Nearly 26,000 residential plots allotted

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Housing has allotted a total of 25,953 plots across the Sultanate in the first nine months of 2018, up by 16.11 per cent over the same period of 2017. With a phenomenal growth in allotment of plots, the housing sector is expected to prop up in the coming months, according to the statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). Among various governorates, residential housing plot allotments in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah rose by 8.74 per cent to 6,170 plots during January-September period of 2018, compared to 5,674 residential plot allotments in the same period of 2017. Housing plot allotments in the governorates of Muscat and Dhofar increased by 11.94 per cent and 85.24 per cent to 2,184 and 941 plots, respectively, during the nine-month period of 2018. In addition, plot allotments rose by 31.49 per cent and 44.64 per cent to 2,585 plots and 4,060 plots in the governorates of South Al Sharqiyah and North Al Sharqiyah, respectively. The Governorate of Al Dhahirah witnessed a phenomenal 347.21 per cent growth in plot allotments at 4,727 plots while housing allotments in the Governorate of Al Wusta declined by 45.58 per cent to 505 plots, the NCSI report added. Further, plot allotments in the Governorate of North Al Batinah rose by 11.74 per cent to 628 plots while it declined by 18.57 per cent in the Governorate of South Al Batinah at 4,070 plots during the nine-month period under review. Residential plot allotments were down by 90.26 per cent in the Governorate of Al Buraimi to 70 plots, whereas it fell by 98.90 per cent in the Governorate of Musandam to 13. — ONA