions.

During the dialogue, the Ministry addressed the role of local content and both national and global partnerships in supporting developmental projects.

The dialogue also touched upon the 'Live Oman' target as one of the national pillars associated with raising the quality of life and enhancing the global competitiveness of Oman. This is accomplished by providing an integrated living environment for citizens, residents, and visitors, based on safety, stability, quality of services, well-being, and sustainability.

Hanan al Jabri, Director General, Urban Planning, said, "The Greater Muscat Structure Plan falls within the third level of the urban planning framework and aims to maximise the city’s assets while translating Vision 2040 objectives into an integrated spatial framework encompassing all sectors."

Nasser bin Abdullatif al Sayigh, Technical Director, Greater Muscat Structure Plan, said the plan is part of a national programme covering all governorates and major cities, and it enhances investor confidence by providing a clear vision for the city’s future and identifying available investment opportunities.

He added that the plan is built on five key pillars: a productive, connected, vibrant, resilient and safe city, supported by a range of implementation projects.

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