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Kuwait's Public Authority for Housing Welfare launches Sahel app service to demolish and rebuild government houses mortgaged to it

The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has launched a new service on Sahel, the government's unified e-services app, that lets holders of title documents for government houses mortgaged to the Authority apply to demolish the house, or part of it, and rebuild it, Sarmad reported on 15 October 2026 and Al Anba on 16 October 2026. The applicant fills in the request, can attach a copy of the house document and follows its progress in the app. Once the request is approved, the citizen visits the Real Estate Registration department at a PAHW branch after two working days to sign a debt acknowledgement.

Al Mithaq news desk · Published 17 October 2026 · Updated 17 October 2026 · Source: Al Anba

A hand holds a phone showing the Sahel government app in front of a Kuwaiti family house being demolished and rebuilt (illustration). Picture: illustration; phone and Sahel screen from Sarmad

Sahelthe government's unified e-services app where the request is filed

2 working daysafter approval, the citizen visits the PAHW branch to sign the debt acknowledgement

What PAHW announced

According to Sarmad on 15 October 2026 and Al Anba on 16 October 2026, the Public Authority for Housing Welfare launched a new electronic service on Sahel that lets citizens apply to demolish and rebuild government houses mortgaged to the Authority. It is open to holders of title documents for such houses, and Sarmad reports that the request can cover the whole house or part of it. The Authority said the service is part of its digital transformation, to speed up transactions, reduce in-person visits and save citizens time and effort.

How to apply

In the Sahel app, choose Services, then the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, then Distribution and Documentation Services, and select the service called Request to demolish and rebuild the house. Fill in the required details; you can add notes and attach a copy of the house document before sending the request. Sahel then sends a notice that the request was received and passed to the competent department for study, and keeps the applicant informed of its status. When the request is approved, a second notice confirms the approval, and the citizen must visit the Real Estate Registration department at the PAHW branch after two working days to complete the signing of the debt acknowledgement.

What the reports do not say

Neither report gives a fee, a time limit for studying the request, the conditions for approval or what the debt acknowledgement contains. They also do not say whether the approval replaces any building permit from another government body. We did not find the announcement on the Authority's own website when we checked, so we cite the two Kuwaiti reports that name the Authority. We will update this story if PAHW publishes more details.

Why it mattersOur view for a Kuwaiti owner. Many families live in government houses that were handed over decades ago and now want to knock them down and build a modern home on the same plot. When the house is still mortgaged to the Authority, the request goes to the Authority, which says the new service is meant to cut in-person visits. Filing the request in Sahel lets you start without a trip to the office and track the file, but it does not remove the visit altogether: after approval you still go to the branch to sign a debt acknowledgement. Three practical points. Have a clear copy of the house document ready before you start, because the request lets you attach it. Keep the Sahel notifications, since they show when your file was received and when it was approved. And remember what the reports do not say: they give no fee, no processing time before approval and no explanation of what the debt acknowledgement covers, and they do not say whether this approval replaces any other permit you need to build. Ask PAHW about those points before you sign a contract with a builder.

What Al Mithaq adds

This service is for government houses on the housing welfare system. If your family is looking at a new plot on the open market instead, for example in Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City, our Sea City land page lets you tell us the phase and budget you have in mind, and our team in Kuwait comes back with the plots available now, with their prices.