Muscat Municipality: A 250,000 m2 plot will be allocated to build a Labour City, and the private sector will be invited to bid in the construction and management of such cities
- As Omani citizens, we consider it important that both business owners and buildings to take responsibility for housing of migrant workers in places other than those inhabited by a population in residential neighborhoods. Such areas inhabited by a mix of population and migrant Labourer may become more vulnerable to poor health habits.
- Local order no. (23/92) regulating buildings in Muscat stipulates that it is prohibited to build complexes or buildings for accommodating labourers or bachelors in residential or commercial areas.
Accommodating migrant labourers "bachelors" in residential neighborhoods, especially old ones, is an issue plaguing Muscat Municipality. Some residents have already left their homes and moved to other houses away because of the inconvenience caused by migrant labourers in their neighborhoods. Municipality has also received many messages from citizens complaining about such phenomena and appealing for an action. Younis al Busaidi said that his neighborhood has witnessed some annoyance because of the accommodation of bachelors near families. Omani lawyer Salah al Moqbali urges authorities to inaugurate an immediate legislative intervention to spare the community from such risk.
Assistant Director General of the investment and economic development D.G in Muscat Municipality Sayyid Shabib Al Bu Said said that: "creating labourer cities is a good solution to tackle this problem as these cities are usually built close to laborers work sites. Sayyid Shabib declared that Muscat Municipality is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Housing to allocate a land plot to build a Labour City in an area of 250 thousand square meters, and private sector will be invited to bid for the construction and management of such cities. Sayyid Shabib continued: “Recognizing the importance of this project, Muscat Municipality has formed a team and was assigned to supervise and follow up the implementation of the labourer city as stipulated by administrative decision number (113/2017)”.
From a legal point of view, item 3 of article (134) of the same local order stipulates that "one or more of the following penalties will be imposed to perpetrators:
A- A fine of not less than 25 rials and not exceeding 50 rials.
B- A continuous fine of not less than (5) rials and not more than (10) rials a day.
C- An imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, depending on the magnitude of the violation.
D- The Municipality shall remove the offense at the perpetrators’ expense.
Muscat Municipality still calls on citizens are residents to report any observations via calling the toll free Muscat Center (1111) or through social networking platforms.