New system to reduce housing waiting period – Housing exhibition opens

KUWAIT: Minister Salem Al-Othaina cutting the ribbon and launching the fair. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: A variety of new building materials, products, services and systems are on display as the 16th Housing Exhibition took off to a flying start yesterday at the Kuwait Regency Hotel with 35 companies and institutions participating in it. The exhibition will continue till Thursday.

Visitors to the exhibition will find a wide range of building materials such as cement, aluminum, metal, floors, ceramic, and others, besides dÈcor and finishing materials such as lights, elevators, paintings, kitchens, glass, shades, air conditioning etc. The exhibition also features construction and contracting services such as soil research, swimming pools, lightening and voice controlled systems, smart houses, electrical contracting and others. The fair also includes housing services such as financing, investing, security, maintenance, consulting and other services.

Organized by the United Marketing and Organizing Exhibition ‘UNIEXPO’, and sponsored by the Ministry of Water and Electricity, Ministry of Public Works, Public Institution for Housing, Kuwait Finance House, Al-Kharafi Group, United Steel Industrial Co. GTC Paints, Al Wazzan, Carrier, Gulf Cables and Electronical Industries, Refrigeration Industries, Gulf Systems, and BLK, the exhibition will remain open from 9:30 am till 1:00pm, and then again from 4:30pm till 9:00pm.

The Minister of Transportation and State Minister for Housing Affairs, Salem Al-Othaina, who inaugurated the exhibition yesterday, said it has brought a variety of products under one roof, and that results in bringing down the prices. On the housing issue, he noted that during his short period in this post, he was optimistic about soon fulfilling the aspirations of citizens waiting for houses. “The automation system that will be made applicable soon will fasten the process of receiving the demands. Submitting applications will also be faster through this system. We are not able to meet all the demand currently but we will reduce the waiting period,” he pointed out. “Future plans for housing will be announced soon. There are many issues that we need to resolve. People do not want promises, but actual solutions.

We are working to find ways to provide best housing, ,” he added. There are about 8000 to 9000 new applications for houses submitted every year. “We need to study whether this can be resolved through building new cities. Hopefully, this approach will solve most of the problem. We are currently meeting consultants to shorten the waiting period as many families are waiting for their house,” Al-Othaina pointed out. Regarding the new GCC joint cable, Al-Othaina said this project is almost ready to be signed in the next three to five months, and then the ministry can start working on it.

By Nawara Fattahova, Kuwait Times Staff

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