Oman’s Housing Ministry Clears Over 16,000 Title Deeds

Muscat (ONA): Dr. Khalfan Said Al Shu’aili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, has said that 16,300 applications for authenticating and registering title deeds have been cleared, among them 8,800 requests were sanctioned and 7,500 other rejected.

The Minister made the statement during the second media dialogue on comprehensive transformation of the ministry. Held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, the forum reviewed the implementation of the Ministry’s executive plan for 2022, performance indicators and challenges of urban development in the Sultanate of Oman.

The value of real estate trading during 2021 saw 4% increase to touch RO 2.552 billion, while revenues stood at RO 72.5 million, said Dr. Khalfan.

He added that the total number of usufruct contract in 2021 stood at 9,300, while the value of collected feeds amounted to RO 8.4 million. Sixteen new sites were approved for food security project on a total area of 597 million square meters, as well as 7,645 land plots for multiple services and five sites for integrated residential projects.

As many as 2,000 families benefited from the Housing Assistance Programme in 2021, said the minister, noting that the programme cost RO 47 million and that 700 housing units were constructed as part of the programme. As many as 713 applicants were exempt (from housing loan dues) under Royal directives to the tune of RO 13.5 million, while 544 applicants had their housing loan installment postponed for a grace period of six months, said the minister.

He added that 40 visits were conducted in the aftermath of the cyclone. Accordingly, 328 cases were sanctioned for housing assistance and 199 land plots deemed as falling within the boundaries of wadis.

The minister affirmed that 85% of a project to relocate families whose properties were affected by Sohar Industrial Port was completed, with 85% cash compensation finalized and 97% of the displaced lands compensated. As many as 476 residential units are under construction, 85% of government buildings set up and 100% of infrastructure and public services completed.

As for Al Batinah coastal road compensations, first phase track was accorded to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. In the second phase, 96% of residence compensation was completed, while 58% of farm compensation was finalized and 84% cash compensation given out.

As many as 113 initiatives were endorsed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning of them 39 as urban planning initiatives, 23 housing initiatives, 4 fiscal sustainability initiatives, 8 capacity building initiatives, 8 service quality initiatives, 13 digital transformation initiatives, 12 governance initiatives and 6 as identity initiatives.

Also, as many as 1,319,000 residential land plots were distributed and requests registered by 2020, with 48% inhabited and 52% non-inhabited. The number of registered applications for land plots stood at 509,000.

During the second media forum, the minister said that trial operation of the integrated digital service platform, Alma, will be launched on Tuesday. Amlak comprises 50 electronic services related to the real estate register and investor services in the field of housing, to name a few.