Gulf Housing Ministers Approve New Guidelines and Standards for Housing Projects

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The committee of ministers responsible for 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 finance, as well as a guide for using modern construction methods to improve and control the quality of residential project construction.

The committee also approved an update to the guide of 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, along with the implementation of 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 common properties in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries by the Supreme Council during its forty-sixth session.

It praised the success of the seventh session of the 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 generous contributions.

It also approved the launch of the eighth session of the 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 thirteenth 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.