. The committees are also following up with the private sector to provide isolation rooms within the housing compounds so as to reduce the chances of transmission of coronavirus infection among workers, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MMRA) for Classification of Contractors Dr. Ahmed Qattan confirmed on Friday.
During a symposium entitled “Labor housing — current challenges and proposed solutions,” organized by the Eastern Province Chamber (remotely) on Thursday, Qattan pointed out that the ministry would soon launch “labor housing” licenses for establishments, allowing them to convert buildings into labor housing units.
He explained that the long-term plan is to allocate large plots of land in various governorates of the Kingdom and put them up for investment in cooperation with real estate developers to build new housing units, with an aim to create a parallel market for the current labor accommodation.