22 hours ago

Video: Reckless Driver Arrested After Injuring Traffic Officer in Kuwait

A reckless driver who struck an on-duty traffic officer in Al-Sabahiya while attempting to flee has been arrested, according to the General Traffic Department. The incident, which prompted immediate action from authorities, resulted in the officer sustaining injuries. The Ministry of Interior reported that the 29-year-old Kuwaiti national deliberately collided with the officer when he tried to intercept the driver. In response, the General Traffic Department cordoned off the area and tracked the suspect, leading to his prompt apprehension. The driver now faces charges for endangering law enforcement officers and public safety. #وزارة_الداخلية | بناءً على توجيهات معالي النائب الأول لرئيس مجلس الوزراء ووزير الدفاع ووزير الداخلية ضبط قائد مركبة مستهتر قام بدهس ضابط مرور في الصباحية pic.twitter.com/pVW48SyqO8 — وزارة الداخلية (@Moi_kuw) October 31, 2024 The Ministry confirmed that the injured officer’s condition is stable and that he is receiving necessary medical treatment. Officials expressed their best wishes for his swift recovery. Emphasizing its commitment to road safety, the Ministry reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on reckless driving and reassured the public of ongoing measures to protect both the roads and security personnel.

1 day ago

Kuwait Seizes $3.2 Million Worth of Shabu in Major Drug Bust

Kuwait has announced the seizure of drugs with an estimated market value of KD 1 million ($3.2 million), marking the latest blow dealt by the country to drug smugglers. The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said that anti-drug police had confiscated 85 kg of the drug substance locally known as Shabu from an Asian man connected to an international ring, who had been receiving instructions from abroad to sell drugs within Kuwait. “This achievement is part of a series of security successes that emphasise the Interior Ministry’s commitment to protecting society from the scourge of drugs,” the ministry added in a statement. It said that the latest bust sends a “potent message” to drug smugglers and dealers about the authorities’ resolve to dismantle “criminal networks.” It was not immediately clear when and where the haul was seized. In recent months, Kuwait has ramped up its efforts to combat drug smuggling and trafficking. In August, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said anti-drug police had thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics with an estimated market value of KD1 million. The Kuwaiti General Department for Combating Narcotics arrested two Asian expatriates in their possession of that Shabu haul. Both suspects admitted to owning the seized drugs […]

2 days ago

Decades-Old Forgery Uncovered: 70 Syrians Gain Kuwaiti Citizenship Illegally

Kuwaiti authorities have uncovered a complex forgery scheme involving approximately 70 individuals of Syrian origin who acquired Kuwaiti citizenship illegally. The investigation, led by the Nationality Investigations Department, revealed that these individuals gained citizenship by being added to the files of three deceased Kuwaiti nationals, some dating back to before the 1990 Iraqi invasion. The forgery scheme reportedly centres around five Syrian nationals, including one woman, who were fraudulently inserted into Kuwaiti citizenship records decades ago. This forgery has since extended to their descendants, including children and grandchildren who currently hold Kuwaiti citizenship. According to sources close to the investigation, suspicions were first raised within the Nationality Investigations Department, prompting a series of detailed background checks. Authorities uncovered that the initial five Syrians had paid to be listed in the files of deceased Kuwaiti citizens, a scheme which later allowed their offspring to inherit citizenship rights. The scheme involved four siblings, one of whom is a woman, who were added to the nationality records of a deceased Kuwaiti in exchange for money. A fifth sibling, previously hidden from authorities, was later added to another Kuwaiti citizen’s file. The woman, who married another Syrian national, subsequently added her three children to […]

2 days ago

Kuwait Opens Electronic Registration for Hajj, Setting Strict Criteria for First-Time Pilgrims

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Kuwait has opened electronic registration for the upcoming Hajj season, following a recent warning against unauthorised travel for the pilgrimage. Registration, which is available from November 3 to November 17, can be completed via an electronic platform with authentication through the ‘My Identity’ application. The Ministry set several conditions for registration, aiming to prioritise first-time pilgrims and ensure organised participation. Kuwaiti citizens who have never performed Hajj are eligible to apply, with group sizes limited to three people, including relatives. Each group may include one expatriate companion, such as a resident spouse or child, as well as a non-citizen companion, like a spouse or mother of a Kuwaiti. Stateless individuals (Bedouns) who have not previously performed Hajj can also apply, with similar group size limitations. Bedoun applicants may add one resident companion, such as a spouse or mother, as well as one Kuwaiti companion, and must possess a valid security card. A payment of 750 Kuwaiti dinars is required for each registrant to confirm participation, and transfers between caravans are allowed once, with a deadline of December 31, 2024. Applicants are also permitted to change or replace participants during the registration period. […]

3 days ago

Slight Rise In Kuwait’s Expatriate Workers, Indians Top List, Followed by Egyptians

Expatriates working in Kuwait’s government and private sectors have increased by 2.9% in recent months with Indians topping the list of workers, according to recent official figures. Their number rose from 1.64 million in June 2023 to 1.68 million last June, accounting for 78.9 per cent of Kuwait’s total workforce, Al Qabas reported, citing government statistics. A breakdown of the major nationalities at the Kuwaiti labour market at the end of last June showed that the Indians took the lead with 537,430, followed by Egyptians with 474,000. According to the same statistics, the overall number of government employees reached about 474,000 with Kuwaitis making up 79.6% of them. Meanwhile, workers in the private sector totalled about 1.7 million, of which 4.4% of them are Kuwaitis only. The total number of workers in the government and private sectors excluding the family sector, surpassed the 2.1 million mark at the end of last June, data from the Central Statistical Bureau showed. The same statistics cited an increase of around 52,000 in the number of workers at the Kuwaiti labour market within a year. The number of Kuwaiti workers, meanwhile, increased from 447,064 in June 2023 to 451,595 last June. All in all, […]

3 days ago

Kuwait: No Entry In Schools After Official Work Hours

The Ministry of Education issued a circular to schools and kindergartens about the new mechanism for regulating the entry of individuals to schools. The circular emphasized the need to guarantee the safety of educational facilities and the school community by following the system in place. It stressed that no one is allowed to enter the school during or after official working hours unless their data (name and identification number) are recorded in a special register. The reason for the visit must be specified as well, while a written permit must be obtained if the visit is outside official working hours. This is part of the ministry’s efforts to ensure compliance with the directives on the security and safety of educational facilities and their employees. All concerned parties in schools and kindergartens have been instructed to adhere to the circular, whose stipulations were adopted to protect the school community and ensure a safe environment for everyone.

4 days ago

Sleepless Dual Citizen Relinquishes Kuwaiti Nationality

A senior Kuwaiti official has disclosed that a dual citizen, holding Kuwaiti nationality, had willingly gone up to authorities and abandoned his Kuwaiti citizenship to get rid of nightmares haunting him in sleep amid a crackdown in the country on illegal holders of Kuwaiti citizenship. Kuwait has withdrawn its citizenship from hundreds of people since early March due to fraud or holding another nationality that is banned under Kuwaiti law. Fahad Al Yousef, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Interior said in a video circulating online that a man bearing dual citizenship went of his own will to a police officer on duty to hand over his Kuwaiti citizenship. “For two months, I have been unable to sleep. Fahd Al Yousef has kept appearing in my dreams. Let me sleep like other people and take your nationality,” Al Yousef said in the video. The official added that the man was a Saudi national, who also held Kuwaiti citizenship. Al Yousef stressed that Kuwaiti citizenship will be withdrawn from any person proven to have obtained it through forgery and fraud, or bearing dual nationality. Kuwait, a country of around 4.9 million people mostly expatriates, has recently launched […]

5 days ago

UAE: Etihad Cancels Some Flights to and From Kuwait for 4-Day Period

UAE’s local airline Etihad Airways cancelled some flights to Kuwait for a four-day period, the airline announced. Some flights between Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) and Kuwait (KWI) have been cancelled starting from October 30 until November 2. The airline said in its statement the cancellation was due to “reasons beyond its control”. The flights affected are EY 651 Abu Dhabi to Kuwait and EY 652 Kuwait to Abu Dhabi. These will be suspended during the four-day period. The airline said it was working to provide affected customers with re-accommodation on alternative flights or provide full refunds. The airline contacted guests impacted by these flights directly. The carrier urged travellers who may have booked these flights to check their contact details are up to date by visiting etihad.com/manage. This will ensure that the airline updates customers via SMS or email with the latest flight information. To make any changes to bookings, customers can contact the airline on its local phone numbers, live chat and social media accounts. Meanwhile, other Etihad Airways flights to the Gulf country are still operating from Abu Dhabi during this period. Flight numbers EY 657, EY 655 and EY 653 are all operating from Abu […]

5 days ago

Kuwait Sets New Rules for Transfer of House Workers

Kuwait has unveiled a new mechanism for transfer of domestic workers among employers. The country’s Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) has launched an online awareness campaign about rights of workers, and the transfer mechanism. Accordingly, if the domestic worker is transferred during the six-month guarantee period, set in the law from the date of his/her arrival in Kuwait, without PAM knowledge, the worker’s warranty will be revoked unless a new contract is concluded between the new employer, the hire office, the worker, and PAM, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba reported, citing an unspecified source. Should the worker refuse to continue working during the six-month period, he/she must be handed over to the PAM Department for Regulating the Recruitment of Domestic Workers to guarantee the employer’s right to regain the fees paid to recruit the worker. Earlier this year, Kuwait announced a grace period, allowing domestic workers to transfer from Visa 20 (domestic sector) to Visa 18 (private sector), a step boosting labour mobility. This type of transfer opened on July 14 and ended on September 12. As a result, around 55,000 domestic workers have joined the private sector, capitalising on the transfer aimed to offset a shortage in house labourers. During […]

5 days ago

Flexible Working Hours Reduce Kuwait’s Traffic Congestion by 30%

Traffic congestion in Kuwait has decreased by 30 per cent since the implementation of “flexible working hours” across 24 government agencies last year, according to recent govern-ment estimates. Building on this progress, a coalition of nine government agencies is working to find permanent solutions to the country’s persistent traffic issues. The Council of Ministers has tasked these agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Works, and others, to coordinate efforts to permanently resolve the traffic problem. A final report detailing a plan of action, measures taken, and an implementation timeline is ex-pected by February 2025. Sources also anticipate that the introduction of an evening shift system early next year will fur-ther alleviate congestion, while relevant agencies continue to explore strategies. Among the ideas under consideration are assigning new employees based on residential locations, identifying roles that could adopt remote work, and encouraging students to use school buses. The Ministry of Interior, through the General Traffic Department, is leading efforts to complete the assigned tasks within the designated timeframe. Additionally, the Traffic Congestion Com-mittee has been reactivated by the Ministry of Public Works, further supporting coordinated ef-forts to tackle the problem.

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