Gulf Housing Ministers Approve New Guidelines and Standards for Housing Projects Development

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The committee of ministers concerned with housing affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries approved a number of guidelines, standards, and initiatives aimed at developing housing work and enhancing the quality of housing projects in the council countries during its twenty-fourth meeting in Manama.

The outcomes of the meeting included the adoption of a guide for planning vibrant residential communities in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a guide for digital platforms for individual housing financing, as well as a guide for using modern construction methods to improve and control the quality of housing project construction.

The committee also approved an update to the guide of the developed technical standards for planning, design, and building systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in addition to adopting a guide for value engineering in housing projects, a guide for sustainable housing in housing projects, and a strategic guide for social and developmental housing.

The outcomes included the adoption of 39 new indicators and statistics in the field of housing work, in addition to conducting three virtual brainstorming sessions that addressed the stages of the planning process, the stages of the design process, and elements of housing unit design.

The committee also congratulated the adoption of the unified rules for owners of joint properties in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries by the Supreme Council during its 46th session.

It praised the success of the seventh session of the Gulf Cooperation Council Award in the field of housing for the year 2026, which was titled "Integrated Services Housing Project.. Enhancing Quality of Life", along with the parallel honoring of the award for the private sector, non-profit institutions, and individuals with philanthropic contributions.

It also approved the launch of the eighth session of the Gulf Cooperation Council Award in the field of housing for the years 2027 and 2028, and praised the success of the dialogue sessions and discussion panels organized by the General Secretariat during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2026.

The outcomes also included the preparation and implementation of 6 housing initiatives from member states in cooperation with the General Secretariat during the year 2027.