KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4: A draft bill on allowing expatriates to purchase real estate property in Kuwait is not linked to residence, says one of the proponents of the bill.
MP Dr Rola Dashti, one of five lawmakers who presented the bill last week, explained “buying such property does not mean the investors will be given permanent residence in the country.”
Asked what will happen if an expatriate who purchased a property loses his job and has to leave the country, Dashti said “he would have to sell it.”
Dashti clarified the purpose of this bill is to “allow foreigners, who have been residing in Kuwait for at least 10 years, to purchase their own flats but it does not mean they can have permanent residence in Kuwait.
If ratified, the bill will allow expatriates of all nationalities to own one apartment not larger than 350 square meters. Currently, only Arabs with special permits are allowed to buy property in the country.

Other presenters of the bill include lawmakers Saleh Ashour, Salwa Al-Jassar, Mikhled Al-Azmi and Ghanem Al-Mae’a. They have proposed to add a new article — three — to law number 74/1979, which includes regulations guiding ownership of properties by foreigners. They suggested the interior minister can issue a decision allowing foreigners to own a residential apartment in commercial buildings, provided they have lived in Kuwait for a minimum of 10 consecutive years, and their source of income is enough to acquire the property.
Other conditions stipulated in the bill is that the buyer should be of good conduct, have no criminal record throughout his stay in the country, and the apartment should be used for personal or family residential purposes only. The owner should not own another property in Kuwait.
The lawmakers argued the proposal is important, considering the country’s current political, social and economic situation, in addition to the high level of commercial transactions which, in turn, encourage strategic and development projects. They believe this will help the country in realizing its dream of becoming a financial and commercial hub in the region.