Before 1970 , properties and lands were dealt by the instruments of legitimacy issued by the juristic courts or pursuant to customary sales approved by Their Excellencies the Walis . With the inception of the blessed renaissance in 1970 the administrative apparatus of the state was established . At that time , the Department of Lands was under the Ministry of Justice and its mission was to consider applications submitted by citizens to award them lands of various uses . The decisions on those applications were made by a committee headed by the Director of Muscat Municipality and the responsibility of construction was under the supervision of the Director of Greater Mutrah construction .
In 1972, the planning department was annexed to the Ministry of Development for the distribution of lands and the issuance of building permits in Mutrah and subsequently a letter is sent to the Department of Lands to award the entitled person a residential, industrial or commercial plot . In the same year, the Ministry of Land Affairs was established which was constituted from Land Section, Real Estate Register Section, and Survey Section.
On June 28, 1975, the Royal Decree No. (26/1975) was issued promulgating the administrative apparatus of the state and defining the terms of reference of the Ministry of Land Affairs as following:
Planning of Lands in all regions of the Sultanate for housing purposes with various levels in addition to commercial and industrial purposes, and dividing planned zones into plots with specific area , number, reference, and degree .
Preparing site maps and development maps for each planned region which determine streets and places of public facilities such as markets, mosques, schools, hospitals and others.
Coordinating planning projects with the concerned ministries and government departments prior to its ratification and implementation.
Distributing lands to citizens, whether it is a residential , an industrial or a commercial lands in accordance with the law of lands .
Distributing lands to citizens as quickly as required and in a manner that achieve justice for all .
Identifying the plots and its measurements after confirming that the planned plots are not a property of the government or not for endowment by surveying the land on ground in the presence of concerned citizens and then the final maps are handed over for citizens to complete the proceedings .
Defining lands that were approved to be granted to citizens in different wilayats so they can construct buildings according to the boundaries approved on maps.
Identifying agricultural lands in different wilayats.
Keeping a record to register all types of ownership of land granted to citizens in addition to opening a special file for each allocated plot , explaining all kinds of transactions such as sale or mortgage or otherwise, to ensure the conservation of the property rights of citizens.
Considering land conflicts between the people and resolve it after hearing the parties concerned and after examining the documents on ground to make sure that the provided document apply to nature.
Reviewing technical complaints relating to planning
On June 7, 1976, the Royal Decree No. (17/1976) was issued to make some amendments to the organizational structure of the ministry where its name became the Ministry of Lands and Municipalities Affairs and devolved upon the responsibility for supervising the affairs of Muscat Municipality and the Regional Municipalities.
On June 1, 1982, the Royal Decree No. (48/1982) was promulgated appending the Ministry of Public Works to the Ministry of Lands and Municipalities Affairs to become a directorate general in the name of (the Directorate of Public Works) which oversee the construction execution mandated by the ministries and various governmental units.
On March 1, 1984 the responsibility for supervision was transferred to the Municipality of the Capital which supervised by the Diwan of Royal Court pursuant to the Royal Decree No. (18/1984).
On January 1, 1985, the Royal Decree No. (2 / 1985) was promulgated establishing the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, for the advancement of municipal services in the regions and devolving the powers ascribed to the Ministry of Lands and Municipalities Affairs in the area of regional municipalities and the name of the ministry became, the "Ministry of Land Affairs."
On January 8, 1985, the Royal Decree No. (10/1985) was promulgated to amend the name of the Ministry of Land Affairs to become the Ministry of Housing entrusted with the same terms of reference ascribed to the Ministry of Land Affairs.
On January 25, 2000, the Royal Decree No. (10/2000) was promulgated merging the Ministries of Transport and Housing in one ministry called (the Ministry of Transport and Housing).
On May 14, 2001, the Royal Decree No. (47/2001) was promulgated to separate the transport sector from the ministry to be merged to the Ministry of Transport and Communications while electricity and water sectors were added to the housing sector and its name became the Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water.
On September 9, 2007, the Royal Decree No. (93/2007) was promulgated to amend the name of the Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water to the name of the Ministry of Housing .
On 23rd November 2014, Royal Decree No. (64/2014) issued on determining the terms of reference of the Ministry of Housing and the adoption of its organizational structure.
SPECIALTIES
Propose policies, plans, programs and implementation mechanisms capable to meet the growing demand for housing by all categories of the Omani society, and monitoring and evaluating them to ensure their sustainability.
Propose laws relevant to the ministry’s terms of reference, and issue decisions and regulations to implement them.
Propose legislations related to urban planning, developing the controls that regularize and guide the urban planning activities in coordination with the Supreme Council for Planning.
Prepare a manual for the basics and criteria that should be applied by the governmental and non-governmental agencies in the field of urban planning, within the general policy of urban planning and the urban strategy of the Sultanate which are developed by the Supreme Council for Planning.
Preparation of primary, detailed, and structural maps of planned areas in accordance with the general policy of urban planning and compliant with the criteria of urban strategy of the Sultanate developed by the Supreme Council for Planning as well as preparing survey drawings of real estate units involved in those areas, and locating public facilities on their maps.
Develop the real estate sector in the Sultanate, in coordination with relevant government agencies, and provide suitable environment to enable the private sector to attract the necessary investments to achieve that.
Conducting socio-economic studies and researches to determine the future needs of social housing, housing loans and assistance, and the preparation and implementation of plans of social housing, housing loans and assistance programs for limited income citizens.
Allocate land plots of various uses for citizens, according to the regulations of government land entitlement.
Allocate land plots required by units of the state administrative apparatus, public institutions and bodies, and other legal persons for the performance of their functions.
Granting the right of land usufruct in accordance with the rules established in this regard in coordination with the competent authorities.
Review land ownership applications for lands not registered under the Land Law.
Registration of all real estate related transactions and in-kind rights, whether principal or consequential, and documenting their legal instruments and transactions in line with the registry system, and issuing title deeds on them.
Develop the principles of valuating properties of expropriated ownership, according to the law of expropriation in the public interest, and reconsider these principles whenever necessary, provided that they are approved by the Council of Ministers.
Develop the principles of valuating government lands, and make necessary amendment on them whenever necessary, provided that they are approved by the Council of Ministers.
Represent the Sultanate in regional and international conferences and meetings relevant to the terms of reference of the ministry.
Any other functions established by Laws and Royal Decrees.
Develop the human resourcein the ministry.
Prepare studies, programs, budgets necessary for the development of various organizational divisions in ministry.
Contact us:
• P.O. Box 173، PC 100. Muscat , Sultanate of Oman.
• (+968) 24693333
• dept.infopr@housing.gov.om
https://eservices.housing.gov.om/eng/Pages/Default.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/housingoman
https://twitter.com/housingoman
https://www.youtube.com/user/housingoman