Her Excellency Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain places sustainable development and providing adequate housing for citizens among the most prominent national goals and priorities, in light of the support and care it receives from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, and the tireless follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him. She pointed out that the Kingdom has achieved advanced levels in the sustainability of providing housing services through innovative programs and solutions implemented by the Ministry, including the housing financing program and the government land development rights program in partnership with the private sector, in addition to completing the implementation of planned projects in housing cities.
On the occasion of World Habitat Day, Her Excellency the Minister explained that the Kingdom of Bahrain pays special attention to developing cities and promoting sustainable infrastructure to meet the needs of population growth, while taking into account preserving the historical and cultural identity of heritage sites, considering preserving urban heritage an essential part of efforts to achieve development and sustainability.
In this context, she referred to the Muharraq City Development Project, which comes in implementation of the royal order of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, to preserve the historical and cultural identity of Bahrain's buildings and cities, revive the Grand Isa Palace, and develop the city in a way that preserves its heritage identity. She also pointed to the plan to redevelop the historic area of Manama Souq, ensuring the preservation of its historical and cultural character, and enhancing infrastructure and services, which will contribute to making it an attractive tourist and commercial destination.
Her Excellency the Minister noted that World Habitat Day represents an important occasion to celebrate national and international efforts in the field of sustainable urban development and planning, noting that the Kingdom of Bahrain attaches great importance to comprehensive urban development issues, within the framework of national visions and strategies that keep pace with the requirements of the present and anticipate future aspirations.
She pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain is continuing to implement development programs that enhance the quality of life in cities and urban areas, and support the provision of adequate housing and smart infrastructure, stressing that celebrating World Habitat Day reflects the Kingdom's firm commitment to the global principles of sustainable urban development, and strengthens its position as a leading country in adopting best practices in the field of housing and sustainable urban planning.
The Minister concluded by emphasizing that the Kingdom of Bahrain continues its efforts to implement the eleventh goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is to "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable", through joint efforts between various government agencies and relevant national programs and initiatives.
It is worth noting that World Habitat Day is one of the official occasions designated by the United Nations General Assembly, and falls on the first Monday of October every year, with the aim of enhancing awareness of the shared responsibility to provide more sustainable cities.
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