As part of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s presidency of the 46th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Her Excellency Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al Romaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, chaired the 24th Meeting of GCC Ministers Responsible for Housing and Urban Planning Affairs, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting brought together ministers and officials responsible for the housing sector from GCC member states, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

At the beginning of the meeting, Her Excellency the Minister welcomed the participating ministers and delegations, emphasizing that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the 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 the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, continues to prioritize the housing and urban planning sector. This reflects its pivotal role in supporting social stability, enhancing quality of life, and developing integrated and sustainable residential communities.

Her Excellency noted that the rapid developments taking place in the housing sector, accompanied by the growing adoption of modern technologies, innovative financing solutions, and digital transformation, are opening new opportunities for GCC countries to develop their housing services, enhance efficiency and sustainability, and provide citizens with more diverse and flexible housing options.

In this context, the Kingdom of Bahrain prepared the Guide to Digital Platforms for Individual Housing Finance in GCC Countries, which has been approved by member states. This step reflects the shared commitment to leveraging modern digital solutions to develop the housing finance ecosystem across GCC countries.

Her Excellency highlighted that Bahrain’s preparation of the guide demonstrates the importance of practical initiatives in supporting joint GCC cooperation, strengthening integration, and exchanging successful experiences among member states. It also emphasizes the role of digital transformation in developing housing financing systems and expanding the options available to citizens.

The Minister also emphasized the significance of holding the GCC ministerial meeting alongside the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026, providing an opportunity to strengthen the exchange of expertise, explore innovative solutions and practices, and support cooperation and integration among GCC countries in the housing sector.

The meeting’s agenda included several priority topics aimed at advancing joint GCC cooperation in housing, including the development of housing policies and programs, sustainable urban planning, the enhancement of legislation and guidelines, partnerships with the private sector and financial institutions, the adoption of modern technologies and digital transformation, and the exchange of expertise, experiences, and information among GCC member states.