KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Environment Public Authority is stepping up efforts to protect the environment by working closely with the country’s petrochemical industry to apply sustainable solutions, especially in waste management and reducing harmful emissions.

Nouf Bahbahani, Acting Director-General of the Environment Public Authority, met with representatives from the Petrochemical Industries Company on Thursday to explore ways to strengthen cooperation and share expertise that supports Kuwait’s national sustainability goals. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Bahbahani highlighted the importance of the visit to the company’s headquarters as part of a partnership to launch environmental initiatives and events aimed at raising awareness. “The initiatives will also focus on the innovative and eco-friendly reuse of plastic waste,” she said.

Bahbahani also stressed the critical role industrial institutions play in adopting environmentally responsible practices. “Working with the Petrochemical Industry Company is a strategic step to enhance environmental awareness and apply sustainable solutions, particularly in waste management and reducing harmful emissions,” she added.

Officials from the petrochemical company expressed their readiness to back joint environmental initiatives and participate in projects designed to improve Kuwait’s environmental quality. They confirmed their commitment to local and international environmental standards, reflecting the company’s drive to boost social responsibility and sustainable development. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s ambitious 2025–2027 Education Reform Plan is over 60 percent complete, according to the Ministry of Education, with major milestones already in motion — including the launch of a new office for gifted students and the finalization of a revamped national curriculum for kindergarten through Grade 9.

The updates were presented this week by Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei during a meeting at Bayan Palace chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Al-Tabtabaei outlined the reform plan’s six pillars — administrative, financial, engineering, education development, digital transformation, and international standards — which together include 39 strategic goals, 61 percent of which have already been achieved. He stressed that the plan is “progressing according to a well-studied timeline.”

Gifted students office

One of the key initiatives is the creation of a dedicated office for gifted students, which the minister described as “a platform to discover and develop student potential and provide a learning environment that fosters creativity.” The new office is part of the broader education development track, which also includes integrating AI and cybersecurity into Grade 10 computer science classes and updating teaching approaches to meet future learning needs.

Earlier this week, the ministry confirmed it has completed 88 textbooks for the upcoming curriculum: 2 for kindergarten, 46 for primary, and 40 for secondary levels. The books are now undergoing final language and design checks ahead of printing.

To reduce the burden on students, textbooks will be divided into four smaller parts spread across the academic year, starting in 2025–2026. The curriculum also includes 21st-century skills like critical thinking, self-learning, and problem-solving, with inclusive content tailored for different student needs. Training programs to prepare teachers for the new curriculum will begin ahead of the next academic year and will be offered both in person and online.

The minister stressed that the education reform plan is progressing on schedule, “with a commitment to applying best administrative practices to ensure a quality shift in public education in the State of Kuwait.”

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Khaled Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Acting Chief of the Prime Minister’s Diwan, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education Mohammad Ghaleb Al-Khalidi, and several senior education officials. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry announced Thursday the arrest of what it described as the country’s largest criminal network smuggling and distributing the controlled substance Lyrica, seizing nearly 800,000 capsules and a large quantity of Lyrica powder.

In a statement, the Ministry said the General Department for Drug Control, under the Criminal Security Sector, led the operation which dismantled the international ring that was importing and promoting the psychoactive drug in Kuwait. The confiscated items are valued at “large sums of money,” the Ministry added.

According to the statement, the main suspect — a Kuwaiti national already serving time in Central Prison — is known to authorities for multiple drug trafficking cases and has several convictions on record. Investigators tracked one of his accomplices, described as a stateless resident (bidoon), who was caught selling capsules to an undercover source. Continued surveillance led authorities to a remote livestock pen, or jakhour, in the Kabd area that the group had been renting through a Kuwaiti intermediary for KD 600 per month.

During the raid, “the suspect put up violent resistance, causing damage to a security vehicle,” the ministry said. Inside the facility, authorities discovered large quantities of Lyrica capsules and powder, along with tools used for packaging and distribution.

Further investigation revealed the inmate had orchestrated the shipment of a large drug consignment from an unnamed Asian country via air freight. Customs officers were alerted, and upon inspection of the cargo terminal, authorities found “seven large boxes” packed with Lyrica capsules.

The ministry stressed that the General Department for Drug Control remains committed to “intensive efforts to monitor and apprehend drug traffickers and promoters,” adding that “anti-narcotics officers will remain a strong shield against this dangerous scourge.”