MUSCAT, AUGUST 26 - The first phase of an exclusive residential complex for company workers with an investment of RO 19 million called BBH Worker City at Rusayl Industrial Estate has been officially inaugurated under the auspices of Shaikh Saif bin Mohammed al Shabibi, Minister of Housing. An important development in the real estate sector of the Sultanate, the officials from the Ministry of Housing said steps are being taken by the ministry such as leasing of land to support the private sector for similar projects in other parts of the Sultanate.
The project is an appropriate solution for accommodation issue which has been there for the past few years, said the minister, pointing out that the location is away from residential areas. There has been a need to identify areas to be allocated for workers to stay away from residential areas for families and at the same time closer to work sites. Dr Khalid bin Salem al Mata’ani, Chairman of BBH Group, said the market has a demand for clean accommodation for staff. “This complex is easy for the company and the staff, easiness in accessibility and to communicate.
This is not something new as there are examples in Middle East and Europe and in other countries. Industrial estates have this option always and has been successful everywhere.” When asked about the response from the market, Dr Al Mata’ani said, “There will be soon a requirement to be met by companies for their workforce, so it is a natural process.” Constructed with an investment of approximately RO 19 million, the labour city project is designed to accommodate around 25,000 to 30,000 workers across 3,000 units. The first phase offers 170 units.
The chairman of BBH said the average rental charges per unit that can accommodate up to six people are in the range of RO 100 and RO 120.
The Minister of Housing expressed his delight at the development projects carried out by BBH Group as it takes into consideration the needs of the community. He considered it as a quality project that will contribute to meet the requirements of life and suit the target segments. It also provides an alternative for employers to find housing for their workers near workplaces.
According to Dr Khalid, the group is inspired by the ideas of its projects from the community in accordance with the requirements of development in the Sultanate, and is continuing its plan to establish quality projects to meet the needs of different segments. He expressed his delight at the opening of the worker city as one of the development projects of the BBH. He said that the importance of establishing the worker city lies in that it is the first project in Muscat to provide housing to workers away from residential neighbourhoods.
“From the beginning stage itself we were sure we wanted to implement a smart design with facilities such as WiFi, restaurants, hypermarket and availability of other amenities. We are honoured we had the opportunity to design the first residential complex for the workers,” said Saif al Amri, Chairman, Saif Engineering Consultancy.
The worker city is located at crossroads in the Rusayl Industrial Estate along the Muscat highway on the one hand and the Burj al Sahwa- Bidbid on the other and has all the facilities and services needed by the workers. Banks, money exchanges, restaurants, cafes, mosque, entertainment facilities, a high-quality surveillance system and parking are available in the campus. “The employers can save their effort to find accommodation for workers,” Dr Khalid said.
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