Her Excellency Mrs. Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participating in the work of the 42nd session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Construction, and the Arab Forum for Housing and Urban Development, which is hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha, with the participation of Their Excellencies the Ministers and Heads of Delegations of Arab countries and representatives of regional and international organizations concerned with the housing and urban development sectors.
During her participation, Her Excellency the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain's keenness to support efforts aimed at enhancing joint Arab cooperation in the fields of housing, reconstruction and urban planning, considering that this cooperation represents a fundamental pillar for developing policies and initiatives capable of meeting the housing needs of citizens in Arab countries, and contributes to achieving more balanced and sustainable urban development in Arab countries.
Minister Al Rumaihi pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain's experience in the social housing sector has enabled it to achieve advanced levels in providing social housing and developing cities, thanks to the lofty visions of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, which continuously support improving the quality of life of citizens and developing housing options In a way that provides adequate housing for citizens and keeps pace with comprehensive development goals.
The Minister stressed the Ministry's continuation in developing housing policies through innovative initiatives and expanding partnerships with the private sector, which has proven its ability to contribute effectively to providing housing services and accelerating the pace of project completion, pointing to the success of partnership initiatives with the private sector, such as the Housing Financing Program and the Government Land Development Rights Program, in providing immediate housing solutions, enabling thousands of families to obtain suitable housing faster and more diverse Noting the excellence of Arab countries' initiatives aimed at strengthening their partnerships with the private sector to provide appropriate housing services to their citizens.
During the Ministerial Council meeting, Their Excellencies the Ministers discussed the topics on the agenda, most notably following up on the implementation of the decisions of the Executive Office, in addition to reviewing developments in the Arab Electronic Housing Platform, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which aims to unify housing data at the Arab level and support decision-makers.
The ministers reviewed Arab cooperation with regional groupings and foreign countries in the field of housing and reconstruction, and followed up on the implementation of the Arab Housing and Urban Development Strategy, the New Urban Agenda, and Goal 11 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, related to building safe, inclusive, and resilient cities.
The Council concluded its work by issuing decisions and recommendations that constitute the Arab Action Program for the Housing Sector for the years 2026 – 2027, in a way that enhances Arab integration in developing cities and improving the quality of life for Arab citizens.
In a related context, the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning participated in the opening of the Arab Forum for Housing and Urban Development, which was organized on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Construction, which discussed modern trends in developing urban policies, and reviewed regional and international experiences in designing more sustainable cities capable of facing challenges.
Virtual Assistant
