Bahrain: Stalemate over housing for women

MPs were locked in a stalemate yesterday over a proposal to give government housing services to Bahraini women married to expatriates.

Housing Minister Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa told MPs at their weekly session yesterday that housing services were given to Bahraini families and not individuals.

He said it would be unfair for Bahrainis waiting for their services to be left out, while non-Bahrainis benefited.

However, Shaikh Ibrahim said he didn't mind allowing Bahraini women to get housing services if MPs want it.

Al Wefaq MP Jalal Fairooz said every Bahraini was entitled to the services, regardless of gender.

But fellow Al Wefaq MP Mohammed Al Mizal disagreed and called for the proposal to be scrapped.

"The basis for the housing services, whether loans or houses, to be dispensed to people, is the breadwinner," he said.

"In some cases women get housing services, if they are divorced or are taking care of their family."

But Mr Al Mizal said giving this service to Bahraini women married to expatriates would be catastrophic.

"Most Bahraini women don't get married to expatriate men, except for naturalised women," he said.

"Those naturalised women would most likely marry someone from their original country, whether Syria, Jordan, Morocco or Iran.

"Do we want to turn our country into a nation for expatriates?"

The majority of MPs abstained during voting, which forced parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani to refer the issue back to the public utilities and environment affairs committee, which originally backed it.

Meanwhile, MPs failed to reach an understanding on whether to give people who get land in gift from the government the right to a government housing loan to build on it.

They also failed to set the minimum loan the ministry could give.

However, they rapped the government for giving loans too small to buy or build their own homes.

Parliament foreign affairs, defence and national security committee chairman Al Asala MP Shaikh Adel Al Maawada said the government could easily pump more money to the Housing Ministry from its Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix revenue.

"The government is bragging that event is a success and that they had around 100,000 visitors, which means that they have generated a huge profit, something that the people could have good use of," he said.

Shaikh Ibrahim said MPs had asked that families should be given loans of up to BD100,000, rather than the current maximum of BD40,000, which he agreed should be done.

But, he said that it was difficult because the ministry could take only a maximum of 25 per cent from the breadwinner's salary.

Minister of State for Shura Council and Parliament Affairs Abdulaziz Al Fadhel said the housing problem would continue in Bahrain for a very long time.

"Even other GCC countries, which have better budgets than ours, are facing housing problems," he said.

"The Housing Ministry is working according to a certain budget and if they increase loans, others on the waiting list will suffer, while MPs want everyone to benefit."

The issue has now been referred back to the public utilities and environment affairs committee for revision.

Today's session will focus on the national housing shortage and potential solutions.