KUWAIT: A decree was issued amending some provisions of law number 35/1978 pertaining real estate rent, adding a new clause to section 1 of article 20, stating that: "Tenants will not be evicted in any case if they fail to pay the rent during a lockdown declared by the Cabinet of all public facilities. The court will later decide how to pay the overdue rent as per each case's circumstances," Al-Anbaa reported quoting legal sources.

The sources added that a new comprehensive court department will be established for all rent litigations and that the lockdown period will be excluded from the grace periods given by law, which will be calculated from the day set by the Cabinet to resume normal life activities.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the comprehensive court Adel Boresli issued a decision cancelling all rent departments in all courts including comprehensive and partial ones and establishing new departments at the comprehensive court that will start hearings from 11 am.

Accordingly, all current rent cases will be referred to the new departments following the already-set hearing schedule as much as possible. The amendments were issued in law number 15/2020, which is effective from March 12, 2020, meaning that it applies to cases that happened during the lockdown.