The capital Amman today hosted a regional workshop organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Al-Maw'el) and HUDC, titled "The Road to the World Urban Forum 12: Paths to Sustainable, Inclusive, and Affordable Housing in the Arab Region," as part of the preparations for the World Urban Forum which will be held in Cairo from November 4-8.

Participants in the workshop reviewed the current housing data of the countries involved in the regional program "Enhancing Housing Strategies in the Arab Region." The workshop brought together representatives of housing agencies and ministries from Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Lebanon, and Tunisia. Participants produced recommendations and agreed on a framework for collecting and verifying data in preparation for assessing the housing sector in the Arab region.

The workshop highlighted best regional practices for developing national housing strategies and files to create a supportive environment that helps enhance housing strategies throughout the region, enabling local efforts to adopt best practices and enhance coordinated and inclusive housing efforts.

Eng. Jomana Attyat, the Director-General of HUDC, emphasized that this workshop contributes to achieving the outcomes of the Executive Programme for Economic Modernization, under which the authority is implementing several initiatives, the most notable being studies for low-cost housing models, establishing foundations and standards for future cities, in addition to drafting a law to regulate the housing and real estate development sectors that align with the outcomes of the "Arab Strategy for Housing and Sustainable Urban Development," which serves as a common Arab framework for sustainable housing and urban development.

Attyat pointed out that this strategy is an important step to enhance regional cooperation in the Arab region and achieve sustainable urban development by linking it to the concept of urban planning and promoting community participation in development. In this context, the authority has begun updating the national housing strategy in collaboration with the United Nations Programme.

For her part, Rania Hadiyah, the UN-Habitat Regional Representative for Arab States, said: "Achieving adequate housing has become a global challenge, faced by many countries in the Arab region. Despite the development of urban policies adopted in many countries, the number of residents in informal and poor areas worldwide continues to rise, leading to a greater widening of the gap between social groups in urban settlements and various indicators of vulnerability and deprivation among the poor."

Hadiyah emphasized that "with the increase in regional and global challenges, and the rising number of displaced persons and demand for housing amid increasing economic challenges to produce and provide housing for all, the importance of enhancing updated housing policies based on data and accurate analysis has been confirmed, in a participatory and effective manner to determine priorities and mechanisms to enhance the right to adequate housing for all in the region." She also invited participants to register and participate in the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum in Cairo, which will address many aspects of housing issues among other important topics for achieving sustainable urban development.

Dima Abu Diab, the Director of the UN-Habitat Programme in Jordan, said during the workshop: "We are pleased to host these Arab delegations in Jordan to exchange experiences and discuss housing strategies in the Arab region. It is a real opportunity to emphasize our collective responsibility to affirm the right to affordable and adequate housing and to achieve a better urban future for all."

Abu Diab added: "This workshop comes in response to the priorities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the country's economic modernization vision, which focuses significantly on the housing sector and opportunities for its development to achieve a safer urban future."

The UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States launched the regional program: "Enhancing Housing Strategies in the Arab Region" to support Arab countries in developing their national housing strategies and files, preserving and improving their housing stock, and enabling the creation of an inclusive and thriving urban environment in the region.

The program aims to benefit from regional experiences and national efforts and local knowledge through knowledge exchange, and also aims to support the establishment of a regional force and accelerate potential growth in the field of housing and inclusive urban development in the region, in addition to utilizing regional resources, support, and knowledge that will contribute to creating a supportive environment and regional commitment towards developing national housing strategies in Arab countries.