His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), underscored that the 4th Gulf Housing Week—encompassing the Innovation Summit in the Social Housing Sector 2026, a specialised housing exhibition, the Gulf Housing Hackathon, and the GCC Housing Award—vividly embodies the evolution and broadening scope of the GCC housing cooperation ecosystem, demonstrating that housing development is no longer confined to traditional government policies and programmes.
His Excellency’s remarks were delivered during his participation in the 4th Gulf Housing Week and the Innovation Summit in the Social Housing Sector 2026, on Wednesday (30 September 2026) in the Bahraini capital, Manama, in the presence of Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for housing affairs across GCC member states.
At the outset of his address, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his utmost thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain—President of the current session of the Supreme Council—for Bahrain’s hosting of the 4th Gulf Housing Week and the Innovation Summit in the Social Housing Sector 2026, and for the facilities and steadfast support extended by the Kingdom to ensure the success of the GCC's work. His Excellency also commended the sustained patronage and attention devoted to joint Gulf action by His Majesty alongside Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC member states across all fields.
His Excellency lauded the advanced strides and pioneering experience of the Kingdom of Bahrain in developing its housing sector, particularly in expanding partnerships with private real estate developers and the provision of housing services through digital platforms. He indicated that the housing sector occupies a foundational position in GCC sustainable development, directly impacting urban planning, socio-economic progress, resource efficiency, and overall quality of life. In the same context, His Excellency pointed out that cooperation in the housing sector has received substantial attention within joint Gulf action and has witnessed remarkable progress over recent years.
"The GCC Joint Housing Action Plan (2024–2030) has established a new phase aimed at bolstering cooperation and integration, as well as advancing housing policies and programmes to keep pace with evolving socio-economic developments. Furthermore, Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of GCC states adopted the Unified Rules for Joint Property Owners in GCC States at the 46th session of the Supreme Council, marking a significant milestone toward modernising the regulatory environment of the real estate and housing sectors and fostering alignment across their governing frameworks," His Excellency stated.
His Excellency affirmed that these accomplishments carry an accumulated track record of joint expertise, policies, and initiatives in the journey of GCC housing cooperation, emphasising that our responsibility today is to build upon this foundation and accelerate the transition from merely exchanging successful experiences to scaling their benefits across the GCC.
"The efforts exerted to develop the housing sector are no longer confined to government policies and programmes; rather, they are now underpinned by an integrated ecosystem that brings together government entities, the private sector, financing institutions, specialists, innovators, and youth, while harnessing technology and innovation to develop more efficient and sustainable housing solutions that fulfil the aspirations of GCC citizens and enhance their quality of life," His Excellency added.
"The economic, demographic, and technological transformations underway globally necessitate that we continue developing the housing ecosystem across GCC states by diversifying financing tools, expanding partnerships with the private sector, accelerating the adoption of modern construction technologies, leveraging digital transformation and artificial intelligence, raising energy efficiency, and creating more sustainable, higher-quality urban communities. Herein lies the significance of joint Gulf action, as the diversity of successful experiences across member states represents a shared asset that enables us to broaden the application of proven solutions and expedite the exchange of best practices," His Excellency emphasised.
Moreover, His Excellency noted that the 24th meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Housing Affairs in GCC States adopted a series of resolutions and initiatives aimed at bolstering joint Gulf housing action and propelling it toward broader horizons of cooperation and integration.
While attending the ceremony honouring the winners of the 7th GCC Housing Award (2026), and celebrating distinguished projects, private sector entities, non-profit organisations, philanthropists, as well as the winners of the 3rd Gulf Housing Hackathon, His Excellency stressed that these multifaceted endeavours demonstrate that the future of Gulf housing is not shaped by a single entity, but is rather the fruit of collaborative action integrating government policies with the roles of the private sector, financing institutions, the community, specialists, innovators, and youth.
Concluding his statement, His Excellency reiterated that the shared ambition is to continue building upon what has been accomplished and propel joint Gulf housing action into a more integrated and innovative phase—one that maximises the benefit of shared data and experiences, accelerates the exchange of proven solutions, and expands strategic partnerships, thereby contributing to more diverse and sustainable housing choices and elevating the quality of life for citizens across GCC states.
