KUWAIT: Accredited researchers in Kuwait will soon have access to IKARUS, the country’s first high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence platform, giving them the tools to analyze massive datasets, run complex simulations, and explore innovative solutions across medicine, engineering, and urban planning.

Developed by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and unveiled last week, IKARUS provides a national infrastructure for storing and processing data locally, without reliance on external platforms. “This gives researchers the speed, security, and control they need to tackle complex projects,” said Tahani Hussein, technical manager of the platform, in an interview with state television’s Good Evening Kuwait program.

High-performance computing platforms like IKARUS connect thousands of compute servers operating in parallel. While a typical laptop can perform billions of calculations per second, IKARUS handles hundreds of trillions — enabling studies and simulations that previously took months or years to be completed in a fraction of the time.

Hussein said the platform has great potential in multiple fields. In medicine, it can analyze lab results to predict diseases and suggest tailored treatments using AI. In engineering and urban planning, it can simulate traffic patterns and model solutions for Kuwait’s chronic traffic congestion. IKARUS can also be used to test smart city concepts virtually investing in physical infrastructure.

Cybersecurity layers

To protect sensitive research, the platform uses multiple layers of cybersecurity, strict access controls, encryption protocols. “Only authorized users can reach the data, and even technical staff cannot view researchers’ private datasets,” Hussein said.

It’s also equipped with a system which continuously monitors access attempts, and if an individual tries to log in three or four times unsuccessfully, the system automatically blocks their account. “If the attempts persist from the same country, the system can even block access from the entire country,” said Hussein. This ensures sensitive data and intellectual property remain secure within Kuwait.

Access to IKARUS is currently restricted to accredited researchers in Kuwait. Interested individuals must apply through KISR’s online portal, complete a training course, and receive official approval before using the system. Different procedures exist for individual researchers and projects helmed by large institutions.

Hussein noted that the training requirement is essential to ensure researchers can “make proper use of the system’s capabilities” and benefit fully from its tools. She added that workshops and courses will be announced throughout the year to expand awareness and usage of the new platform.

With IKARUS, Kuwait can now complete more research projects and pursue initiatives that were previously impossible due to limited resources. “This opens the door to broader scientific innovation and allows projects that were once impossible to become feasible,” Hussein said.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti municipal authorities are stepping up inspections of residential and investment properties, targeting violations that officials say threaten public safety and distort the city’s urban landscape.

Among the most common violations found are converting basements — originally designed for parking or building services — into makeshift storage areas, said Ibrahim Ayad Al-Azmi from the municipality’s Engineering Audit and Follow-up Department.

“These spaces are meant to serve residents, either as parking or service facilities, but we’re finding them packed with furniture, chemicals, paints, and even food products stored without refrigeration,” he told KTV news channel. “All of this violates safety regulations.” Al-Azmi warned that such storage practices heighten fire risks, especially when flammable materials are involved. Even food storage poses hazards, he said, due to lack of cooling and fire safety systems.

A KTV news report last week showed a basement designated for car parking in an investment property used for storing construction materials, including wood panels and ceramic doors.

“Wood in particular poses serious risks in case of fire, making it difficult for firefighters and municipal authorities to protect residents,” Suleiman Al-Otaibi, an engineer from the same department at the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Municipality, told a KTV reporter at the scene.

“The misuse of the basement also affects the building’s residents, forcing them to park their cars in the street or the sidewalk, causing congestion.” Al-Azmi said the parking situation puts extra pressure on traffic authorities, who must issue citations for illegal parking, “and compromises safety for everyone.”

The municipality is working closely with the General Fire Force to address the problem. “About 80 percent of owners respond to warnings and remove violations immediately to avoid penalties,” Al-Azmi said. The remaining 20 percent either apply for corrective permits or are ordered to remove the modifications entirely.

The basement issue is part of a wider set of violations the municipality regularly encounters in both private housing and investment properties.

Private residential areas are low-density zones reserved for single-family housing, primarily intended for Kuwaiti citizens, where land is distributed through the country’s housing welfare program. In contrast, investment housing areas feature multi-unit buildings — such as apartments, duplex villas, and studios — designed for rental or ownership across all floors. In private housing, the most common infractions include exceeding the permitted building size, adding extra floors and dividing properties into multiple rental units — sometimes renting them for single men — which Al-Azmi said can pose social and security concerns. The issue was glaring in Sabah Al-Salem, where Mubarak Al-Kabeer Municipality officials uncovered a rooftop converted into six apartments for single men. “Older properties frequently have such rooftop encroachments, with unauthorized partitions made from light materials,” said Saqer Al-Enezi, another municipal official.

In investment housing, basement conversions top the list, along with unlicensed construction of extra apartments in ground-floor parking areas.

Al-Azmi also pointed out a common violation: barricading sections of government-owned desert lots to use for private parking. The practice reflects a shortage of designated spaces for tenants, even though law requires each apartment in investment properties to have at least one parking spot, Al-Azmi reminded.

KUWAIT: The play “King of the Stage” was restaged at Souq Sharq Theater, telling the story of an artist struggling against marginalization while trying to make his mark in the Kuwaiti art scene. Written and directed by Abdulaziz Safar, the production first premiered during Eid Al-Fitr and received widespread audience acclaim. The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) later included it in the Summer Cultural 17 festival, recognizing its contribution to Kuwaiti theater and its cultural significance.

“As a body dedicated to bringing culture to the public, the Council sees this project both as an inspiration and a responsibility, especially as Kuwait celebrates its role as the Arab Capital of Culture and Media for 2025,” Safar told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Friday. He added that the production team is determined to demonstrate that Kuwaiti theater can deliver works of high artistic quality.

Lead actor Khaled Al-Mudhafar said the play addresses themes such as artistic vanity, the impact of social media on cultural and social life, and works that fail to reflect authentic identity, which can influence youth perceptions. Al-Mudhafar portrays Ibrahim Ahsanhom, a comedian who later becomes a carpenter due to age and health challenges, yet is urged to return to the stage. “The play sends a crucial message: the audience is the true king of the theater. Their support or criticism shapes the fate of art and artists,” he said.

Blending comedy with melancholy, the play symbolically depicts an artist who dedicates his life to the stage but remains unacknowledged until his absence is felt. Scenes alternate between nostalgic memories and the harsh realities of life. The performance is part of NCCAL’s Summer Cultural 17 festival, which aims to enrich Kuwait’s cultural scene during the summer and present works that resonate with audiences.

The council emphasizes theater as a cornerstone of artistic creativity in Kuwait, supporting local productions, hosting regional and international works, and cultivating public appreciation for diverse art forms. It also provides platforms, performance opportunities, and training for theater artists of all generations, recognizing their role in enriching Kuwait’s cultural landscape and promoting its civilizational image regionally and internationally. — KUNA