The News
Kuwait is tightening property ownership rules for non-Gulf Arabs while expanding rights for Gulf Cooperation Council citizens, as it grapples with the region’s least affordable housing market.
The new regulations impose strict conditions on non-GCC buyers: They must live in Kuwait for 10 years before purchasing a house, have a clean criminal record, and obtain approval from the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers. Heirs inheriting property must sell within a year unless granted an exemption.
Former Kuwaitis, non-Arabs, and stateless individuals — known as “Bidoon” in Kuwait — can’t buy property, in contrast to other Gulf countries, which have been luring foreign investors to their real estate markets.
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