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Kuwait turns down the watt

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KUWAIT: Authorities in Kuwait have stepped up power consumption efforts in a bid to resolve a chronic electricity crisis that has hit the oil-rich country for years, forcing the ministry of electricity, water and renewable energy to resort to programmed cuts in the summer when temperature soars above 50 degrees Celsius.

Despite assurances by top officials that 2025 was likely to pass without cuts, people were surprised by unprecedented wide-ranging cuts in early April, when a sudden surge in the mercury came as a number of generators were under annual maintenance, reducing the available electricity.

The ministry was forced to impose power cuts to parts of over 60 residential, agricultural and industrial areas as temperatures surged above 40 degrees Celsius, unfamiliar for this part of the year. New Minister of Electricity and Water Sabeeh Al-Mukhaizeem said consumption on April 9 was 21 percent higher than the same day last year and it was 17.3 percent higher on April 10, attributing the rise to a jump in temperature.

Just two days before the power cuts, Al-Mukhaizeem issued a decision to form a “committee for rationalizing the consumption of electricity and water in Kuwait” headed by the ministry undersecretary and including representatives from many ministries, establishments and independent authorities. The committee is entrusted to design awareness programs to convince

people as well as the private sector to save energy, especially between 11 am and 5 pm daily, when consumption peaks in hot summer days. During its first meeting, the committee launched its first energy-saving campaign “Save 2025”.

Almost all ministries, headed by the ministries of defense, education, higher education, Islamic affairs, health and the industries union ordered their staff to observe strict rationalization policies that include instructions on the use of air-conditions, believed to be responsible for 70 percent of electricity consumption in the summer.

The Public Authority for Industry instructed industrial establishments to stop work from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and compensate for that during nighttime hours. Minister of Higher Education Nader Al-Jallal visited the new campus of Sabah Al-Salem University to inspect the university’s pioneering initiative “Let’s be partners in saving electricity” launched last year, which helped save 15 percent of the university’s consumption and is expected to increase to 20 percent.

Authorities are also launching media campaigns to enlighten the public about the benefits of saving energy through the adequate use of various devices at home, especially AC units. The problem is that Kuwait’s domestic electricity production is not enough to meet ever-rising consumption in summer, mainly because new power generation projects were too slow to be sanctioned in the past decade.

Just two days ago, the electricity ministry said the Central Tenders Committee approved a new tender for the fourth phase at Subiya power plant that will add 900 MW after three years, the first key project in several years.

In 2024, consumption rose to over 17,000 megawatts for the first time ever and local production coupled with a 500 MW daily import from the Gulf power grid failed to meet demand. This year, consumption was forecast to cross 18,000 MW. Former Electricity and Water Minister Mahmoud Bushehri said two months ago, just before he quit, that local consumption will top the 18,000 MW mark and that Kuwait has doubled its imports from the Gulf power grid to 1,000 MW.

Bushehri vowed in February that the ministry will not resort to power cuts during next summer after it raised its output and the import from the GCC power grid. Also in February, Bushehri told a regional meeting on renewable energy that Kuwait was expected to generate some 5,700 MW of electricity from renewable energy over the next four years with investments exceeding KD 1 billion. According to unofficial statistics, per capita electricity consumption in Kuwait is one of the highest in the world.

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Kuwait Commerce Min.: Protecting industrial system is Nat’l responsibility

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 KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) Khalifa Al-Ajeel said on Monday that protecting the commercial and industrial system is a “national responsibility that requires concerted efforts.”

Minister Al-Ajeel emphasized in a statement to KUNA following an extensive inspection campaign in the south Amghara scrap yard, to “firmly deal with all violations and encroachments in accordance with legal frameworks where no one is above the law.”

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Al-Ajeel confirmed the continuation of inspection campaigns as well until the desired goals are reached, foremost being is restoring order and discipline to the area and removing all violations and encroachments.

He affirmed the ministry and the PAI’s commitment to cooperating with relevant authorities to continue these campaigns to ensure a safe and organized industrial and commercial environment.

The campaign resulted in the seizure of several violations and closure of several non-compliant units in preparation for taking necessary legal action against their exploiters.

Participating in the campaign was General Fire Force (KFF) Chief Major General Talal Al-Roumi, along with several executive leaders from the PAI. — KUNA

 

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Human Rights Committee session begins with focus on Gaza, regional challenges

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CAIRO: The 56th regular session of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights commenced on Monday with the participation of Kuwait and representatives from Arab states concerned with human rights affairs. In his opening address, Ahmed Maghari, supervisor of the Human Rights Department at the League of Arab States, underscored the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it a stark indicator of the region’s human rights reality. “We cannot speak of the state of human rights without acknowledging the catastrophic conditions faced by our brothers in Gaza, where securing the most basic necessities has become a matter of survival,” he said. Maghari described the ongoing Zionist aggression in Gaza as a profound moral and humanitarian challenge, noting that the Palestinian people continue to endure daily suffering under constant bombardment, displacement and destruction. He lamented the international community’s continued inaction in the face of clear violations of international law and human rights norms. “The occupying power persists in defying international legitimacy and the decisions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice,” he said.

Held at a time of mounting regional tensions, the session comes amid escalating challenges that directly affect fundamental human rights. Maghari highlighted the Committee’s historic role since its establishment in 1968 in developing the Arab human rights framework both legally and practically, while also fostering cooperation with regional and international partners. He expressed hope that the session would yield effective recommendations to help confront the pressing challenges in the region. He pointed to the rise of conflicts and violence globally, along with the resulting serious human rights violations, as major concerns.

Emerging issues such as the intersection of human rights with climate change, artificial intelligence, and the spread of alien ideologies that undermine human dignity were also noted. “In light of these challenges, we must reinforce our solidarity and collective action to enhance peace, stability, and the security of our societies,” Maghari added. The two-day session, chaired by Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights, will review the General Secretariat’s report on the implementation of previous recommendations up to the 55th session.

Discussions will also focus on Zionist violations in occupied Arab territories, the plight of Arab prisoners and detainees in Zionist prisons, and the issue of the bodies of Palestinian and Arab martyrs held in so-called “numbered cemeteries.” Other agenda items include the Arab Charter on Human Rights and preparations for Arab Human Rights Day, which will be observed on March 16, 2026. Kuwait is represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah.— KUNA

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Crown Prince receives Egyptian Deputy PM

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KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received on Tuesday at Bayan Palace the Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport and Industry, Lieutenant General Kamel Abdulhadi Al-Wazir, and his accompanying delegation on the occasion of their official visit to the country. The meeting was attended by Kuwait’s Minister of Public Works Dr Noura Al-Mashaan and Egypt’s Ambassador to Kuwait Osama Shaltout.– KUNA photos

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