MPs to discuss plan for housing review offices

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Long queues and drawn-out waits at the Housing Ministry’s customer service hall could be eased under a plan to open review offices across Bahrain’s governorates. Parliament will take up the matter on Tuesday, with the proposal aiming to bring government services closer to the people and reduce the strain on the ministry’s main headquarters.

MP Maryam Al Dhaen, who put the plan forward, argues that the current system forces applicants to travel long distances, crowd into a single location, and waste time navigating a process that could be far more accessible.

Support
The Public Utilities and Environment Committee has thrown its support behind the idea, reasoning that decentralising access to housing services would benefit applicants and prevent logjams at the ministry’s main office.

Al Dhaen made her case: “The Ministry of Housing bears the responsibility of providing housing services to Bahraini families, and with the increasing number of housing applications in recent years, I am submitting this parliamentary proposal to open offices in the governorates for housing applicants. This initiative is intended to ease the process for citizens, save them time, and prevent overcrowding at customer service halls, which complicates the housing application review process,” she said.

But the ministry is unconvinced.

Requests
In a letter to Parliament, the ministry argues that it has already taken steps to tackle the issue, with an overhaul of services that lets applicants submit and track their housing requests from home.

Remote consultations, online applications, and a booking system for in-person meetings have, the letter reads, made the process smoother and more efficient.

Digital services
Beyond digital services, the ministry has also been working to reach people where they live. The “Mobile Branch for Housing Finance” initiative has seen officials set up temporary service points in different areas, including stops in the Northern Governorate at Al Ramli and Country Mall. Further visits are being planned, as the ministry insists this approach is more practical than opening permanent offices in each governorate.

Public talks
Housing officials also point to a series of public talks held across Bahrain, designed to explain housing policies and take questions directly from residents. More than 120 such sessions have been run so far.

With these measures in place, the ministry sees little reason to change course. Whether Parliament agrees is another matter.