RIYADH — Housing ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council held a virtual meeting on Monday headed by the UAE's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazroue. Saudi Arabia was represented by the Minister of Housing Majed Al-Hogail.

In the ministerial meeting, which was also attended by GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf and top officials from housing ministries, the participants discussed a relevant joint housing action strategy, focusing on challenges and opportunities in terms of financing, real estate development, and technical construction sustainability.

They also discussed the progress of the establishment of a single GCC housing database and highlighted the importance of providing up-to-date statistical data.

In his speech, Al Mazrouei said: "In the UAE, we work according to a comprehensive development perspective based on the cooperation between all relevant authorities, to fulfill the needs of citizens for high-quality government housing by drafting ambitious action plans, to continue the country’s journey of achievements and strengthen its global excellence and leadership over the next fifty years."

"We also exert significant efforts to develop the housing system according to the highest standards of construction and sustainability, by benefitting from the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in the field of construction, such as Artificial Intelligence, AI, robotics and 3D technologies."

Al Mazrouei stressed that the UAE, upon the directives of its leadership, is keen to build future smart cities with distinguished facilities, which are based on sustainability, green buildings, and environmentally-friendly solutions.

The meeting reiterates the importance of achieving sustainable development and meeting the growing demand for housing caused by continuous population growth, in addition to solving the many challenges faced by the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, which requires a future approach based on a vision to turn challenges into opportunities, he added, noting that the GCC is capable of enduring and overcoming challenges with hard work and joint action.

Al Mazrouei commended the cooperation and exchange of expertise between GCC countries, which have led to progress in this key area.

In the meeting, Bahrain's Housing Minister Bassim bin Yaqoob Al Hamer said the kingdom looked forward to hosting the next meeting in 2021.

He stressed that the current circumstances require the development of short and long-term plans aimed at preserving the stability of the vital sector.

Al Hamer indicated the need to continue and follow up on the decisions made in the joint executive program related to the joint housing work strategy to implement the initiatives and projects, overcome the challenges and ensure the success of providing a joint Gulf housing system. — SG