Hassan Al -Sitry
The third session of the work of the Innovation Conference in Social Housing 2025 yesterday witnessed a discussion of ways to develop and provide investment opportunities in the social housing sector, before the Director General of the Housing Bank, Abdullah Talib, affirmed that the acceleration in population growth in urban areas constitutes major challenges for decision makers, especially with regard to providing appropriate housing for low -income people.
The speakers, including a group of leadership figures and local and international experts in the areas of housing and urban planning, stressed the need to review the traditional urban development models. The focus has been on the balance between economic feasibility and social justice, and to create an attractive investment environment to build soft and sustainable housing that meets the needs of population growth.
The Director General of the Housing Bank stressed that the deep understanding of the needs of the local population has become urgent, noting that the ineffective urban planning can marginalize local communities and exacerbate the problem of the ability to bear the costs of housing.
He called for the involvement of the population in the urban planning process, with a focus on improving their economic income, so that integrated economic development is an integral part of urban development, while giving priority to low -income societies in social housing projects.
For his part, the CEO of Engineering and Building at the Malaysian WCT company, Dr. Tony Chan Tok Leong, explained that the optimal exploitation of natural and local resources is one of the keys to success in sustainable development.
He stressed the need for continuous improvement of the infrastructure and modern urban design to ensure the quality of life, stressing the importance of developing design capabilities locally without relying on external models, as cooperation between the government and the private sector is the basis for achieving effective results. He also called for the adoption of a comprehensive vision that places society in the axis of the development process.
As for the CEO of the administrative capital company from Egypt, Khaled Abbas, he explained that there are great potential for growth in the digital fields associated with development. Digital artists can also be employed in innovative urban projects.
He stated that estimating the market value of workers must be based on skills and creativity and their ability to use them to serve their societies, pointing out that the state may play an effective role through joint projects with the private sector or through national digital platforms.
The CEO of Diyar Al -Muharraq Company, Ahmed Al -Emadi, stressed that the investment should be the main driver for the success of residential or urban projects, pointing to the importance of creating an attractive environment for capital through a modern infrastructure, strategic sites and advanced educational services.
He indicated that success requires close cooperation between the public and private sectors with a national vision that supports society’s participation and ensures balance and justice in planning.
Al -Emadi stressed the importance of comprehensive planning that guarantees equality between members of society and achieves justice in distributing opportunities, pointing to the importance of involvement in the population in various stages of development through education and community participation to enhance belonging and sustaining development.
