Wednesday 07 / January / 2026
Muscat: The Shura Council concluded its discussion on the Draft Urban Planning Law referred by the government on Tuesday.
Following extensive deliberations, the Council approved the draft and referred it to the State Council to complete its legislative cycle.
This took place during the 6th ordinary session of the third annual sitting (2025–2026) of the 10th Term (2023–2027). The session was chaired by Khalid Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Council.
Dr. Hamoud Ahmed Al Yahyai, Chairman of the Services and Public Utilities Committee, presented the committee’s report. He noted that the study involved reviewing legislative models from neighbouring countries to align best practices with Oman’s urban policies and hosting specialists from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Oman Society of Engineers, and academic experts to gather technical insights.
The draft law is considered a fundamental pillar for achieving Oman Vision 2040 targets, providing a modern legal framework to manage rapid urbanisation and keep pace with Oman’s socio-economic shifts.
Members focused on several critical aspects to ensure the law’s effectiveness, namely aligning the project with the National Strategy for Urban Development, organizing mechanisms between government, non-government entities, and society, and ensuring infrastructure can adapt to global changes while maintaining social security, public health, and environmental standards.
The session also discussed means of implementing strict controls for land utilisation and ensuring the availability of basic services in residential layouts.
The Council also discussed and approved a report from the Youth and Human Resources Committee regarding a desire to increase financial allocations and support for sports clubs and federations.
The report addressed challenges in sports investment and resource enhancement and recommendations to encourage partnerships and investment in sports infrastructure and associated services.
The Shura Council is scheduled to discuss the Statement of the Minister of Labour on Wednesday. The session will cover five main themes, specifically focusing on the employment and training sectors within both the public and private sectors.
