Moving out of Kuwait as an expat

Ihave always believed, and I continue to believe, that expats play a vital role in our society, and I have always written about expat rights with as much honesty as possible, because I believe for Kuwait to be a better place, we need to have a balanced society and economy. Rights that I have not discussed as much though are rights that expats have once they leave Kuwait. Unfortunately, it seems that it has not been easy for expats to retire in Kuwait even if they have lived here for their entire working lives. They can’t own a house (with ease, as there have been exceptions and new regulations on the matter); expats also need to continue to renew their residencies very often.

Question: I have decided to leave Kuwait after living and working here for 25 years - what precautions should I take when leaving?

Fajr: My advice would be to make sure that you have closed everything - if there are no ongoing disputes or potential disputes, then you can close your bank accounts, terminate all contracts you have such as phone or Internet bills and so on.

If on the other hand you have an ongoing dispute or face a potential dispute or even ongoing obligations such as contracts, then make sure you give a power of attorney to someone you trust - whether a lawyer or a friend - so they can handle issues on your behalf even if you aren’t in Kuwait.

If you have contracts or obligations, as explained, for example a car payment plan, then it is best you get an expert to review your contracts to advise you on how to terminate the contact with the least obligations possible.

I hope the above is helpful.

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