Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has been honoured with the Special Excellence Award in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for its innovative approach to the Rural Housing Project. This award recognizes vision, leadership, hard work, and innovation in utilizing Esri’s GIS technology.

The award-winning project, the first of its kind globally, employs aerial imagery and artificial intelligence to extract cadastral maps, saving time and effort tenfold. The primary goals of the project include achieving high accuracy in data extraction, creating an integrated spatial database, exporting at least 5,000 cadastral maps, and addressing illegal holdings and area randomness.

The ministry has significantly improved land management processes by leveraging the latest GIS technologies, aligning with its vision and goals. This technological advancement saves costs and ensures precise and organized land administration.