Bahrain : Minister of Housing, Bassim bin Yacob Al-Hamar, has affirmed the Housing Ministry’s keenness to ensure that its current and future projects are capable of catering to the service and facilities needs of the beneficiaries so as to provide them with the requirements of decent and quality life, on the one hand, and carry on efforts to achieve the sustainability of housing services, on the other.
He pointed out that the government attaches great importance to the environmental aspects in housing projects by allocating green sites and paths in all modern towns, in addition to waterfronts, beaches and sites to practise various hobbies, noting that the government seeks to enhance sustainable development, citing the Salman Town’s use of green energy.
The minister extended sincere congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the occasion of the World Cities Day 2021, observed worldwide on October 31 under the theme “Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience”.
In a statement to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) marking the occasion, Al-Hamar asserted that the Housing Ministry is making tremendous efforts to achieve HM the King’s vision to provide advanced services to the citizens in its projects across the kingdom’s governorates, within a comprehensive vision of urban development that copes with the future development challenges and the population growth rates in the kingdom.
He indicated that the urban development march currently witnessed by the kingdom is based on a number of foundations that guarantee its sustainability, in response to the constant directives of HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals approved by the United Nations, and are implemented within the Government Action Plan.
Al-Hamar lauded the Cabinet’s recent announcement of the kingdom’s intentions to reach net zero carbon emissions in 2060, to help tackle climate change and protect the environment, noting that the initiative will reflect positively on all development efforts in the kingdom.
He indicated that the World Cities Day is good opportunity to recall Bahrain’s successful experience in building housing towns and the tremendous achievements attained since its inception.
It is worth noting that the World Cities Day was adopted in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/68/239, and the first World Cities Day was celebrated in October 2014.
The World Cities Day aims to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanisation, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.
The observance day ties in with Sustainable Development Goal 11, to make cities “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
