Her Excellency Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al Romaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, affirmed that the outcomes of the Fourth GCC Housing Week and the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026 provide a foundation for continuing to develop the housing sector and strengthening the integration of public and private sector roles in delivering innovative and sustainable housing options that place citizens’ needs and quality of life at the heart of planning and decision-making.

Her remarks came on the occasion of the conclusion of the events, which were held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, from September 29 to October 3, 2026, at Exhibition World Bahrain. The events were organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and Eskan Bank, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Her Excellency emphasized that the housing and urban development sector remains a key priority as an essential contributor to the Kingdom’s comprehensive development process, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him, and guided by the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him. She noted that His Royal Highness’s patronage of the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026 reflects the importance and support accorded to the housing and urban development sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, given its direct connection to citizens’ stability and quality of life and its role in supporting sustainable economic, social, and urban development.

Her Excellency expressed her pride in the broad GCC and professional participation witnessed in the Kingdom of Bahrain throughout the events, which brought together ministers, senior officials, experts, specialists, and representatives of the private sector, banking and real estate institutions, and academic organizations. The events provided opportunities to exchange experiences and expertise and showcase solutions that enhance the housing sector’s ability to meet the aspirations of GCC citizens.

She explained that the conference featured more than 20 sessions with over 60 speakers from the Kingdom of Bahrain, GCC countries, and other Arab and international countries. The discussions resulted in 14 recommendations aimed at supporting the development of the social housing ecosystem and anticipating its future requirements. She emphasized that the next phase requires a renewed approach to thinking, based on customized and innovative housing models, smart support systems, targeted financing for different segments of society, and strategic partnerships with banks, financial institutions, and real estate development companies.

Her Excellency explained that the recommendations emphasized the importance of redefining the government’s role in the social housing sector, shifting from a primary focus on providing housing units to leading and enabling an integrated ecosystem that brings together planning, regulation, financing, development, and services. They also called for adopting proactive, data-driven planning to anticipate demographic and social changes and align them with future housing demand, infrastructure and service requirements, and investment priorities.

She added that the conference recommended developing integrated partnership models between governments, developers, banks, and financial institutions, based on clearly defined roles and coordinated planning, financing, and implementation, to enhance the capacity to increase housing supply. The recommendations also called for expanding the use of modular and industrialized construction technologies to improve project execution efficiency, shorten delivery timelines, and enhance quality, productivity, and sustainability.

Regarding digital transformation, Her Excellency noted that the recommendations stressed the need to establish clear governance frameworks for the use of data and artificial intelligence in the housing sector. These frameworks would support decision-making, improve service efficiency, and ensure the safe and responsible use of modern technologies. The recommendations also emphasized strengthening the integration of systems, data, and procedures among relevant entities to reduce duplication, simplify processes, and accelerate access to services. She highlighted the importance of redesigning the beneficiary journey by understanding citizens’ needs and expectations, measuring their experiences, and continuously incorporating their feedback into service development.

Her Excellency emphasized that developing residential communities requires integrating housing planning with transportation networks, infrastructure, services, and facilities to support sustainable mobility, strengthen connectivity between urban components, and enhance quality of life. She also highlighted the importance of aligning housing and community designs with demographic changes and evolving family lifestyles to provide solutions that are more adaptable to current and future needs. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of providing affordable housing close to employment opportunities and within mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhoods to support sustainable livelihoods.

Her Excellency explained that the conference outcomes also included strengthening integration between regulation, development, and investment in shaping the cities of the future. This involves linking urban planning with investment opportunities and the economic and social value of places, while adopting strategic urban planning and design approaches that anticipate urban growth and create higher-density, mixed-use neighborhoods. Such approaches enhance accessibility, economic opportunities, and social cohesion while limiting unplanned urban sprawl.

She also highlighted the importance of adopting the concept of “Housing as an Integrated Service” in developing future programs and designing housing pathways that respond to citizens’ changing needs throughout different stages of life, providing more flexible and diverse options. This approach also calls for moving beyond developing individual housing projects toward creating integrated, future-ready communities by connecting housing with urban planning, quality of life, and essential services.

Regarding projects and initiatives, Her Excellency confirmed that the conference witnessed the launch of projects supporting the diversification of housing options and the expansion of the Kingdom’s housing stock. Among the most significant was the signing of the largest partnership agreement with Naseej to provide 2,500 housing units in Khalifa City, representing a new milestone in private sector participation in delivering social housing services to citizens.

She added that advance reservations were opened for the purchase of housing units in the Al Marsa, Al Aseel, and Al Sahel projects in Salman City through the Off-Plan Sales Program. Eskan Bank also introduced the Danat Askar and Danat Hamad Town projects. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s continued commitment to providing additional housing projects in implementation of the Royal Directive of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him, to accelerate housing development and provide 50,000 housing units.

Her Excellency noted that the accompanying exhibition featured more than 40 participating entities, including banking and financial institutions, real estate development companies, and organizations involved in the housing sector, alongside GCC participants. This provided an integrated platform for showcasing housing projects, programs, and financing options, informing visitors about the latest available opportunities, and reflecting the expanding scope of partnerships among stakeholders across the housing ecosystem.

She added that the conference witnessed the signing of 68 agreements between entities representing various participating sectors, reflecting the momentum of private sector activity at this stage and its growing role in developing housing solutions. She emphasized that these partnerships demonstrate the diversity of options that participating entities seek to provide to citizens, addressing their needs while strengthening integration across the housing ecosystem.

Regarding youth empowerment, Her Excellency highlighted that the launch of the third edition of the GCC Housing Hackathon, under the theme “A Youth Vision for the Future of Housing,” provided an opportunity for young Bahraini and GCC talent to explore housing challenges and propose creative and sustainable solutions that reflect citizens’ aspirations and enhance their quality of life. She expressed her pride in the projects presented by the participating teams, which demonstrated promising youth perspectives and ideas that could be further developed and built upon, featuring contemporary approaches to the planning and design of housing developments.

Her Excellency expressed her aspirtion to build on the cooperation and exchange of expertise achieved during the events and translate their outcomes into actionable plans, partnerships, and initiatives that contribute to developing housing solutions and enhancing the readiness of cities and communities to meet future requirements. She also extended her thanks and appreciation to all partners, sponsors, speakers, experts, participants, and organizing teams for their contributions to the success of GCC Housing Week and the conference.

At the conclusion of the events, Her Excellency the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning honored the working committees, contributing companies, and conference sponsors in recognition of their efforts and contributions to the success of the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026. She emphasized that the integration of organizational, technical, and media efforts, together with the support provided by partners and sponsors, contributed to delivering events that reflect the Kingdom of Bahrain’s standing and its ability to host specialized GCC and international events.