Yesterday, in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Construction and Housing Minister Chaim Katz, the Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Mayor Benny Biton, a new and significant master plan agreement was signed for the city of Dimona.
The agreement, between the Construction and Housing Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the Dimona Municipality, includes an addition of approximately 17,000 new housing units on state land, alongside broad development of employment and commercial areas.
Dimona, currently home to about 40,000 residents, is expected to triple its population, following the successful implementation of the previous master plan agreement with the city. In the coming years, new neighborhoods will be established in the city, urban infrastructure will be upgraded, and advanced public institutions will be added to strengthen Dimona’s position as a leading city in the growth of the Negev.
As part of the new agreement, resources totaling billions of shekels will be invested in developing the city:
- Approximately NIS 3.5 billion for infrastructure development in the new neighborhoods.
- Approximately NIS 760 million for major infrastructure projects and upgrading existing systems.
- Approximately NIS 700 million for constructing new public institutions and upgrading existing ones.
- Approximately NIS 330 million for extensive upgrades to the city’s older infrastructure under the "Old vs. New" framework.
The new agreement was formulated through close cooperation between the Construction and Housing Ministry and the municipality and includes principles for organizational development, adapting municipal services to accommodate new residents, and strengthening the city’s systems in anticipation of the significant growth expected in the coming decade.
The new agreement joins the first master plan agreement signed in 2017 and continues the city’s development momentum.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "We have turned things around. From 1,300 abandoned apartments, there are now thousands of apartments being built here, alongside thousands that have already been completed. And many people are coming for every apartment. Come to Dimona. Dimona, which was once a transit city on the verge of collapse, look at the strength here. Look at the open spaces, look at the massive construction, look at the influx of people.
Benny has done a fantastic job here and will continue to do so, and our vision here with the master plan agreements is one hundred thousand residents within a decade. From the sands, an enormous revival of the State of Israel is emerging here."
The Construction and Housing Minister Chaim Katz: "The Dimona master plan agreement is the 11th agreement signed since I took office. This is a move that will significantly strengthen the city for the years ahead and is good news for the entire Negev. The extensive investment in infrastructure, public institutions, and new neighborhoods will enable the city to triple in size and position Dimona as a central anchor in the growth of the south, while improving the quality of life for both new and existing residents."
The Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: "The Dimona master plan agreement is Zionism in its deepest and most practical sense. We are strengthening the Negev and building a future for the State of Israel outside the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. We are not speaking in slogans but through construction, infrastructure, employment, and community. In recent years, Dimona has become a national anchor of growth, and today, with the tremendous investment we are bringing to this city, it will reach new heights. Dimona has benefited from exceptional leadership under Mayor Benny Biton. I have full confidence in the mayor, in the residents of the city, and in the vision of a strong, connected Negev leading Israel forward."
Dimona Mayor Benny Biton: "The new master plan agreement is another historic milestone in Dimona’s development. It is a strategic move that will bring thousands of new housing units to the city, extensive infrastructure development, strengthening of employment and commercial areas, and unprecedented investment in public institutions and the upgrading of the old city. This is a direct continuation of the development momentum of recent years and expresses the full confidence of the Government of Israel in Dimona and its potential to become a central growth hub in the Negev."