After rehabilitation centres for drug addict, accident victims, and soldiers, new rehab centres for transgenders and cross-dressers will soon be built in Kuwait, Kuwait Times reported on Monday.

The report said “rehabilitation centres to treat cases of gender identity disorder” will be set up in Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities have justified the building of such places to prevent those who imitate the opposite sex from being “abused” or ill-treated during arrests.

MP Dr Adel Al-Damkhi said that sending cross-dressers and transgenders to rehabilitation centres will solve the problem of violent arrests and will allow "imitators" to receive treatment “for their conditions”.

“Providing rehab to such patients has become a necessity,” the lawmaker said, local media quoted adding that similar projects have been successfully adopted in Gulf and Arab countries .