Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch

Kuwait City: Kuwait’s government on Sunday invited local and international companies to take the first step in bidding for contracts as part of its plans to develop three new cities to help tackle a shortage of housing in the oil-rich country.

The project to build the new cities, which will cover more than 300 hectares (740 acres) in total, is the first to be implemented under a new real estate development law that opens Kuwait’s housing sector to private investment.

Oil-rich Kuwait is struggling to meet housing demand among its 1.5 million citizens, and 100,000 people are currently on a government waiting list for a home, with some waiting years.

The state provides housing for all Kuwaiti families.

The projects would be developed under a 2023 law which allows the government to set up joint companies with local and foreign private partners to build new housing to sell to Kuwaiti citizens, the government said in the Official Gazette.

The 30-year contracts, including a four-year construction period, will cover design, financing, building, operation, maintenance and the sale of residential units, with non-residential assets to be transferred back to the government, the announcement said.

Earlier, Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced plans to introduce or increase charges for 67 services, many of which are currently provided free of charge.

The proposal follows a Cabinet directive to review service prices across the country.

Under the plan, company establishment applications in Kuwait, which are now free, would cost KD20, including for non-profit organisations.

Kuwait would also start charging for services such as amending a company’s fiscal year, cancelling mortgages and commercial agencies, and providing brokerage for fish, fodder, livestock, vegetables, fruit, and poultry.

Temporary commercial licences in Kuwait would face the biggest increases. For example, a licence for a temporary real estate or jewellery showroom would rise from KD30 to KD500.

Other planned changes include a 25 percent rise in fees for capital amendments, partner changes, dissolutions, trade name updates, and management clause changes.

Licences to practise accounting in Kuwait would increase from KD150 to KD200. Company licence renewals and board member certificates would also cost 25 percent more.

Representation at general assemblies would go up from KD100 to KD125, and ration card fees would double from KD5 to KD10.

The fee hikes are part of Kuwait’s efforts to update service pricing in line with economic policies and cost reviews.

Also Read: Kuwait opens visa on arrival to GCC foreign residents

Interior Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah announced that all foreigners residing in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states can now obtain a tourist visa on arrival at any entry point.

The decision, published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Sunday, takes immediate effect.

Under the new policy, tourist visas will be valid for 90 days, and applicants must hold a residency permit in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, or Bahrain valid for at least six months.

This move replaces a 2008 regulation that restricted the visa-on-arrival facility to specific professions such as doctors, engineers, and executives.

The change opens the door for approximately 25 million foreign residents in the GCC to visit Kuwait more easily.