Qatar chaired the 22nd meeting of their   excellencies, the ministers of concerned with housing affairs in the GCC countries, which took place at the closing day of the second GCC Housing Week.

Her Excellency Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family, emphasized during her chairmanship of the meeting Qatar’s commitment to continuing efforts to complete the urban renaissance in line with the state’s national strategies and vision. She reiterated Qatar’s dedication to supporting joint efforts concerning housing affairs in the GCC countries, expressing expectation that the meeting would reach decisions and recommendations that enhance this cooperation.

Ms Al-Misnad praised the significant efforts made by the housing sector in the GCC countries to implement the joint GCC housing action plan for the years 2024-2030, which was approved by the ministerial council during its 158th preparatory session for the 44th session of the Supreme Council in Doha last December.  She highlighted that one of the tasks of this meeting is to discuss the implementation of the executive mechanisms within the framework of the joint cooperation among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

She stated that as Qatar holds the presidency of the technical committee concerned with housing affairs in the GCC, it hosted the 44th meeting of the technical committee on the 12th of this month, represented by the Housing Department at the Ministry of Social Development and Family as part of the preparatory effort for this ministerial meeting. She noted that the attendance of representatives from all member states and the municipalities and housing department of the GCC General Secretariat, reflects the high level of attention given to GCC housing work, reflects the aspirations of the GCC countries and their peoples for urban renaissance and comprehensive development.

Ms Al-Misnad highlighted that the topics on the agenda of this high-level meeting and the decisions required concerning the recommendations presented as part of the efforts to implement the GCC joint housing action plan for 2024-2030 reflects the prospects of the GCC countries for comprehensive development according to the latest technological and knowledge achievements in the urban field. She pointed out that this meeting would discuss recommendations regarding unified general rules for property owners, a real estate motivation guideline in the GCC countries, and a guideline to assessing urban resilience in the housing sector in the GCC countries, as well as discussing the economic frameworks for partnerships with private institutions to encourage investment in the real estate sector in the GCC countries.

His Excellency Khaled bin Ali bin Salem Al-Senaidi, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Developmental Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat, appreciated Qatar’s efforts in supporting and assisting the journey of GCC joint work, achieving the aspirations of GCC citizens for greater cooperation and integration. He expressed his wishes for continued security, safety, and prosperity for Qatar, and praised the significant efforts made by the ministers concerned with housing affairs in the GCC countries to elevate the level of cooperation, coordination, and integration in the housing sector within the GCC countries. He also commended the efforts of the senior housing officials committee members for their outstanding work in preparing and organizing this meeting.

He further stated that, "the distinguished role played by the Sultanate of Oman during its chairmanship of the previous session in 2023 deserves appreciation,". He also extended congratulations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for assuming the chairmanship of the Executive Office of the Arab Ministers of Housing and Construction for 2024-2025.

At the meeting, the ministers discussed several housing-related topics, including the GCC joint housing action plan for 2024-2030, the "unified general rules for property owners in the GCC countries," and housing information databases.

They agreed on mechanisms for benefiting from specialized conferences and workshops in the housing field, as well as the coordination and preparation for regional and international meetings, highlighting the efforts of member states in the regional and international forums through active participation. They also reviewed the outcomes of the second GCC Housing Week and the initiatives made regarding the exchange of experiences, expertise, and information since their adoption in 2022, along with other topics that serve joint housing work among GCC countries.

The meeting resulted in the approval of the real estate motivation guideline in the GCC countries to link landowners with developers and financing entities, the urban resilience assessment guide in the housing sector in the GCC countries, and an economic framework for partnerships with private institutions to encourage investment in the real estate sector in the GCC countries. They also praised the success of the second GCC Housing Week, hosted by Qatar from May 13-16, 2024.

The meeting set the date for the third GCC Housing Week in Kuwait in 2025 and announced the launch of the sixth session of the GCC Housing Award for 2024-2025, under the title "Digital/Smart Applications and Technologies in Housing Projects and Programs," with an increase in the total financial value for the top three winners of the GCC Housing Award.