Women’s Housing Rights: MP Maryam Al Dhaen Welcomes Cabinet Decision

MP Dr. Maryam Al-Dhaen has welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to allow women the right to housing even if they have inherited property and said it achieves public interest.

She emphasized that this change, coupled with the review of monthly income requirements only at the time of granting a nomination certificate rather than during allocation, is essential for advancing women's rights and ensuring the public interest.

Dr. Al-Dhaen highlighted that she had raised this issue during a session of the House of Representatives, presenting evidence from numerous cases where women were adversely affected by the current regulations.

The government's response, which came during a regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, underscores the leadership's commitment to addressing these concerns, the MP said. The proposed change would allow women to secure their futures with inherited property without being barred from accessing housing services, she added.

Dr. Al-Dhaen also pointed to recent decisions aimed at restructuring the eligibility criteria for women in housing applications, ensuring equality, and upholding women's rights. This follows the introduction of a housing category specifically for divorced, abandoned, or widowed women without children, as well as single women who have lost both parents, the MP stated.

"The housing sector has seen significant movement and development, a matter of pride given the complexity and overlap of the issues involved," Dr. Al-Dhaen remarked, underlining the importance of continued cooperation between legislative and executive authorities to achieve these goals.