The Arab Strategy for Housing and Sustainable Urban Development

The Arab Strategy for Housing and Sustainable Urban Development is considered to be a framework for joint Arab action in housing and sustainable urban development, and an important step to strengthen regional cooperation in the Arab region. It aims to propose strategic goals and targets to develop the housing sector, address future challenges and achieve sustainable urban development through connecting them to the concept of urban planning and promote community participation in development and decision making. The strategy covers the urban geographical scope of the Arab region that comprises of Twenty-two Arab states2. This strategy derives its importance from two key elements; first, the need to create an urban development system at the regional level, and second, the necessity to enhance cooperation among Arab states to exchange experiences. Various positive outcomes are expected from this strategy and are divided into short-term or medium-term. The most important and instant outcomes are the consolidation of the concepts and standards of urban development and sustainable housing in Arab states; learning from previous successful experiences; and integrating the goals of economic, social, environmental, and urban policies; as well as connecting to the global trends.