A leading Middle East construction expert has said that the acute shortage of construction professionals in Kuwait is mainly as a result Government policy and the outdated bureaucracy involved in attaining visas.

Azad Hossain, deputy head of contracts and chief quantity surveyor, Gulf Consult, says that a severe shortage of construction professionals and skilled construction laborers will hamper Kuwait's anticipated property boom in 2008.

A report by Al-Mutakhassis Real Estate states that lower income tax on foreign firms and the establishment of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council*) common market would spark the boom. The release of land by Kuwait Petroleum Company for the construction of 16,000 low-cost homes and a possible US $14 billion railway and underground network also indicate there are good development opportunities in the coming year. But poor access to competent construction professionals and skilled labour could seriously hinder delivery.

Azad Hossain says “Kuwait is not like the UAE. While there is easy access to building materials, labour problems still exist due to visa procedures. The country is also lagging behind in contractual procedures and contract practices". He says the cumbersome bureaucracy and unfriendly investment laws have proved to be major obstacles facing businesses in the country, particularly in the construction sector.

Kuwait property developers have been looking to the wider GCC for opportunities because of the difficulty in obtaining land.

* Six Gulf Arab States launched a common market Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on January 1, 2008. The states involved are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement will give citizens of the six states all the economic rights in each country, including ownership of real estate, stock, capital movement, taxation pensions and social security.