Bahrain Drives New GCC Housing Cooperation

Bahrain chaired the 42nd meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials Responsible for Housing Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held via videoconference as part of the Kingdom’s presidency of the GCC’s 46th session.

Fatima Ibrahim Al-Manaei, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, chaired the meeting, which brought together undersecretaries and senior housing officials from GCC member states.

Al-Manaei stressed the importance of continuing Gulf cooperation and coordination in the housing sector, building on joint initiatives and efforts to develop housing policies, programmes and solutions. She also highlighted the value of exchanging expertise and successful experiences among GCC countries.

She said Bahrain remains committed to supporting Gulf efforts to develop housing systems, improve the efficiency and quality of housing services and solutions, and benefit from leading practices across member states.

The meeting also highlighted the role of modern technologies and digital transformation in supporting sustainable housing services and responding to economic, social and urban developments.

Al-Manaei stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships with the private sector and financing institutions to develop a wider range of housing options and solutions. Such partnerships, she said, can also expand access to financing programmes and initiatives and provide citizens with options suited to their needs.

The meeting reviewed several items on the agenda, including unified rules governing owners of jointly owned properties in GCC countries, the GCC Joint Housing Action Plan for 2024-2030, and housing information databases.