Qatar- Joint GCC housing database soon

Date

9/29/2015 11:35:05 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

DOHA: The GCC states are working jointly to prepare an extensive regional database on housing and plan to launch a website devoted to the sector.

The idea is to share building codes standards as well as information related to housing in each member-state. A technical committee of the GCC met here and decided to have a regional housing database and a dedicated website.

The meeting was attended by directors of housing departments from member-countries and making a database and launching a website were among major issues discussed.

In Qatar housing is part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Nasser Mehanna Al Ramal Director of Housing Affairs at the Ministry attended the meeting.

This meeting was preparatory and follows a meeting of GCC housing ministers which is scheduled to be held here tomorrow.

Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported yesterday that the housing ministers’ meeting will be held at St Regis Hotel. Rules of housing information building codes and GCC’s experience in housing will be discussed at the conclave.

The GCC states have instituted an award in housing and its winners will be announced at the ministerial meeting. This will be the first such award to be conferred in the housing sector in the region.

Undersecretaries of housing from GCC member-states are meeting here today ahead of the ministers’ meeting tomorrow.

Al Ramal told QNA that latest developments in the global housing sector will also be featured in the proposed GCC website. Qatar he said is quite advanced in housing which is key to the welfare of both citizens and expatriates.

The Labor Ministry actively coordinates with other government bodies like Qatar Development Bank and the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning in the matter of housing.

Abdullah Ali Al Rabai head of municipalities and housing at the general secretariat of GCC in Riyadh told QNA that a small team has been set up to follow up on the website project.

He said that the Arab league is eagerly looking forward to seeing such a website as it would be a role model for the rest of the Arab world.

The Arab League has urged the GCC states to share experience in housing with fellow Arab countries said Al Rabai. The website will feature ownership of housing stock occupants and tenancy in member states among others.

“It would guide future developments in the housing sector” said the official. He also talked about cooperation with private sector players in housing in the region. “We interact closely with them.”

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