By B Izzak, Agencies

KUWAIT: A ministerial decision was published in the official gazette on Sunday increasing the validity of the driver’s licenses for expatriates to five years instead of three. The decision also increased the validity of the driving licenses for Kuwaitis and Gulf citizens to 15 years instead of 10. As for bedoons or stateless people, the validity is linked to the validity of their IDs, according to the decision. The validity of the driver’s licenses for Kuwaitis used to be for 10 years. It was then reduced to just one year for expats and remained 10 years for Kuwaitis.

Several months ago, the validity for expats was increased to three years, according to a decision issued by Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah. However, the duration was raised to five years on Sunday. The decision is effective immediately, the decision said. Kuwait applies strict conditions for expatriates to obtain a driver’s license including a university degree. Newcomers must apply for a driver’s license after staying legally for two years.

In another development, the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) announced Sunday that the upcoming KD 20 increase in retirement pensions will be disbursed starting August 1. In a statement posted on its official account on X (formerly Twitter), the institution confirmed that the increment applies to all Kuwaiti retirees, including those treated as Kuwaitis, as well as individuals entitled to pensions based on their respective eligibility percentages. PIFSS clarified that the increase will be processed automatically, and beneficiaries are not required to visit the institution or submit any requests to receive the additional amount.

KUWAIT:  The Kuwait Dive Team, operating under the Environmental Voluntary Foundation (EVF), has salvaged a 30-ton vessel off Al-Salmiya’s coast, the team’s chief Walid Al-Fadhel said on Monday. Al-Fadhel told KUNA that the 57-foot-long boat that had drifted due to strong winds and was a hazard to navigation and leaking oil into the waters close to the Marine yachts harbor. The personnel involved in the operation stabilized the vessel and collected some of its scattered debris at the spot where yachts and boats pass regularly, Al-Fadhel said, indicating the Coast Guards had put all their available resources at the disposal of lifting the boat and its remains in coordination with other authorities.

The diver succeeded in floating and towing the boat despite some difficulties such as the scorching heat, strong winds and rocky hurdles. Al-Fadhel urged sea-goers to take precautions and spare themselves such accidents, noting that waste left behind at the sea is a pollutant to the environment. (end)The Kuwaiti Diving Team has carried out such missions since 1986. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A plane carrying 40 tons of relief aid material departed Kuwait on Monday, heading to Sudan as part of ongoing humanitarian efforts. The flight is part of the (Kuwait By Your Side) campaign, a coordinated initiative involving several Kuwaiti charities and government bodies.Chairman of Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Khamed Al-Maqamis affirmed that the relief aid campaign came in line with the leadership’s directives to aid those in need in Sudan.

He noted that Kuwait was coordinating with the Sudanese Red Crescent to distribute much-needed aid, handing it to those in need.The official underscored Kuwait’s continuous effort to help people in Sudan and elsewhere in reflection of the country’s humanitarian legacy. — KUNA