Kuwait enacts new construction guidelines, ushering in a period of urban and economic progress
In a significant stride towards urban modernization and economic growth, Kuwait has unveiled new building regulations aimed at optimizing land use, boosting investment, and encouraging sustainable development.
### Key Amendments and Regulations
The new regulations, spearheaded by Engineer Munira Al-Amir, head of the Technical Committee responsible for updating building regulations, introduce stringent building specifications for different land types. For instance, in agricultural areas like Wafra, Abdali, and Sulaibiya, one-storey buildings with a maximum height of 5 meters are allowed, except for residential/family rest houses, which can have two floors and reach up to 9 meters in height[1]. The total building coverage on a plot is capped at 10%, with a maximum building area of 10,000 square meters.
### Mixed-Use Investment Housing
The regulations also focus on optimizing land use for investment housing, both within and outside Kuwait City. The Municipal Council has approved several key amendments designed to enhance the specifications and encourage mixed-use development, signalling a move towards more integrated urban spaces combining residential, commercial, and recreational uses[3].
### Incentives for Developers
To attract experienced developers to participate in strategic urban redevelopment projects, Kuwait has opened bidding for major real estate redevelopment projects under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework. These projects, including prominent sites in Kuwait City’s Qibla and Sharq areas, offer long-term usufruct arrangements (15 years), providing developers with operational control and maintenance responsibilities while encouraging investment through shared governance[4].
### Broader Development Plan
The new building regulations are an integral part of a broader 2025–2026 development plan covering 141 projects, approved by the Cabinet. This plan is seen as a crucial step towards ushering Kuwait into a new era of urban and economic development aligned with Kuwait Vision 2035 priorities[2][5].
The regulations also include provisions for waste management, with proper entry and exit routes required for waste collection areas. Unused increases can instead be used for commercial activity on the first three floors. The terms used in the regulations have been precisely defined to avoid confusion and subjective interpretation. Developers can also receive a 30% increase in building area for designated units.
In conclusion, the new building regulations in Kuwait incorporate strict building specifications for specific land types, promote mixed-use investment housing to optimize urban land use, and provide incentives such as PPP frameworks to attract experienced developers to participate in strategic urban redevelopment projects. These steps collectively reflect Kuwait's commitment to sustainable urban modernization and economic diversification.
The new building regulations in Kuwait, which are an integral part of a broader development plan, encourage investing in real-estate by offering long-term usufruct arrangements under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework for major real-estate redevelopment projects. These initiatives aim to boost business by attracting experienced developers and encouraging mixed-use development for optimizing land use, particularly in urban spaces combining residential, commercial, and recreational uses.
