D. Suhair bint Sanad Al -Muhannadi
In the midst of the major transformations taking place in Bahrain, the Innovation Conference in the Social Housing Sector has emerged as a milestone in the development process, not only because it is a housing event, but because it is reflected in a strategic maturity in managing one of the files most related to the life of the Bahraini citizen and his social stability.
The message was clear: The housing is not a grant, but rather an inherent right and pillar of social justice and economic stability, this is what was expressed by the patronage of His Highness the Crown Prince, may God protect him, and the government’s assertion of its commitment to provide 50 housing units in accordance with the royal directives, and accelerate the pace of achievement through immediate financing programs and expand its partnerships with the private sector through the government land development program to be innovative solutions and partnerships Smart.
We are not talking here about building projects or housing plans only, but also a qualitative shift that translates the principles of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 in justice, sustainability and competitiveness, and refers the housing file from being a service issue into a strategic tool for the production of development and the consolidation of the citizen’s dignity.
Among the most prominent of this new trend is to provide immediate and varied housing services that take into account the needs of the citizen and his preferences through financing programs such as “Facilitation +”, which has proven successful in financing thousands of beneficiaries within a short period as the Ministry of Housing and the Housing Bank indicated, it is a smart program that combines flexibility and speed, and gives the citizen the freedom to choose housing according to his capabilities and taste without waiting for many years, and it is important to note that the new financing programs have helped in the second half of 2024 units in financing more than 3,200 beneficiaries according to the Housing Bank numbers.
The most important step in my estimation is the exit of the housing policy from the traditional templates to the space of innovation and the initiative, as the citizen is no longer a passive awaited on the waiting lists, but rather an active partner in formulating his residential future, and this is clearly embodied in interactive initiatives that allow citizens to choose the residential and financing style that suits them in a way that keeps pace with the changes of living reality and the requirements of generations Next, which reflects the maturity of the Bahraini housing policy and its ability to balance government support with the efficiency of spending and achieving financial sustainability.
The exhibition accompanying the conference was not a formal celebration, but a practical and national platform for institutional integration, the collection of government agencies, commercial banks and real estate companies under one roof to display the most prominent housing projects and financing offers, and they provide integrated solutions that enhance the citizen’s opportunities to obtain adequate housing in the shortest possible period, in a way that enhances transparency, and raises the citizen’s awareness about the available options.
According to national statistics, the percentage of citizens benefiting from housing services increased from 62% in 2014 to more than 83% at the end of 2023, which reflects the power of government payment in this file, and confirms that the housing sector is no longer just a service sector, but rather has become an economic crane that contributes to growth, and opens vital investment prospects, especially that the real estate sector constitutes about 7.5 of the gross domestic product according to official reports.
When housing issues link quality, dignity and justice, we have exceeded the stage of numerical contentment, and we moved to building human cities, not concrete, so the quality of life becomes a target, and this is the essence of the Bahraini orientation today, sustainable housing, intelligently funded, planned in partnership, and directed towards the future, what Bahrain is doing today and with confidence – seeing the leadership and following the government – is a rooting of a modern development approach where it appointed to a future future With its citizens.
* Media and academic researcher
