A Collaborative Journey: The Code Council Begins Series of Workshops with MoHUP to Develop Oman’s Building Codes

The International Code Council has been engaged by the Oman Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) in an exciting project to develop six comprehensive building codes tailored to Oman’s specific needs.  

The codes are based on the Code Council’s 2021 International Codes® (I-Codes), benefiting from the Code Council’s open consensus-based code development process. However, active engagement from local stakeholders in Oman is crucial for effective localization, ensuring widespread acceptance and support. To achieve this, a series of stakeholder workshops have been organized to develop and customize the I-Codes for Oman.  

The first series of workshops were held over three days in Muscat at the end of May 2024.  

Supporting Oman’s Code Development Through Insightful Workshops

The workshops brought together key stakeholders, including designated government authorities, design professionals and industry experts. Over the three-day period, different groups of attendees participated, ensuring a broad spectrum of insights and feedback.

The workshop’s agenda covered essential aspects such as the project scope and code development schedule, findings from the Code Council’s recent exploratory trip and research, current construction practices and material availability, existing regulatory systems, and the desired state of building codes and standards in Oman.

Additionally, the workshop identified gaps between the current and desired regulatory systems and concluded with Code Council recommendations for improvement. This inclusive approach facilitated robust discussions and beneficial Q&A sessions, ensuring that the new building codes would be comprehensive and reflective of Oman’s aspirations. The workshops were led by the MoHUP and the Code Council project team respectively.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Hanan Al Jabri, H.E Advisor for Urban Planning at MoHUP, highlighted the significance of the workshop, stating, “This workshop is a crucial step towards achieving the goals of the development of the Oman building codes. The insights and expertise provided by the Code Council are invaluable as we strive to elevate the standards of safety, sustainability and innovation in our construction industry.”

Hamid Naderi, the Code Council’s Senior Vice President of Product Development, underscored the organization’s dedication to the project, saying, “We are honored to work with MoHUP on this transformative initiative. Our objective is to develop building codes that address the unique needs of Oman while setting new standards for safety and resilience in the region. The active engagement and feedback from Omani stakeholders during this workshop are vital to our success.”

The collaboration between the Code Council and MoHUP represents a shared commitment to advancing building safety, sustainability and innovation in Oman. The successful execution of the Oman Building Code Stakeholder Workshop is a testament to the collective efforts aimed at establishing new benchmarks in building safety and construction practices in the country. 

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