Planned plots down 8 pc

NCSI DATA: Issued plots increased 45 pc to 42,837 last year

MUSCAT: The number of planned plots of land in the Sultanate last year declined 8 per cent to 49,520 compared with the previous year, while issued plots increased 45 per cent to 42,837, according to latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and information (NCSI).

The NCSI bulletin on housing statistics showed that Governorate of Al Wusta had the largest number of planned plots at 10,999.

Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah ranked second with 10,752 planned plots, followed by the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah with 8,005 plots of land. Governorate of North Al Batinah had 7,471 planned plots, while the Governorate of Dhofar had 3,384 planned plots of land.

The highest decrease in the number of planned plots was recorded in the Governorate of Al Buraimi, which recorded a decline of 91 per cent taking the number to 255 last year from 2,732 planned plots in 2014. Governorate of South Al Batinah witnessed a decrease of 80 per cent in the number of planned plots during the period with 2,604 plots last year.

The number of planned plots of land in Governorate of Musandam stood at 887,000, while Governorate of Muscat had 1,843 pieces of planned land. Governorate of Al Dhahirah and Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah had respectively 1,520 and 800 pieces of planned land last year.

The number of issued plots registered a 45-per cent growth last year compared with 2014 which went up to 42,837 plots from 29,636 pieces of land granted in the previous year.

Governorate of South Al Batinah received the largest share of issued lands last year with 10,214 plots, followed by Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah with 8,861 plots, and Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah with 5,021 plots of land issued.

Governorate of Dhofar registered the highest percentage increase in issued land with the number of granted plots reaching 4,482 last year from just 290 plots in 2014.

Governorate of Al Wusta witnessed the highest decline in allotted land at 65 per cent with numbers falling from 1,688 land plots in 2014 to 594 in 2015.

In Governorate of Musandam, the number of granted plots decreased by 27 per cent from 180 plots in the year 2014 to 131 plots last year.

The number of plots issued in Governorate of North Al Batinah stood at 4,071 and Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah issued 3,353 pieces of land. Governorate of Al Dhahirah issued 2,935 plots, while Governorate of Muscat and Governorate of Al Buraimi issued 2,382 and 793 plots of land respectively last year.

Plots developed for residential use formed the largest segment of planned plots with their numbers reaching 40,589 in 2015 and making 82 per cent of the total planned plots.