Fine for housing expat singles

Muscat: Muscat Municipality has reiterated its commitment towards providing a safe and peaceful residential neighbourhood for those staying with families. Issuing a stern warning, the municipality said, “Anyone who offers to house expatriate bachelors in the residential or family neighbourhoods will be subject to a fine of not less than RO 25 and not exceeding RO 50, a continuous fine of no less than RO 5 and not more than RO 10 per day, and imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months depending on the magnitude of the violation.”

Muscat Municipality said that it is keen to regulate the housing-related issues of some category of workers under the local order 23/92, which states that it is not permitted to establish complexes or buildings for single expatriate workers in residential or commercial residential areas.

Article 101 of the same local order stipulates that no building may be constructed or used except for the purpose for which the license was issued, and which is consistent with the category of use and the demographic nature

of that area.

Sayyid Shabib al Busaidy, assistant director-general of the investment and economic development at the directorate general of Muscat Municipality, said, “It is according top priority to creating a city for workers, which is a good solution to tackle this problem as these cities will be built close to labourers work sites.”

He added that Muscat Municipality is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Housing to be allocated a land plot to build a labour city spread over 250,000 sqm. The private sector will be invited to bid for the construction and management of such cities.

Muscat Municipal Council has discussed the need for tougher laws to regulate housing for single expatriate workers. The report adds that citizens who own the property are also responsible to ensure that they do not give shelter to single expatriate workers.

The residents of the area should notify of such problems for the municipality to directly take legal action against violators. The tenants who use the property to house single expatriates without the knowledge of the owner is also responsible for violations.