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Qatar Is First Gulf State to Offer Expat Permanent Residency

To be eligible, residents born in Qatar must have lived in the country for 10 years, while those born abroad would need to have lived there 20 years, according to the decree. A passing command of the Arabic language, proof of sufficient income and sound legal standing are also required.
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Permanent residents will be able to establish commercial companies without needing a local partner and will be able to take part in national economic projects. Permanent residency permits can be withdrawn in certain cases. [Source]

When expats like me who’ve been living in Kuwait all their lives talk about wanting some kind of benefit or advantage over an expat who’s been in Kuwait for just a week, this is what we really want. We want the ability to live in Kuwait without requiring a sponsor, without having to renew our residency every year and the ability to purchase a home or open a business if we want to. We’re not asking for the passport or a social security check every month.

24 replies on “Qatar Is First Gulf State to Offer Expat Permanent Residency”

I wish we can get at least a permenant residency. Like Qatar and btw the UAE also applied it.
Unffortunatly I feel like its going to take Kuwait a lot of time to get this done or even approve it.
Enshallah it will change

Unfortunately our PR strategy (if there is) for our decision makers is extremely poor. Mark, In Kuwait you can ask for apply for permanent residency if you are 65+ years old or if you worked in Kuwait for specific number of years which im not sure about the exact number of years. On real estate, You can purchase your own property but you really need a real push bcoz its subjected to Council of Ministers approval.

So, its here in Kuwait! but note its always “subjected” to a specific approval with no clear criteria

actually whats youre talking about isnt permanent residency, but the ability to sponsor yourself and it is a huge hassle to get that in the first place and even if you get it, its subject to renewal. Moreover, only 6 non-kuwaitis in the entire country own property and like you pointed out, it needs a special permission from the council of ministers and even then, if you get that permission, you have to buy the house for cash and cant get a mortgage

As a mother of Kuwaiti kids who didn’t get Kuwait nationality all I want is to be able to have a visa (which is sponsored by my Kuwaiti kids) for more than one year. Every year I have to renew my visa and drivers license and I can’t move out of Kuwait.

I have the same exact feelings Mark. I don’t see any benefits of saying i was born here over people who have come to Kuwait yest, which is sad. Simple things like getting a drivers license is a luxury here.

Belive me , if Kuwait gives permanent residence to all those born in Kuwait, it will boost this economy like no other.
Sad to see that we are having lawmakers like that lady who wants to charge exopat on being on roads when the truth is that an expat has contributed more to this country than her.

Oh man!!

Come on Kuwait, you have to give us long term peeps an option to stay!

I have lived here all my life, and would rather die here than my birth country.

I await the day i can live here without a residency. I hope it happens. I really really do.

*sits down and folds his arms* Now we wait 😛

As a Kuwaiti, I have been 100% behind such an idea being applied in Kuwait. We have expats who are like 3rd generation Kuwaiti residents with no right to the land or additional benefits to someone who steps off the plane tomorrow.

I really hope that they implement this in Kuwait. Expats in Kuwait deserve to have the same thing that is being applied in Qatar, and other places (ex. US – green card) yes citizenship is a much more sensitive topic since the nationals are less than expats and because Kuwait is a welfare state etc.

That being said, I really hope they allow expats permanent residency since I have non-Kuwaiti friends who mention that the current system of renewing sponsorship is a hassle. With the right framework and rules, this should be something that they implement to make sure that expats feel welcome here, we don’t lose the great contributors to society and for the added benefit that the influx of permanent residents would have on the economy of the country.

Also Mark, I really think you deserve it since you dedicated a whole blog on Kuwait and you are as excited (sometimes more excited than nationals) about anything good happening in Kuwait (highly appreciated). You like a lot of other expats who have lived in Kuwait all their lives see it as their home and care about its well being and that should be noticed and rewarded.

Atleast those of who were born in Kuwait before the invasion of Kuwait and still here should be given permanent residency.
We don’t need voting rights but a chance to live our entire lifes here and repay this country back in the form of love , prayers and development.

It is a positive move by Qatar. However, there are a lot of ifs and buts, including the ministry processing only 100 applications a year.

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