Connect with us

Latest News

Kuwait turns down the watt

Published

on

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.

Latest News

New rules to protect public money, speed up courts

Published

on

By

Cabinet expands criminalization for public office misuse • Brings e-filing, remote sessions to courts

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Cabinet has approved important changes to laws aimed at better protecting public funds and speeding up the court system. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shareeda Al-Maousherji, shared details after the weekly Cabinet meeting held at Bayan Palace under Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah.

The new rules widen the scope of what counts as misuse of public office, covering any illegal benefit. Penalties are stricter, especially when misuse involves government contracts or tenders. Officials will also be barred from sharing confidential information for up to ten years after leaving their jobs, with fines and possible dismissal if they break this rule.

Courts will have more authority to remove officials even if mistakes were unintentional. New provisions make fraud in government contracts a criminal offense, and intentional damage to public funds is now punishable even if no personal gain is involved. Companies can also be held accountable for crimes involving public money. Prosecutors will have the power to demand the return of funds even after criminal cases are dropped. And submitting false or misleading information can now lead to fines up to KD 10,000.

The changes also unify the definition of who counts as a public employee, extend deadlines for reporting to the Audit Bureau to 30 days, and introduce electronic ways to submit those reports. They also raise the threshold for investment disclosures to KD 250,000, with reporting moving to an annual schedule.

Digital courts

On the court procedures side, the Cabinet approved amendments to speed up civil and commercial cases and to fully embrace digital tools. From filing lawsuits to enforcing judgments, processes can now be done electronically, and remote court sessions will be allowed.

These changes come as part of the Ministry of Justice’s ongoing digital transformation. Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) last week that the ministry is in the final stages of issuing legislation that “will grant us the legal authority to fully transition to an electronic system.”

The digital rollout will focus on three key areas: filing and registering cases—including announcements and fee payments—streamlining court procedures to reduce delays, and, most importantly, ensuring smooth enforcement of rulings. Contracts with tech giants Google and Microsoft will support this transition, Al-Sumait added.

Tuesday’s amendments include higher fines for judge recusal requests. If someone wants to request a judge’s recusal, they’ll need to pay a bail of KD 200, with fines between KD 500 and KD 1,000 if the request is refused. Repeat requests to recuse the same judge won’t be allowed, and all requests must be decided within a month. The new rules appear to be aimed at protecting fairness by allowing parties to request a judge step aside if there’s a conflict of interest. At the same time, bail and fines discourage repeated or frivolous requests that could delay cases.

This balance helps speed up court proceedings while ensuring impartial judgments. The changes come as Kuwait faces a backlog of more than 81,000 appeals at the Court of Cassation — a crisis that has already prompted the formation of ten new judicial committees to fast-track case reviews. The Cabinet also reviewed several draft decrees related to agreements and cooperation with friendly countries. These will be forwarded to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for approval. — Agencies

Continue Reading

Latest News

Kuwait, Somalia strengthen ties with new agreements

Published

on

By

KUWAIT: Kuwait and Somalia took a significant step in deepening their bilateral ties on Tuesday by signing a series of agreements aimed at boosting cooperation across diplomatic, political, and training sectors.

The agreements include the establishment of a joint committee to oversee bilateral cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to hold regular bilateral consultations, and a cooperation pact between Kuwait’s Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute and Somalia’s Institute of Diplomacy and Training. These agreements are designed to formalize and expand collaboration between the two countries.

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali are seen after signing a series of cooperation agreeements during Ali's visit to Kuwait. — KUNA photos

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali are seen after signing a series of cooperation agreeements during Ali’s visit to Kuwait. — KUNA photos

The signings followed a high-level meeting between Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali during the Somali minister’s official visit to Kuwait. The ministers reviewed the close and longstanding relationship between their nations and discussed opportunities to enhance partnership in various fields.

Regional and international developments affecting both Kuwait and Somalia were also on the agenda, reflecting the two countries’ shared interest in stability and development within the Middle East and Horn of Africa regions. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also received the ministers at Bayan Palace. — KUNA

Continue Reading

Latest News

Kuwait Times Summer Program interns visit NIC

Published

on

By

KUWAIT: Kuwait Times Summer Program interns visited the National Investments Company (NIC) on Tuesday for an interactive session with the Marketing and Corporate Communications team. The program included an overview of NIC’s history and vision, followed by group activities to develop video concepts aligned with the company’s brand and produce content using NIC’s in-house studio facilities.

Interns also received practical guidance on building a social media brand voice and writing effective press releases. The visit provided participants with hands-on experience in corporate communications, offering insight into the fast-paced media and investment landscape. Now in its fourth edition, the Kuwait Times Summer Program continues to connect young talents with leading institutions, supporting career development and expanding professional networks.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 SKUWAIT.COM .