Muscat: Dr. Khalfan Said al-Shu’aili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, has valued His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik’s endorsement of the National Urban Development Strategy (NUDS) which, he said, is the mainstay of future urban development.

He described the strategy as a basic component of Oman Vision 2040, being the spatial framework enshrining all development programmes in an integrated, balanced, and multifaceted manner.

Dr. Khalfan pointed out that the NUDS will contribute to channeling investment and development to the appropriate destinations and, will thus, help achieve harmony among development activities, diminish the probability of clash of objectives and provide the necessary incentives to foster socioeconomic prosperity while at the same time safeguarding the environment for the coming generations.

The NUDS is the prime mover of the development sectors. It targets seven main goals, themed as: ‘Developing cities and communities that are suitable for living’, ‘Preserving Omani identity’, ‘Responding to climate change and the need to adapt to it and alleviate its impacts’, ‘Promoting growth and economic diversity based on the components of each governorate’, ‘Sustainable use of resources, the production of power and the management of renewable resources’, ‘Water and waste management’, ‘Protection of the environment through control of impacts on environmentally-delicate areas’ and ‘developing a sustainable transport system and the creation of transport alternatives that include walking and use of bicycles’, said Dr. Khalfan.

The minister said that the salient features of the NUDS 2040 envisages the following:

· An expected population increase estimated at 2.5 – 3mn over the current figure.

· A 32 per cent rise in national manpower.

· An expected increase of 3.9mn in manpower.

· The percentage of skilled labour in the private sector to stand at 83 per cent.

· An annual GDP growth of 5 per cent.

· Direct foreign investment contribution of 10 per cent to the GDP.

· An increase of 75 per cent in proportion of population that receives social services.

· A per capita rise in public leisure spaces by 10 sq.m.

· A rise in demand for residential units estimated at 911,400 units.

· Aggregate private spaces to stand at 73,544 sq. m.

In conclusion, the minister said that the ministry has embarked on the strategy’s implementation—partnering with the departments concerned, devising plans, following-up criteria, and promoting the strategy at a large scale in the Sultanate.

Recently, the ministry launched a 100-day programme featuring the methodology of comprehensive transformation.

The programme fits with the concept of integration among institutional society and competent authorities. A number of initiatives will be launched at various levels to roll out the NUDS, within the wide-scale participation of the departments concerned.