"Housing Conference 2026" ... Partnership with the Private Sector as a Pillar to Accelerate Completion
The “Housing and Urban Development 2026” conference, held on Tuesday with the attendance of the Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Minister of State for Housing, Engineer Abdul Latif Al-Mutairi, focused on the future of housing and urban development, and the role of public-private partnerships in accelerating project completion, enhancing efficiency, and providing integrated, sustainable residential cities.
The conference was attended by representatives from the private sector, companies, developers, investors, and professionals working in the housing, real estate, and construction sectors, coinciding with the sixth edition of the “Bayti” exhibition.
Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, Engineer Rashid Al-Anzi, emphasized in his opening speech at the Grand Hyatt Hotel that the Authority is working to develop the housing and urban development system in alignment with the country’s 2035 development vision, strengthening effective public-private partnerships, and opening the door for a greater role for real estate developers and investment in residential, commercial, and investment projects.
Al-Anzi stated, “We believe that partnership with the private sector is a fundamental pillar in accelerating completion, enhancing project efficiency, and leveraging specialized expertise to help achieve the state’s housing and development targets.” He noted that the conference represents an important platform for exchanging experiences and ideas and proposing solutions that can contribute to developing more efficient and sustainable infrastructure and urban environments, meeting current needs and future aspirations. He hoped that the conference’s outcomes would yield practical results supporting the housing development process in the State of Kuwait.
Al-Ansari explained that the “new housing vision” represents a fundamental shift in the philosophy of providing housing welfare, moving from the state’s direct role in securing housing units for eligible beneficiaries (grants, apartments, and loans) to actual participation between the Public Authority for Housing Welfare and the private sector to develop cities and suburbs with a solid economic foundation, ensuring Kuwaiti families a decent and secure life with integrated, sustainable services and environment.
He pointed out that the Authority’s key objectives include strengthening family stability, rationalizing government spending, stimulating the national economy, increasing home ownership rates, and improving quality of life, with a particular focus on enhancing quality of life in projects.
Regarding the Authority’s enablers and tools, he noted that the enablers include the availability of land for organized housing welfare, as the Authority possesses sufficient land to meet future housing demands, God willing. Additionally, there is an integrated real estate development system and a parallel integrated mortgage financing system.
He clarified that the tools consist of land allocated to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, which is currently sufficient, along with the real estate development system. Law No. 118 of 2023 and its amendments, issued via a decree in 2025, provide the legal framework.
Al-Ansari added, “We have launched three projects and qualified a number of companies.” He noted that following this experience, existing systems and regulations will be improved and developed to create large-scale cities such as Al-Khiran City, Nawaf Al-Ahmad City, and Sabah Al-Salem City, which will accommodate up to 170,000 housing requests, in addition to several other projects.
He outlined the legal framework governing real estate development under Law No. 118 of 2023 and its amendments, as well as housing welfare under the basic Law No. 47 of 1993 and Law No. 27 of 1995, both of which have undergone numerous amendments.
