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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Hay Al Naseem to offer over 1,000 homes for Omanis waiting for govt plots

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Hay Al Naseem – an integrated city being developed as a pilot Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) based project designed to offer attractive housing opportunities to Omanis in lieu of their entitlements to government residential plots – is entering a key phase in its implementation.


According to a high-level official associated with this landmark initiative, a Development Agreement (DA) enshrining the key features of the partnership between the Omani government and the private developer in the delivery of this project is currently being finalised.


Yaarub al Hadhrami (pictured), Project Director of the Sorouh Integrated Residential Neighbourhood Project – an initiative spearheaded by the Supreme Council for Planning – said efforts are currently focused on drawing up the final Development Agreement, which will pave the way for construction work to begin in earnest on this ground-breaking housing venture.


“Hay Al Naseem is a pilot project under the government’s Souroh initiative that will be delivered under the Design Build Sales Scheme (DBSS). The government is entering into a partnership with the private sector in the implementation of this pilot. Al Adrak Trading & Contracting – the private sector developer – is executing the project (on the PPP model).”


Recently, Souroh showcased its flagship integrated housing project – Hay Al Naseem at Barka – at the Oman PPP Forum, which was held in the city earlier this month. It was one of a large portfolio of government-led infrastructure projects planned for implementation across a number of sectors under the newly formulated PPP framework.


Speaking to the Observer, Al Hadhrami said pre-construction work on the project at Barka is around 90 per cent complete overall. “Hay Al Naseem has been issued a building permit, while the masterplan has been approved by all of the government stakeholders concerned. All of the pre-studies, such as the traffic impact assessment, geotechnical studies, and other evaluations, have been completed as well.”


He further added: “We are now trying to finalise the approvals from the different government entities for the Development Agreement. This will be followed immediately with the launch of a marketing campaign and the start of sales. At the Sales Centre, which will be at the site, we are also working on building mock-ups of villa. Thus, when the marketing campaign starts, end-users will be able to see what their homes really look like. Some of the villas will be fully furnished as well.”


Hay Al Naseem is envisaged as a mixed- use development offering as many as 1,052 homes distributed across various segments – apartments, town houses and detached villas. Residential units will be available in 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom options to cater to different family sizes and requirements. “Around 20 – 25 per cent of the residential homes will be available as apartments, while the rest will comprise villas,” said the Project Director.


The Integrated City will also feature a commercial component, which will be developed at a later stage by the private partner, Al Adrak, under terms to be defined under the Development Agreement.


Importantly, the residential units will be offered up for investment to Omani citizens currently on the Housing Ministry’s waiting list for government plots, said Al Hadhrami. “Those who have applied for plots in Batinah South and Muscat Governorates are guaranteed options to buy these homes. If the demand is less than anticipated, then it could be opened up to citizens from other locations,” he added.


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