Kuwait's Housing Care Pavilion at Bahrain Exhibition: From Fereej to Smart Cities

By Khaloud Al-Anzi (Photo Report) Manama, Sept 30 (KUNA) -- From the features of the traditional Kuwaiti “fereej” (neighborhood) to smart cities of the future, the General Authority for Housing Affairs (GAHA) pavilion showcases the future of housing planning and the development of cities and residential communities, as part of the activities of the Fourth Gulf Housing Week in Bahrain.

The pavilion, at the side exhibition accompanying the “Innovation in Social Housing 2026” conference and exhibition, presents a comprehensive picture of the future of housing care in Kuwait. It does so by highlighting ongoing cities and projects, future plans, and providing figures on the number of projects and housing units to be delivered.

It also traces the city’s journey from its earliest stages, outlining the standards and planning steps followed to build integrated cities and enhance residents’ quality of life. Additionally, it introduces the concept of the smart city, which rests on three main pillars: planning intelligence, resilience intelligence, and technological intelligence, thereby strengthening cities’ capacity to keep pace with future changes and needs.

The pavilion takes visitors on a tour around the concept of the “Kuwaiti fereej,” comparing the traditional model with the contemporary one, and highlighting the social and planning values that distinguish it, as well as how these values have been developed to suit modern life requirements, enhance community cohesion, and improve the residential environment.

On another front, the pavilion highlights the Authority’s move toward involving the private sector in the housing care system through the real estate developer model, using three different models that collectively provide around 5,000 housing units. This contributes to diversifying housing solutions and supporting the development of integrated residential communities. (End) KH/NW/SH/MW