KUWAIT: Kuwait has issued a major legal amendment that reshapes how the country plans, builds, and manages residential cities. The changes, published this week in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm, are part of a broader effort to tackle the country’s longstanding housing shortage while opening the door wider to private investment.

The new decree law, No. 89 of 2025, amends key provisions of the 2023 legislation that first established a framework for creating companies to design and develop integrated housing cities. According to the explanatory note attached to the new law, the original legislation “required greater flexibility to suit different projects and to encourage private sector participation.” The amendment expands housing options for citizens and adds a key financial safeguard: once the government commits to funding a project, it cannot later increase or reduce that amount.

More housing options

The new law gives the government more flexibility in how it works with the private sector. Under the 2023 law, the state had to form joint-stock companies to carry out housing projects. The amendment removes that restriction. Now, the housing authority can set up companies of any legal form or size, depending on the project’s nature and feasibility. This gives the government more tools to tailor each project to its economic and technical conditions.

The amended law also expands the types of housing that can be offered to eligible citizens. Originally, developers could offer only plots or ready-built homes. Now they can also build apartments, duplexes, attached villas, gated compounds and other formats. The goal is to give families more choice and allow developers to respond to different needs and budgets.

Protecting funds

One of the most significant updates concerns the state’s financial role. The government can still help cover infrastructure costs, such as roads and utilities, when backed by a feasibility study. But the law now includes a new rule: once a contract is awarded, the government cannot change the amount it has committed to fund. This is meant to protect both public funds and private developers from uncertainty and unexpected cost shifts.

The law also makes room for more direct private sector participation. By anchoring decisions about investment types and project structuring in economic feasibility, the authority can now adapt each project to attract the right kind of investor. The executive regulations, rather than the law itself, will spell out the operational obligations of these companies, allowing for quicker policy updates when needed.

In addition to changing existing articles, the 2025 decree law introduces two new ones. The first grants PAHW clear authority to define the technical and planning standards for all components of a project – residential, commercial, industrial, or otherwise. The second allows the law to apply retroactively, letting the authority bring older or partially completed areas under the same legal framework.

The government framed the changes as part of a broader legislative push to unlock private capital, accelerate housing delivery and improve the financial sustainability of state-backed development. The explanatory note accompanying the law said Kuwait remained committed to resolving the housing crisis, but stressed the need to rethink legal tools to make its plans viable. The amended law takes effect immediately. Ministers have been instructed to begin implementation from the date of publication in the official gazette.

KUWAIT: If you’ve ever wanted to get into stargazing, August is the perfect month to start. The Ojairi Scientific Center says the skies over Kuwait will be filled with rare and beautiful celestial events this month — from planet pairings and meteor showers to striking moon phases. Things kick off on August 6, when Saturn and Neptune will appear side by side in the sky. “The two planets share the same right ascension,” the center explained, with Saturn passing just 1.08 degrees south of Neptune. That means they’ll be close together from our point of view — best spotted in the early morning or evening when they reach 21 degrees above the eastern horizon.

Next up is the ‘Fish Moon’ on August 9. This is the name traditionally given to the August full moon, known in English as the Sturgeon Moon — because it used to mark the peak time to catch sturgeon fish in North America’s Great Lakes. It’s one of the year’s most striking full moons.

Then, on August 12, two of the brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, will shine just a finger’s width apart. “They will appear less than one degree apart in the sky,” the center noted. That same night, the Perseid meteor shower will begin — one of the most anticipated annual meteor shows. The Perseids are known for being especially bright and active, but there’s a catch this year: a nearly full, bright moon will be in the sky too. “It will reduce the number of meteors that can be seen,” the center said. Still, the show is worth looking up for, especially in darker areas away from city lights.

On August 19, early risers will have a chance to catch Mercury at its greatest distance from the Sun. This moment, called “greatest elongation,” makes the tiny planet easier to spot in the morning sky — something that doesn’t happen often. Just two days later, on August 21, Mercury will rise near a thin crescent moon. “It will appear beside a delicate waning moon,” the center said — another pretty sight for anyone up before sunrise.

On August 23, we’ll see a new moon — the moment when the moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. It’s invisible to the naked eye, but it also means the nights around that date will be darker — perfect for stargazing or catching the tail end of the Perseid meteors. Finally, on August 26, the moon and Mars will line up in the sky. “They will pass within 27.2 degrees of each other,” the center said. But this time, you may need binoculars or a high vantage point to see them. “It will be difficult to observe from Kuwait City unless they rise higher than 14 degrees above the horizon.”

All in all, August offers a sky full of action — a free show for anyone curious enough to look up. Whether you’re a space nerd or just someone who wants an excuse to go outside at night, it’s a good month to keep your eyes on the stars.

KUWAIT: Young Kuwaiti game developers are getting the spotlight at the “Made in Kuwait Video Games Expo,” which kicked off Friday at The Avenues mall as part of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters’ (NCCAL) Summer Cultural Festival 17.

The three-day exhibition features locally developed video games that blend modern gameplay with Arab identity and traditional values. Visitors can try out the games firsthand, share feedback directly with developers, and engage with the creative process behind these digital experiences.

“This event is the result of past game development competitions we held as a national cultural challenge,” said Omaima Al-Saad, founder and director of NCCAL’s gaming programs. “They brought together talented Kuwaitis – developers, musicians, artists, storytellers, and designers – to create games within 72 hours.”

The games on display were born from those time-limited challenges, and many are still in development. According to Al-Saad, this allows players to give real-time input, building a stronger connection between game creators and audiences. “This direct feedback helps improve the games while encouraging a culture of collaboration between developers and players,” she said.

Looking ahead, Al-Saad announced another initiative: a “Game Development Bootcamp” will launch later this month at Kuwait National Library. It will feature eight intensive training programs, led by specialists in the field, aimed at teaching the basics and skills of game creation. Dalal Al-Fadhli, Director of Culture at NCCAL, emphasized the broader goal of the exhibit: “It’s part of our mission to present cultural content that’s both entertaining and educational – content that’s free from violence and promotes national tech culture.”

Al-Fadhli noted that the game development challenge ran for two consecutive seasons and drew strong interest from Kuwaiti youth. “What you see today at the expo reflects the progress of our local programmers and designers,” she said. “This platform highlights the talent of young Kuwaitis in a field that’s growing rapidly worldwide. It also shows how they’re capable of producing high-quality digital content rooted in their identity and values,” she added. — KUNA