Oman has officially joined the race towards smart cities with the Sultanate’s first smart city project, in line with Oman Vision 2040. Sultan Haitham City will cover an area of 15 million m2 in Al Seeb city, northwest of Muscat.
The project is set to accommodate 23 000 residential units by the end of its completion phase and will present service investment opportunities of more than 700 million Rials. Construction works will begin next year.
Sultan Haitham City will be a comprehensive and sustainable model city that reflects modernity and innovation all while preserving the Omani cultural identity.
This project echoes the goals of Oman National Spatial Strategy which affirms the Sultanate of Oman’s will to be a progressive nation, achieving integrated, balanced development to different regions while providing all citizens with employment opportunities that will contribute to the drive for economic diversification.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning will not be the sole financier of the project, but rather, tens of government agencies, each according to its competence will also invest. The participatory characteristic will be a feature of the project, not only that, but real estate developers will be strongly present from inside and outside Oman, and after a period of time, those who are eligible for government housing will be a source of financing, in addition to that, a percentage of the housing will be available for freehold ownership for the categories that are not eligible to subsidized housing, but at commercial prices depending on market conditions at the time. Investment opportunities such as shops, clinics, private schools, and other attractive opportunities will also be presented.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning is trying to provide an additional innovative product to provide subsidized housing to beneficiaries through an innovative commercial model, which translates into giving the beneficiary the opportunity to own in a modern neighborhood with integrated services in a privileged area. The support is reflected in the price, in the services, and in the quality of modern life, with financing from multiple parties that guarantee sustainable welfare.
