Kuwait News

10 months ago

Kuwait Launches Historic Legal Reform, Aims For 25% Code Revision In A Year

Kuwait’s Justice Ministry is preparing to launch what officials say will be the most ambitious legislative development program in the nation’s history, aiming to review and update a record share of its laws in less time than ever before. Justice Minister Nasser Al Shemmari said the country’s legal code currently comprises 983 laws. When he assumed office, he pledged to review 10 percent of them within a year. In practice, he said, his ministry had already examined 118 laws in just eight months exceeding the initial target both in volume and speed and is now moving to assess another 15 percent. That would bring the total reviewed this year to 25 percent. “All of Kuwait’s core laws will undergo evaluation and development,” Al Shemmari said, adding that eight specialized committees are currently working on major statutes, including the Economic Courts Law, the rental and owners’ association law, the penal code, the criminal procedures law, and labor legislation with an eye toward streamlining judicial processes. He noted that a new judicial law, now in its final stages, has been referred to the government’s legal advisory body and is expected to be completed soon. The minister described a heavy “legacy burden” in […]

10 months ago

Kuwait Busts Major Visa Trafficking Ring, Arrests Five Expats

Kuwaiti authorities have arrested five Asian expatriates accused of involvement in a residency visa trafficking network, the Ministry of Interior announced. According to the state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the arrests were carried out by the ministry’s General Directorate of Residency. Investigators said the main suspect, an Asian national, was officially registered under a company’s residency permit but worked as a representative for multiple firms. He is accused of selling work visas in violation of Kuwaiti law. Authorities allege the man acted as a representative for 19 companies and managed nine of them under agency contracts, with 150 workers registered under those entities. The other suspects told investigators they had paid between 350 and 900 Kuwaiti dinars to renew or transfer residency permits without actually working for any of the suspect’s companies. The main suspect admitted the charges, saying he personally processed the transactions using login credentials from the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior, without the knowledge or participation of the companies under whose names the permits were issued. The Ministry of Interior said all those involved have been referred to the competent authorities for legal action. It pledged to continue joint inspections with the Public […]

10 months ago

Nearly 50,000 Stripped Of Citizenship As Kuwait Continues Crackdown On Forgeries

Kuwait has so far revoked nearly 50,000 citizenships as part of an ongoing crackdown on forged and illegally obtained nationalities, a top official has confirmed. Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, emphasised that all citizenship applications are subject to strict scrutiny with no exceptions tolerated. Sheikh Fahad stressed that every citizenship file is being meticulously examined by the Supreme Committee for Investigating Kuwaiti Citizenship to preserve the nation’s identity and combat fraud. “This work will continue until the situation is fully rectified,” he said. When asked if dossiers of former ministers, members of parliament, or other prominent figures are included in the investigation, the Interior Minister was unequivocal: “All of Kuwait is under scrutiny.” He underscored the government’s zero-tolerance stance toward any tampering with national identity or obtaining citizenship through fraudulent means. Highlighting international cooperation, Sheikh Fahad revealed plans to launch a new electronic version of Kuwaiti citizenship to enhance security measures. Addressing women affected by citizenship revocations under Article 8 of the Kuwaiti Nationality Law, he confirmed that the August deadline to amend their status will not be extended. He urged those impacted to visit designated offices if their embassies have not […]

10 months ago

Kuwait Abolishes Minimum Salary Requirement For Family Visit Visas

Kuwait has abolished its minimum salary requirement for foreign residents seeking to bring family members on visit visas, as part of an overhaul of entry rules aimed at fostering openness and strengthening social ties, authorities announced this week. The changes, announced by Col. Abdulaziz Al Kandari of the General Residency Department’s Electronic Services Administration, eliminate a long-standing financial barrier for expatriates, who were previously required to meet a specific income threshold to sponsor relatives. Now, any legal resident in Kuwait can apply to host visiting family members, regardless of earnings. The reforms also expand the range of eligible relatives to include fourth-degree blood relations and third-degree in-laws, extending beyond immediate family, and scrap a mandate forcing visitors to arrive via Kuwait’s national airline. Sheikh Fahad Al Yousuf, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has ordered the cancellation of the “national carrier” requirement, allowing visitors to enter Kuwait by land, sea, or air via any airline without restriction, the statement confirmed. Colonel Al Kandari emphasized that these measures aim to streamline procedures and strengthen family bonds, reflecting the state’s commitment to greater openness and facilitating the movement of individuals.

10 months ago

Kuwait Airways Faces Challenges as It Waits for Airbus Delivery

Kuwait Airways’ plans of growing passenger numbers to 5.5 million in 2025 from more than 4 million last year faces difficulties due to delayed aircraft deliveries and geopolitical pressure in the region. Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) Chairperson Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan said on Monday that the airline is scheduled to receive a new plane, an Airbus-321, at the end of August and AN A-330-900 aircraft by the end of the year, but that is far short of the nine aircraft it has been waiting to receive from Airbus. Reuters reported that Kuwait Airways has 27 jets now, and expects to reach 30 by the end of 2025, with the rest due in 2027. Al-Fagaan said the airlines’ plans had been based on having 33 aircraft in 2024, whereas at one point it had just 23, having also had to return leased planes. That, Al-Fagaan said, would affect the company’s plan to grow. The airline did not disclose 2024’s profit during a press conference following the airline’s annual general meeting. Al-Fagaan said political challenges disrupting the region’s aviation industry and other issues related to some countries it serves, would also delay the carrier’s 2025 break-even target. Al-Fagaan added that the board is seeking to develop KAC’s operations further and […]

10 months ago

Kuwait Unveils Four-Tier Visa System To Boost Tourism

The Kuwaiti Government Information Center has unveiled a new, streamlined tourist visa system with four distinct categories designed to accommodate travelers of varying nationalities and purposes, a significant shift in the country’s approach to tourism and short-term visits. The newly announced visas offer validity periods ranging from 30 days to a full year, with options for both single and multiple entries. According to the released guidelines, single-entry visas permit stays of 30, 60, or 90 days, while multiple-entry visas, valid for 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year, allow for 30-day stays per entry. The move aims to balance accessibility with regulation, ensuring Kuwait remains open to tourism while maintaining oversight of visitor flows.

10 months ago

Kuwait Plans Fee Hikes For 67 Services, Some Up 17-Fold

Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has proposed introducing or raising charges for 67 services — many of which are currently free — with some fees set to surge more than 17 times. The plan, drafted in line with a Cabinet directive to review service pricing, would see company establishment applications, now free, cost KD20, including for non-profit firms. Fees would also apply to services such as amending a company’s fiscal year, cancelling mortgages and commercial agencies, and providing brokerage for fish, fodder, livestock, vegetables, fruit, and poultry. Temporary commercial licences would face the steepest hikes: a licence for a real estate or temporary jewellery showroom would jump from KD30 to KD500. Other changes include a 25% rise for capital amendments, partner changes, dissolutions, trade name updates, and management clause modifications. Licences to practise accounting would increase from KD150 to KD200, while company licence renewals and board member certificates would also rise by 25%. Representation at general assemblies would cost KD125, up from KD100, and ration card fees would double from KD5 to KD10. Officials said the overhaul responds to service cost gaps, fee comparisons with other Gulf states, and charges unchanged for over 50 years.

10 months ago

Kuwait Announces Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday Holiday For Public Sector

Kuwait will mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) with a one-day public sector holiday on Thursday, September 4, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) announced. The holiday, announced by the Cabinet, will give government employees an extended three-day break, as the holiday falls just before the regular two-day weekend. All ministries, government agencies, and public institutions across the country will remain closed during the glorified religious occasion. Normal working hours are set to resume on Sunday, September 7.

10 months ago

US, Gulf Tie Lebanon Reconstruction Funds To Total Hezbollah Disarmament

Lebanon is under pressure from the US and Gulf nations to completely disarm Hezbollah in exchange for loans and investments needed to rebuild the country following a devastating war with Israel last year, Bloomberg reported Saturday. US President Donald Trump has presented Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam with recommendations for dismantling the group, according to Tom Barrack, the US envoy to the country. Barrack said the US has told Aoun it is willing to serve as an intermediary if he moves to disband Hezbollah. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait have told President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam that “funds for reconstruction and investment in Lebanon are contingent upon a timetable-bound plan to fully disarm Hezbollah,” Bloomberg wrote, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter. US envoy Barrack also emphasized that disarming and dismantling Hezbollah, the Shia resistance movement that has defended the country from Israel for decades, is the key to unlocking Gulf funding. “Gulf countries have said, ‘if you do these things, we will come to the south of Lebanon, and we will fund an industrial zone, renovation, and jobs,’” he said. Much of southern Lebanon was destroyed by relentless Israeli bombing during the […]

10 months ago

Kuwait Announces New Visa for Expats in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman

Kuwait has announced new visa on arrival rules for expat residents living in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The new visa was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al Yousef Al Sabah. The tourist visit visa is offered to residents of GCC countries and is designed to boost tourism from neighbouring countries. Kuwait visa on arrival Ministerial Decision No. 1386 of 2025 was published in the official gazette Kuwait Al Youm and is effective immediately. Further details were shared of the major new visa offering: Local media reports in the country said that the move takes precedent over Decision No. 1228 of 2008, which previously governed the entry of GCC residents into the country under similar provisions. The Ministry of Interior said that new regulations follow Decree Law No. 114 of 2024 concerning the residence of foreigners. Also read: Kuwait Grants Tourist Visas On Arrival For GCC Residents

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Kuwait Launches Historic Legal Reform, Aims For 25% Code Revision In A Year

Kuwait Busts Major Visa Trafficking Ring, Arrests Five Expats

Nearly 50,000 Stripped Of Citizenship As Kuwait Continues Crackdown On Forgeries

Kuwait Abolishes Minimum Salary Requirement For Family Visit Visas

Kuwait Airways Faces Challenges as It Waits for Airbus Delivery

Kuwait Unveils Four-Tier Visa System To Boost Tourism

Kuwait Plans Fee Hikes For 67 Services, Some Up 17-Fold

Kuwait Announces Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday Holiday For Public Sector

US, Gulf Tie Lebanon Reconstruction Funds To Total Hezbollah Disarmament

Kuwait Announces New Visa for Expats in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman

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