Her Excellency Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s hosting of the fourth Gulf Housing Week reflects the continued efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to strengthen joint housing cooperation, exchange experiences and expertise, and promote innovation and community partnership, contributing to the development of housing solutions and enhancing the quality of services provided to citizens.

Her Excellency made the remarks while attending a ceremony honouring the winners of the seventh edition of the GCC Housing Award, in addition to recognising a number of supporters and contributors to housing development across GCC countries and the student winners of the third edition of the Gulf Housing Hackathon. The ceremony was held as part of the fourth day of the fourth Gulf Housing Week, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain at Exhibition World Bahrain.

Minister Al Rumaihi commended the continuous progress witnessed in joint Gulf housing cooperation, noting that Gulf Housing Week has become an important platform bringing together officials, experts, specialists and young people from across GCC countries. She said the event provides a valuable opportunity to exchange successful experiences, showcase innovative solutions and practices, and strengthen cooperation among government entities, the private sector, and academic and community institutions.

Her Excellency noted that the GCC Housing Award is one of the key initiatives aimed at promoting excellence and innovation in the housing sector by highlighting pioneering projects and models that offer practical and sustainable solutions. She added that the diversity of the winning projects in the seventh edition reflects the advanced experiences developed across GCC countries, which can be built upon and utilised to further enhance social housing policies and programmes.

The ceremony, held in the presence of His Excellency Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, featured the announcement of the winning projects in the seventh edition of the award, held under the theme “An Integrated Housing Project with Comprehensive Services… Enhancing Quality of Life”.

The West Baniyas Residential Project, submitted by the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority of the sisterly United Arab Emirates, won first place and a prize of SAR 200,000. The Sultan Haitham City project, submitted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman, placed second with a prize of SAR 100,000. The Khayala Residential Destination project, submitted by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, placed third and received a prize of SAR 75,000.

Minister Al Rumaihi affirmed that recognising outstanding projects at the Gulf level is particularly important, as it provides an opportunity to learn from successful models and exchange knowledge and expertise among GCC countries. She said this supports joint efforts to provide more efficient and sustainable housing solutions and strengthens the housing sector’s ability to keep pace with citizens’ aspirations and evolving urban, social and economic developments.

The ceremony also honoured a number of supporters and contributors in the fields of housing development and community work across GCC countries, in recognition of their contributions to providing adequate housing for eligible families. The Royal Humanitarian Foundation of the Kingdom of Bahrain was honoured for contributing more than BHD 1 million, alongside a number of supporting institutions, initiatives and individuals from GCC countries.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning expressed pride in the recognition of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation among this distinguished group of Gulf institutions, noting that the honour reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s longstanding approach to humanitarian and community work, as well as the continued attention given to initiatives aimed at supporting family stability and providing adequate housing.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, students from GCC countries participating in the third edition of the Gulf Housing Hackathon were honoured. The competition was held under the theme “Innovative Housing Solutions Lab… A Youth Vision for the Housing of the Future”, with the participation of more than 35 male and female students from across GCC countries.

Minister Al Rumaihi affirmed that engaging Gulf youth in developing innovative housing solutions represents an important investment in the future of the sector and opens the way for new ideas that harness modern technologies, digital transformation, sustainability concepts and quality of life. She praised the participants for presenting ideas and initiatives that reflect Gulf youth’s awareness of the future challenges and opportunities facing the housing sector.

Her Excellency concluded by affirming that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s hosting of the fourth Gulf Housing Week, together with its accompanying meetings and specialised events, reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to actively contributing to the development of joint Gulf cooperation in the housing sector and strengthening the exchange of expertise and experiences among member states in support of shared goals and aspirations.