For decades, Kuwait’s promise of housing for every family has been a slow-moving queue—one that today has swelled to 105,000 requests, growing at a steady 3% each year. If nothing changes, that figure could balloon to nearly 200,000 by 2035.
The housing minister has now turned the spotlight onto the private sector, urging developers, banks, and investors to step into a role long monopolized by the state. “The private sector is no longer just a supporter—it’s the backbone of the solution,” he told a packed hall of local and international real estate players, adding that government will now act primarily as regulator and watchdog, not sole provider.
Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare, the state’s traditional housing arm, is being restructured. Instead of directly building and allocating homes, its new mission is to oversee quality, compliance, and delivery.
A significant shift is already underway: three large-scale housing projects spanning over 4 million square meters are open to bids from both local and foreign developers. The contracts—set for 30 years—include financing, design, construction, operations, and sales. Developers will have four years to build and 26 years to manage investments, after which non-residential assets will revert back to the state.
While no project value was disclosed, the scale is massive. Kuwait is simultaneously planning entirely new cities—Al-Khairan, Nawaf Al-Ahmad, and Al-Sabriya—together expected to deliver around 185,000 housing units across 355 square kilometers.
To support this transition, the government is finalizing a long-awaited mortgage law that will open the door for banks and finance firms to extend housing loans. The draft is expected within weeks.
“This is just the beginning,” the minister said. “The end goal is clear—resolving Kuwait’s housing challenge once and for all.”
