Housing Minister tours Salman City with Omani counterpart

Manama, May 24 (BNA): Dr. Khalfan Al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning of Oman, visited Salman City on the sidelines of the minister’s official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The minister was accompanied by Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture; Yasser bin Ibrahim Humaidan, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs; and Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.

Minister Al Rumaihi presented Bahrain’s housing development, particularly in social housing. She outlined the ministry’s approach to expanding housing access through finance programmes, land development rights in partnership with the private sector, and the newly introduced path to support real estate developers in boosting the housing stock. She also highlighted efforts to complete existing projects across housing cities.

The delegation toured the Hai Al Naseem project, developed under the land development rights programme with a private real estate firm. Al Rumaihi noted that strong demand from citizens for such projects has encouraged the ministry to expand cooperation with private sector. She added that the aim is to increase the housing supply to meet growing demand by enabling developers to build on public and private land, aligned with the financing available to citizens.

The visit also included a briefing on the newly developed generation of apartment buildings in Salman City, offering 1,362 residential units. Minister Al Rumaihi outlined the project’s key features and modern design.

The delegation viewed additional city facilities, including beaches, waterfronts, pedestrian and cycling paths, open spaces, and green areas.

Minister Al Rumaihi expressed appreciation for the Omani minister’s visit and accompanying delegation, describing it as a reflection of strong bilateral ties and shared commitment to serving citizens.

On his part, Dr. Al Shuaili expressed Oman’s interest in enhancing cooperation with the Kingdom of Bahrain, particularly in social housing, and commended the Kingdom’s urban development and investment opportunities in the housing sector. He emphaised Oman’s willingness to benefit from Bahrain’s expertise in this field.