Kuwait Times

Published Date: February 27, 2009
By Ben Garcia, Staff writer

As police raids in Sawaber reaching a crescendo, dwellers in Kuwait's landmark housing complex are beginning to leave. The Sawaber Complex is sifted with problems that vary from the alleged presence of numerous illegal expats to prostitution, harassment and neglected, grimy surroundings.

In a bid to deal with the problems in what used to be a citizens-only housing complex, several government officials proposed the demolition of the buildings and its replacement with commercial establishments. Until resolved, Sawaber will continue to attract headlines scaring long-time residents out.

The Sawaber Complex, completed in the 1980s, consists of 33 buildings, housing a total of 524 apartments serviced by 66 elevators. It was initially envisioned as providing modern urban housing for Kuwaiti citizens who had steadfastly served their country but could not afford to buy a house.

Today, however, some Kuwaiti homeowners in the complex are reportedly complaining about the appalling conditions. Although, this month alone there was a succession of raids, yet residents say that the illegal activities continue unabated and the surroundings are still run down and dirty.

"Yes there have been many raids conducted by authorities in the last few days and many illegal expats were arrested here. I heard that some of the residents were also questioned and had their civil IDs taken away," one Arab expat and Sawaber resident said.

Another long-time female resident said that such procedures were regularly conducted at the complex. "If you are asking me whether the raids are new, my honest answer is no. There have been several of those procedures in the past; so for those who are new to this building who maybe think that such raids are new, no they are not, and they've already happened in the past," she asserted.

Jam-packed, squalor Sawaber
As the Kuwait Times reported earlier, the Sawaber Complex apartments are leased out by the state; some, however, are allocated to individuals via the Amiri Diwan and others were set aside for what was termed "extraordinary cases," while the state reportedly still owns 130 of the apartments. After the Liberation of Kuwait in 1991, some of the neglected apartments were bought by investors who then leased them to non-Kuwaitis.

Since the apartments were rented by expatriates, reports of illegal activities in the complex have been a constant feature. According to one Indian tenant, since Kuwait City was no longer a residential area, several illegal expats were forced to move to Sawaber. "That is how the illegal activities that earlier took place in Kuwait City have now relocated to this area," said the Sawaber resident cautioning, "I can't confirm that though, but I hear it from other people too."

A Filipino called Rolly said that rather than focus on prostitution, the primary concern should be the problem of crowded flats. "There are some flats jam-packed with 30 occupants of both sexes in one flat. You couldn't blame the government if issues of immorality were raised here," Rolly said expressing concern about the current situation on the complex where he's lived with his family for five years. "We heard the news about raids and were told that we need to get out of this building, but the owner told us that he's in charge. We are fine, but I hope they will inform us properly not just with articles in the newspapers."

Moving out
Lourdes, an expat resident in Sawaber, has decided to move out once the news about raids started circulating. "I've lived here for over eight years. I haven't seen any raids or police inspection or whatsoever; but when I heard the news about raids in other blocks I was really afraid since my American boyfriend is living with me. I don't want any trouble; so it's better to leave than face any problem," she explained.

Another Filipino couple said they were also looking for another place to live. "Yes, raids have been going on almost every night. Today, we are going out to look for a new flat in Hawally," they said.

Liza, a Filipina subletting apartments owned by Kuwaitis, confirmed that there had been a raid in one of the flats under her management. "I heard a knock from the police just few days back; it was an announced visit because we knew they were coming. I opened the door silently and presented our civil IDs. We aren't afraid of police raids because all of us in the flat are legal residents anyway; so I'm not bothered," she said.

Bachelors
Although the Sawaber Complex is considered a residential area for families, many bachelors have chosen it for their dwelling. Some companies have leased flats there for their workers. For instance, Alfie, an expat living in a shared accommodation with colleagues from his work, says, "We live here because the company has rented our apartment. We have 15 people in one flat and we are okay. Yesterday, I heard there were raids in another building."

The Sawaber Complex is indeed poorly maintained. Walking through the parking area beneath the buildings is like walking in an abandoned area. Some empty rooms pose a virtual invitation for criminals to use them for illegal activities.

Meanwhile, the complex's elevators and stairwells have fallen prey to vandalism and graffiti, with thick layers of dust coating the walls which seem not to have been cleaned for years. The complex has no haris (janitor) to maintain the area, residents said, although many claimed that they were paying an additional sum on top of their rent for maintenance costs.

"There are some Bangladeshi cleaners from the municipality who come here regularly to do maintenance work on the complex. But they don't clean the place properly either," said one resident.

Almost a year ago lawmaker Musallem Al-Barrak was quoted by the Kuwait Times as saying, "The solution to the problem is to sell the complex in a public auction." The then-Minister of Housing Abdulwahid Al-Awadhi rejected this idea, however, insisted that the government would contribute towards maintenance of the Sawaber Complex. He was quoted as saying, "The state will help with the maintenance of the building and will look into the problems of the residents even if it costs KD 5 million."