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Arab Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Kuwait Issues Guidelines For Its Citizens Stripped Of Nationality
KUWAIT CITY, July 10: In a landmark announcement, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has unveiled a comprehensive framework detailing the rights, responsibilities, and procedures for individuals whose Kuwaiti citizenship has been revoked under the so-called 'Grand Acts of Worship' or 'Noble Deeds' clause. The announcement, made on Thursday, outlines the conditions under which affected individuals can retain certain privileges, regularize their residency status, and access government services. Temporary Travel Provision According to the Ministry's statement, individuals affected by citizenship revocation decrees issued on or before July 20, 2025, will be allowed to travel using their Kuwaiti passports for a grace period of four months. For those whose revocation takes place after that date, the four-month window will be calculated from the issuance date of their respective decree. This temporary measure is intended to help individuals adjust their legal status without immediate disruption. Legal Status Adjustment: Embassy Coordination Required The ministry emphasized that affected individuals and their dependents must amend their legal status by contacting the embassy of their original nationality or obtaining an official travel document that allows legal residency in Kuwait. The transition must occur within one year of the decree's publication in the Official Gazette. Failure to initiate corrective actions within the first three months of that period could result in the cancellation of all benefits. Individuals must provide proof of their efforts to obtain valid documentation and demonstrate seriousness in adjusting their residency status. Employment Rights and Education Access Preserved Despite the loss of nationality, the government confirmed that affected individuals may continue working in the public sector or within government-owned companies, provided they were already employed under official contracts. However, they will be barred from occupying supervisory or leadership positions. Additionally, the right to education will remain intact. Those enrolled in primary, secondary, higher education, or state-sponsored scholarship programs before the revocation will be allowed to continue their studies. Housing and Property Guidelines The Ministry also clarified rules regarding private housing: Individuals may retain ownership of one private residence in Kuwait. Those previously owning multiple homes due to polygamy are permitted to retain more than one private residence. Those who completed housing construction with financial assistance from the Kuwait Credit Bank must repay all loans within one year of the revocation decree. Those who completed housing construction with financial assistance from the Kuwait Credit Bank must repay all loans within one year of the revocation decree. Individuals who started construction must finish the project at their own expense and settle dues within two years. If only a building permit was issued, the individual may retain the plot but must construct the residence within two years, again at their own expense. Sponsorship and Vehicle Ownership The regulations also permit individuals to continue sponsoring domestic workers and to own private vehicles, under prevailing rules. However, they will no longer be treated as Kuwaiti citizens when it comes to the allocation or use of public state assets such as chalets, agricultural plots, commercial lands, barns, and industrial properties. Affected individuals are given five years to relinquish these assets to first-degree Kuwaiti relatives without incurring any fees. For privately owned commercial or investment properties, owners are required to transfer ownership—whether through sale, gift, or legal assignment—within five years of the citizenship revocation. Circumstances That Lead to Loss of Benefits The Ministry outlined several scenarios that would immediately suspend benefits, including: A final court ruling in cases involving felonies, dishonorable offenses, state security violations, or religious blasphemy. Failure to legalize residency within one year by either regaining the original nationality or obtaining an approved official document valid for residence. Grievance Mechanism Available Despite these strict measures, individuals may still file grievances with the Grievance Committee for the Withdrawal, Forfeiture, and Loss of Kuwaiti Citizenship, established under Cabinet Resolution No. 207/2025 and amended by Resolution No. 493/2025. Call for Cooperation and Transparency The Ministry urged all affected individuals to strictly adhere to the deadlines and instructions issued, emphasizing that timely data updates and compliance with the law are crucial. It reaffirmed its commitment to fair, transparent, and humane enforcement of the law, particularly in cases arising under the "noble deeds" clause. 'The Ministry of Interior remains committed to enforcing laws justly while safeguarding human dignity and social stability,' the statement concluded. This development marks a significant step in regulating the status of individuals affected by the controversial clause, ensuring a clearer path toward legal stability and administrative transparency.
Kuwait Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Contentious housing article repealed; MoI warns against fraud
KUWAIT: An Amiri decree-law issued Sunday annulled article 29 of law no. 47 of 1993, commonly known as the 'He Who Sold His House' law, as part of broader efforts to promote justice, equality and fair housing distribution. The article had allowed a specific group of citizens — those who received Kuwait Credit Bank housing loans between April 15, 1992 and Feb 15, 2015, and later sold their homes and repaid their loans — to once again benefit from rental or usufruct-based housing assistance. However, this excluded others who sold their homes outside the specified period or sold ready-built housing units allocated by the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, leading to unequal treatment. The explanatory memorandum accompanying the decree-law highlighted the negative consequences of Article 29, including its contradiction of the state's goal of equitable housing distribution. It stressed that the continued implementation of the article was inconsistent with national efforts to prioritize citizens still awaiting housing aid. The law will take effect upon publication in the official gazette, and its repeal is intended to address legislative gaps and ensure support reaches those with the most urgent need. Meanwhile, the interior ministry warned on Sunday of 'fraudulent' messages posing as official demands from the interior ministry to obtain confidential financial information. The ministry denied in a statement cited by KUNA 'any link to fraudulent means and forged documents sent under its name demanding financial information'. The ministry affirmed that it never requests such information or data. The ministry also called on the public to ignore such messages or calls and urged that no one should provide sensitive information over the phone or through messages or any other means. Local media reported that fraudsters have made audio or video calls to citizens and residents, posing as officers from the interior ministry, and demanded confidential information from them. Such callers threatened to take action against those who fail to supply the requested information, including a copy of both faces of bank cards, which allowed these thieves to withdraw money from the victims. The interior ministry advised the public not to pay heed to such gangs. Separately, the Public Authority of Manpower said on Sunday that it has issued citations to 33 local establishments in June for asking their employees to work outdoors, adding that the establishments corrected the violations immediately. The authority has banned companies from asking their employees to work under the sun between 11 am until 4 pm between June 1 and Aug 31. Kuwait has been implementing this practice for the past several years because of the scorching heat of the summer, when temperatures soar above 50 degrees Celsius.
Arab Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Kuwait Court: Husband's Absence No Obstacle to Wife's Property Rights
KUWAIT CITY, June 29: The Administrative Court has ruled in favor of a Kuwaiti woman, granting her the right to initiate procedures for issuing a title deed in equal shares with her husband, without requiring his presence or signature. The ruling follows the husband's arbitrary refusal to complete the registration process, despite all legal and procedural requirements being fulfilled. The title deed must be issued with a mortgage in favor of the Kuwait Credit Bank. The case was filed by the woman's legal representative, lawyer Hawra Al-Habib, who explained that her client is the wife of the first defendant and mother of their four children. Together, they had applied to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (the second defendant) for a residential plot, which was duly allocated to them. All formalities had been completed, including municipal clearances, notary records, and the connection of electricity services. However, the husband refused to proceed with the title deed issuance without providing a valid reason, effectively obstructing his wife's legal right. The court concluded that the husband's actions constituted an abuse of rights, unjustly depriving the plaintiff of her entitlement to co-ownership of the government-allocated property. Based on these findings, the court ruled that the woman is legally entitled to proceed with the issuance of the title deed independently, under applicable legal procedures.
Kuwait Times
15-06-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait moves to scrap housing law critics say created unequal access
Cabinet orders repeal of 'Who Sold His House' law as thousands remain on waiting lists for public housing KUWAIT: Kuwait's Cabinet has taken steps to repeal a controversial housing law that critics say unfairly granted a second chance at public housing to a select group of citizens, while thousands of others remained on waiting lists. The decision follows a detailed briefing by Abdullatif Al-Mishari, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, during Wednesday's Cabinet session, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. At the meeting, Al-Mihsari said the law had deepened social inequities in the country's public housing system. The legislation in question—Law No 2 of 2015, commonly known as the 'Who Sold His House' law—amended Kuwait's foundational housing care legislation by adding Article 29 (repeated) to Law No 47 of 1993. Originally intended to assist families that sold their homes due to changing needs, the law allowed certain citizens to reapply for housing on a one-time basis, provided they had repaid a loan from the Kuwait Credit Bank and no longer owned property. According to the law's explanatory note, it sought to accommodate families 'who sold their allocated housing units under pressure from social changes affecting the family structure, such as urgent needs for more space or a different type of housing better suited to their evolving requirements.' But from its inception, the law sparked criticism for applying only to a narrow group: citizens who sold their homes between 1992 and 2015, and only certain types of state-allocated housing. It excluded those who sold homes or did so outside the specified time frame. Some lawmakers went further, calling for the law's expansion to include those who had sold multiple times—a proposal that never gained traction. In his remarks to the Cabinet, Minister Al-Mishari argued that the law had inadvertently created a dual-track housing system, offering multiple chances to a select few while thousands of first-time applicants remained underserved. 'This law granted preferential treatment to a specific segment of citizens, which undermines the principles of social justice and equality enshrined in Kuwait's Constitution,' Al-Mishari said, according to an official statement. He noted that the problem was especially pressing given the growing backlog of housing applications from citizens who have never received government support. Origins and limitations Under Article 29 (repeated), families who had received loans from the Kuwait Credit Bank to build or buy homes could apply again for state-assisted housing—on a usufruct or rental basis—if they had sold their property between 1992 and 2015, repaid the loan in full, and did not currently own a home. The law gave the Housing Welfare Authority discretion, through ministerial regulation, to set eligibility conditions and prioritize applicants based on family need, housing type, and location—though not beyond a three-year window. However, the narrow scope of the law excluded many in similar situations, raising questions about fairness and consistency in how public housing resources were distributed. In response, the Cabinet has now instructed Minister Al-Mishari to begin legal and administrative procedures to repeal the law. Officials say the move is part of a broader effort to reinforce principles of justice and to ensure that housing resources—already under strain—are allocated based on need, not circumstance or timing. But they have not clarified how the repeal will affect the thousands of citizens still waiting to benefit from the law. While several hundred families have already received homes under the program, many more remain in limbo, awaiting allocations promised under its provisions. In East Sabah Al-Ahmad, over 1,100 homes were designated for eligible citizens who sold their homes within the approved timeframe. According to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, the first phase of the project, comprising 587 homes, has been fully completed. The second phase, which covers the remaining units, was 91.64 percent complete as of the end of February. It was expected that benefeciaries would receive their homes by the end of the year. — Agencies
