66 vacant housing units available for religious positions: Ministry

• The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs revealed a total of 66 vacant housing units across five governorates: 22 in Hawalli, six in the Capital, six in Al-Ahmad, 17 in Farwaniya, and 15 in Jahra.

• The applicant must hold a religious position within the ministry ‘such as director of imam and preaching, imam and preacher, or muezzin’ at any level and must be married or the head of a family, with their residence sponsored by the ministry.

The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has announced the commencement of applications for vacant residential care units for occupants holding religious positions within the ministry. The application period started on June 23 and will continue until Sunday, July 7.

The ministry revealed a total of 66 vacant housing units across five governorates: 22 in Hawalli, six in the Capital, six in Al-Ahmad, 17 in Farwaniya, and 15 in Jahra, as reported by Al Rai newspaper.

The ministry outlined the criteria and conditions for applying, which are as follows: The applicant must hold a religious position within the ministry ‘such as director of imam and preaching, imam and preacher, or muezzin’ at any level and must be married or the head of a family, with their residence sponsored by the ministry.

It was also noted that priority would be given to applications in the following order: employees residing in the governorate where the vacant housing unit is located, unless determined otherwise by the committee based on public interest and work needs; Kuwaiti employees appointed to public positions who have served in a public religious role for a full Gregorian year; and applications based on the submission date, giving precedence to those without a home or residential care, unless otherwise decided by the committee to prioritize the employee’s interest and consider their marital status.

The ministry further stated, “Priority is given based on the number of family members, with preference given to larger families. The vacant unit must accommodate the husband, wife, and unmarried children, in order of seniority within the religious position.”

The ministry pointed out that applications not meeting the conditions will not be considered. Requests submitted through the Residential Care Affairs Committee for occupants of religious positions will be reviewed in accordance with Ministerial Resolution No. 269 of 2023, which organizes residential care for occupants of religious positions.

The ministry explained that a usufruct licensing decision is issued to those who meet the housing entitlement conditions and are formally notified.

If the person to whom a usufruct licensing decision was issued fails to sign the contract within two weeks from the date of notification or fails to receive the housing unit within a maximum of three months from the date of issuance, and this is not due to a reason attributed to the administrative authority, it will be considered an implicit waiver of their right to occupy the unit.

The unit will then be considered vacant from this date, and the prescribed procedures will be followed. In this case, the committee may deny the person the right to apply for any advertised housing unit for a period of one year.

The ministry stated that, according to Article (28) of Ministerial Resolution No. 269 of 2023, there are three models of housing units: the first model, up to 150 square meters, for a family consisting of two or more individuals; the second model, from 151 to 199 square meters, for a family consisting of five or more individuals; and the third model, 200 square meters or more, for a family consisting of six or more individuals.