9 months ago
Two teenagers have been arrested in Kuwait in connection with a failed robbery attempt at a local shopping centre, a security source has said. Both suspects, aged 16 and 17 years respectively, were later referred to the juvenile prosecution after they had been caught in Al Jahra area north west of Kuwait. Attached to the case file is a machete that one of the offenders had brandished in the face of sellers at the targeted mall to intimidate and force them to hand over the revenue of their sales, reported Al Anba newspaper. The incident was reported to the Ministry of Interior Operations Room, prompting the dispatch of a police patrol to the site, the paper quoted the source as saying. Upon arrival, police found the two teen suspects held by security guards of the mall, added the source. The mall workers stated in an ensuing inquiry that they were surprised to see the two juveniles enter the centre, with one of them holding a machete, attempting to rob the place. The workers were able to overpower them. The motive for the robbery attempt is not clear yet.
9 months ago
Kuwait has rounded up more than 400 expatriates for violating the country’s residency and labour laws as part of an inexorable nationwide clampdown on illegal foreigners. The arrests were made by the Kuwaiti residency affairs police during a massive security crackdown across the country’s six governorates conducted in coordination with relevant authorities over nine days resulting in detaining 440 violators. The raids covered residential areas, farms, and engineering companies operating in uninhabited areas across the country, a security source has disclosed. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior said the April 30-May 9 campaigns were part of an integrated security plan aimed at controlling irregular workers and exposing illegal residents. The ministry renewed a warning that its crackdown on illegals is ongoing across the country, and emphasized that violators and their employers will be held accountable. Kuwait, a country of an overall population of 4.9 million people mostly foreigners, is seeking to redress its demographic imbalance and regulate the labour market. Authorities there have recently mounted a nationwide crackdown on illegal foreign residents, who failed to take advantage of a three-month grace period to rectify their status. Thousands have since been rounded up. The amnesty, which commenced in March last year, allowed illegal expatriates to readjust […]
9 months ago
A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced three individuals to three years in prison with hard labor for involuntary manslaughter following a devastating fire last year that killed nearly 50 migrant workers in a residential building housing laborers. According to Al Rai, a local Kuwaiti newspaper, the Court of Misdemeanors handed down its ruling this week, convicting the defendants for their role in one of the deadliest labor housing incidents in the country’s recent history. The court also sentenced two defendants to one year in prison for perjury, and four others to one year with hard labor for harboring a person wanted by authorities. The identities and nationalities of the nine convicted individuals have not been publicly disclosed, though the majority are reported to be foreign nationals. The fire tore through a seven-story building in Kuwait’s Mangaf area, which was home to approximately 200 workers, most of them migrants. The blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning and is believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, which later ignited gas cylinders stored on the lower floor, accelerating the spread of the flames. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 49 workers though some media reports place the death toll at 50 […]
9 months ago
Four expats in Kuwait found in possession of stolen cables and electrical equipment were referred to the anti-money laundering authorities. The suspects had been arrested by police during a patrol in the Sabah Al Ahmad area in the Ahmadi governorate, after the security unit became suspicious of a truck carrying intoxicating substances, a security source was quoted by Al Anba newspaper. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the police discovered stolen cables, electrical equipment, and a transformer cabin, the source added. During the initial questioning, the four expatriates admitted to having stolen the items. Meanwhile, a citizen reported to authorities that four electrical transformers in the Al Mutlaa area, part of Jahra governorate in northern Kuwait, had been stolen including 28 cables. It was not immediately clear if both cases are interrelated.
9 months ago
Kuwaiti authorities have imposed a comprehensive ban on donations, extending beyond charitable organisations to include all legal and personal entities without exception, as part of ongoing efforts to regulate fundraising activities and combat potential misuse. The ban covers both public and private fundraising, whether conducted through traditional means or digital platforms, including bank links and payment services such as “Wamd.” “All fundraising, whether personal or institutional, through online links or direct solicitations, will be monitored closely,” said a government source familiar with the directive. “Violators will face full legal accountability, regardless of their intentions.” The announcement follows the recent arrest of a prominent mosque imam and preacher, known for his appearances on local television and radio programs. The man, who holds a PhD degree, was detained for allegedly collecting donations via WhatsApp by sharing emotional stories and directing contributors to his personal bank account. Authorities have launched a formal investigation and are preparing to refer the case to prosecutors. Kuwait has warned both citizens and residents, cautioning against the use of their personal or corporate bank accounts to send or receive payment links for donation purposes. The public was also advised not to respond to charitable appeals sent through personal messages, group chats, or digital forums, even […]
9 months ago
Two expatriates found dead on the rooftop of a building in Kuwait likely died after consuming tainted alcohol, according to an official forensic report. The report concluded that the cause of death was most likely alcohol poisoning, a security source said. No signs of physical assault were found on the bodies, Al Anba newspaper quoted the source as saying. The source added that both men had likely consumed locally produced toxic alcohol, and police are intensifying efforts to identify those responsible for selling the banned substance. The deceased were identified as being of Asian nationality, the source added. The case emerged last week when police received a report that two bodies had been found on the rooftop of a building in the Khaitan area of Farwaniya governorate. Experts say alcohol poisoning can result from consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short time or from drinking tainted liquor. It can affect breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature, and in some cases may lead to coma or death.
9 months ago
A severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Kuwait has affected more than 8,000 cows over the past month, leading to a sharp 75% drop in fresh milk production — from 250,000 litres per day to just 100,000 litres, according to the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources. Salem Al Hai, Director General of the authority, confirmed that 31 out of Kuwait’s 44 cow farms have reported FMD cases. While 952 cows have recovered, 71 have died from the highly contagious viral disease, which poses a serious threat to the country’s meat and dairy sectors. Vaccines to contain the outbreak are expected to arrive within two weeks. In the meantime, Al Hai urged farm workers to rigorously follow sanitation protocols, including sterilising milking equipment and tools. He also stressed the need to train staff and raise awareness about preventive measures to curb further spread and support recovery of the dairy industry.
9 months ago
Kuwait has introduced new restrictions on the hiring of expatriate workers, tightening labour market oversight to ensure better alignment between academic credentials and professional roles. According to media reports, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has rolled out a regulation requiring pre-approval from PAM for certain job categories before applicants can obtain security clearance from the Ministry of Interior. The change is expected to apply primarily to workers whose positions demand security vetting. While the new regulation signals a more selective hiring process, PAM confirmed that work permits will continue to be issued for doctors, engineers, and workers under government contracts from Egypt, as well as a limited number of exceptional cases. The move coincides with a separate measure issued by Minister of Defence and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al Sabah, who released Ministerial Circular No. 1/2025, effectively freezing changes to academic qualifications and job titles of expatriate workers hired on work permits or transferred to the private sector. The circular, published on PAM’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, is designed to regulate the labour market and prevent discrepancies between a worker’s academic qualifications and actual job role. Under the new rule, any request to amend an […]
9 months ago
A Kuwaiti court has sentenced an expatriate airline employee to seven years in prison on charges of embezzlement, in one of the latest corruption cases uncovered in the country. The Criminal Court also ordered the defendant, a ticket sales officer at the national carrier, Kuwait Airways, to pay a fine of KD56,000 (around $182,600) and be dismissed from his job for having pocketed 18,000 dinars in ticket change fees over a five-year period. The defendant’s nationality was not disclosed. The case surfaced after the airline had filed a legal complaint against the man whose nationality was not revealed, according to media reports. In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up anti-corruption efforts and issued varying jail sentences to defendants in high-profile cases. Last week, Kuwait’s top appeals court sentenced an ex-government minister to two years in prison on corruption charges in a final ruling. The Court of Cassation also ordered ex-minister Mubarak Al Harees to pay a fine of KD566,000 in the same case and barred him from holding any public office on charges of power abuse and making illicit gains. Last October, a Kuwaiti court, tasked with hearing cases involving government officials, sentenced Al Harees to four years in prison, […]
9 months ago
Kuwaiti authorities have launched a large-scale campaign removing charity groups unlawfully housed in residential buildings. Kuwait Municipality launched the campaign to clear charity offices from residential buildings across the country’s six governorates. Khaled Al Fadhli, a municipal official in Al Ahmadi governorate, said field teams had monitored and warned several charities located in private residential areas over the past few days to vacate their offices there. He added that the municipality Thursday carried out its first field inspection campaign in five areas to ensure that operators of charities in residential areas are complying with the eviction orders. The municipal team in Al Ahmadi issued 15 warnings to violating charities and many of them took the initiative to immediately vacate the buildings. The official stressed that the inspection team will not hesitate to take all legal measures against violators of the regulations. A 2009 Kuwaiti law bans the use of buildings in residential areas for any purpose other than private housing. Last month, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Social Affairs said it had suspended all fundraising operations after detecting links to unofficial and unknown websites collecting donations.
2 hours ago
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