Sigh of relief for landowners as MPs approve one-year limit on permit freeze

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

In response to cases where landowners have waited over a decade to build or sell, Parliament has passed a measure capping the freeze on building permits at one year.

The move is meant to address delays that have left plots idle and properties falling apart.

The change will require planning authorities to complete or revise area plans within 12 months.

Once approved, the plans must be carried out without further hold-up. If the land is to be expropriated, payment must be made without delay.

MP Hassan Ebrahim, who led the proposal, said the issue has dragged on for years.

“Without a clear timeframe, buildings are left to deteriorate, and owners are forced to shoulder ongoing costs with no prospect of income or clarity,” he told the chamber.

Common problems

Speaking during the debate, he described two common problems: land marked for expropriation and land still awaiting classification.

“The government says it has finished classifying all areas in Bahrain, and that’s a good step,” he said. “But some owners have been waiting years. There should be a clear answer within two years at most.”

He gave one example of an owner who married and waited over a decade to build.

“Some plots took 12 years to be classified. If someone wants to build a house, how can he wait 10, 12 or even 15 years? All that time he’s paying rent,” the lawmaker said.

Zoning mismatches

Ebrahim also pointed to zoning mismatches.

“Some areas once marked as industrial were later labelled residential, but the factories are still there. You end up with a house behind a factory. It’s not logical. Either the factory owner is moved and the area becomes residential, or the landowner is paid and it remains industrial. You can’t leave both at odds,” he said.

On expropriation, he added: “When land is taken for roads or other works, the owner must be told when and how it will be used. It’s not fair to keep him waiting without knowing what will be taken or how he will be paid.”

The MP called for clearer cooperation between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning.

“There must be a set plan and a fixed way of compensating those still waiting,” he said.

Landowners caught in the delays say they cannot sell, rent or improve their property. Tenants leave, income dries up and buildings fall into disrepair.

Plans

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning says it completed plans for 96 previously unplanned areas in November 2024.

The process involves four stages: drafting, approval, paperwork and execution. The ministry said the time this takes depends on reports, technical input and replies from other bodies. These vary from case to case.