KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is scheduled to begin an official visit to the friendly Republic of France on Sunday.

It is His Highness the Amir’s first such visit to the European nation and comes to mark leaders of the two countries’ keenness on cementing and developing these ties at various levels.

The French-Kuwaiti relations date back to August 28, 1961, when Paris assigned its Beirut ambassador as envoy to Kuwait and established commercial representation in the Gulf State before establishing the diplomatic ties with Kuwait in 1967.These relations, over the past seven decades, developed in all fields, culminating with Paris’ stand of support for Kuwait in 1990 when the late president Francois Mitterrand declared, on August 26, 1990, that the sovereignty of Kuwait is non-negotiable and dispatched some 18,000 troops to the region to partake in liberating the country.

Senior leaders and officials of the two countries, since establishing the relations, have reciprocated visits. The late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had visited France several times, lastly in September 1989, when he held talks with the officials in Paris on promoting the bilateral relations in diverse sectors.

The late Amir Sheikh Jaber had later visited France in October 1990, during the flagrant Iraqi occupation of the country, and in October 1991 to express gratitude and appreciation of the French support for the just Kuwaiti cause.

He had also gone to France in November 2006 where he met with President Jacques Chirac and senior officials, discussing means of cementing the bilateral relations and issues of common interest.

In January 2017, the (ex) first deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, took part in the international conference for peace in the Middle East, held in Paris.

On April 24, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot came to Kuwait where he held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya on ways of strengthening the relations, in addition to signing a number of accords and memoranda of understanding in diverse spheres.

The Kuwaiti Embassy in France took part in the Gulf Vision Conference (2025), held in France under sponsorship of President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at bolstering the European nation’s partnership with the GCC states amid rapid changes in the global economy and mutual efforts to broaden the economic relations.

France is a major investor in Kuwait’s energy, infrastructural, transport, health and cosmetics sectors, with the number of the French companies operating in the Gulf country accounting to 50 percent of the European companies.

France and Kuwait had signed several agreements in different sectors namely in taxation, first inked in 1973, in addition to an agreement for protecting and boosting investments, ratified by the two governments in 1989. In June 2017, Kuwait and Paris signed an agreement for executing measures of the taxation treaties.

France mainly exports to Kuwait cosmetics, perfumes, clothes, vehicles, food and aviation equipment.

At the military level, Kuwait eyes France a strategic ally especially since Paris took part in the international coalition for liberating the country in 1991, along with subsequent defense treaties.

In August 1992, the two countries signed a defense treaty regulating cooperation and stipulating that Paris pledges to stand on Kuwait’s side against any external aggression. It also tackled the holding of military training and maneuvers, exchanging expertise. Moreover, they had signed another accord in December 2006 on defense cooperation.

In the health sector, a delegation of Nice University visited Kuwait and held talks with local health official on enhancing the cooperation and expertise swap. In April 2025, Minister Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadi signed a MoU with Gustave Roussy Hospital.

At the level of scientific and cultural cooperation, the two countries had signed several MoUs and accords to increase number of the Kuwaiti students studying in France, partake in cultural activities and exchange experience in the field.  — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Tourism Enterprises Company (TEC) said Saturday that it has suspended all marina berth transfer procedures, citing efforts to clamp down on illegal leasing and black-market trading of marina spaces.

The announcement came in response to the spread of unofficial advertisements promoting what TEC has called “illegal” rentals and sales of marina berths on social media and non-government websites. In a public statement, the company said such offers are a “clear violation of administrative regulations.” However, the timing of the announcement — and the lack of a clear roadmap forward — has left berth users frustrated and confused.

In a statement issued Saturday, TEC said that “all berth transfers have been suspended as of July 2024,” linking the freeze to efforts to revise the marina usage regulations. But this was the first public disclosure of the suspension known to Kuwait Times — made a year after it reportedly began and months after new regulations were officially announced in April 2025.

The company explained that the freeze was necessary to address a number of violations and negative practices, including subleasing, monopolizing berths to raise prices, and black-market reselling — all of which undermine fair access and transparency. “We confirm that the process of re-opening vacant berth rentals will begin as soon as existing violations are addressed and corrected, in line with a clear and transparent mechanism that will be announced in due course,” the company stated.

This commitment to eventually resuming berth allocation offers some reassurance — but the absence of a specific timeline has added to public frustration. “You closed transfers, and now the municipality is towing our boats. When will this be resolved?” one user posted on social media.

New marina regulations

In April 2025, TEC released a set of updated marina bylaws. The changes aim to improve transparency, enhance governance, and ensure equal opportunity in berth allocation.

According to the company, the regulations include new rules that require the name on the berth lease to match the boat’s ownership and insurance documents. However, there is an exception allowing first-degree relatives to be listed instead. Heirs are also permitted to transfer berths to others, and the new system introduces free secondary memberships for additional boats tied to a primary member. TEC will impose fines on users whose boat insurance expires without renewal, and berth rights may be revoked if dues remain unpaid for over 60 days after the grace period. In addition, new members are not allowed to transfer their berth to others until one year after joining. TEC said these reforms are meant to establish a more sustainable and accountable marina system that discourages unfair practices and protects user rights. It’s not clear if TEC is in the process of revising these updates.

Yacht Club renovation

TEC also announced that it is finalizing preparations to renovate the Yacht Club, located on Gulf Road next to Shaab Sea Club. The facility features a 343-berth marina, emergency public docking services, and a certified maintenance workshop that is open to both members and non-members. The club also includes a fuel station, a marine survey center, a large diwaniya, and a multi-purpose hall that can host exhibitions and events. The planned upgrade will follow international standards to improve safety, quality, and user experience.

Public demands clarity

Despite the company’s assurances, berth users continue to express frustration at the prolonged suspension and unclear rollout of the new allocation system. “We’re tired of waiting. We want to rent a berth and enjoy ourselves—everyone benefits. This is taking too long,” one commenter wrote.

“Why are you blocking people instead of encouraging them to invest in marine tourism?” another asked.

While TEC has promised to announce a new, transparent system once current violations are resolved, the delay has left many feeling shut out of a vital part of Kuwait’s sea culture. The company continues to urge the public not to engage with unofficial berth advertisements and to rely solely on approved company channels for updates.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s highest judicial authority has ordered a sweeping audit of all case files pending before the Court of Cassation, in a move aimed at streamlining court operations and tackling tens of thousands of accumulated appeals. The decision, issued by the President of the Supreme Judicial Council and Court of Cassation, Dr Adel Bouresli, mandates the formation of a special committee to conduct a comprehensive inventory of every appeal and file currently before the court, categorized by type and legal classification.

The initiative comes 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 last month to fast-track case reviews. The audit ordered this week is expected to complement those efforts by clarifying the full scope of the caseload and enabling more efficient processing in the months ahead.

According to a Ministry of Justice statement on Thursday, the decision — Resolution No 47/2025 — instructs the newly formed committee to complete its work within one month of the order. The team is chaired by Ahmad Al-Amer, Supervisor of the Court of Cassation’s Clerks Department, and includes several staff members from the court’s administration.

The committee will be responsible for cataloging all pending appeals “based on their actual presence and according to type,” including criminal, administrative, civil, commercial, labor, personal status and family cases, as well as requests involving members of the judiciary.

“A committee shall be formed under the chairmanship of the Supervisor of the Court of Cassation’s Clerks Department, Ahmad Al-Amer, and with the membership of several employees from the administration,” the resolution reads. “Its task is to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all appeals and files in the Court of Cassation, based on their actual status and according to type.”

The order is grounded in Decree-Law No. 23 of 1990 concerning the organization of the judiciary, and follows Resolution No 23/2023 of the Supreme Judicial Council on handling the caseload crisis. It also reflects a delegation of authority made by the court’s General Assembly on September 22, 2024, authorizing Dr Bouresli to take necessary measures at the start of the 2025/2026 judicial year.

This latest move adds momentum to Kuwait’s broader judicial reform agenda, which in recent months has included the restructuring of the Supreme Judicial Council, term limits for top judicial appointments, and the first overhaul of court fees in more than 50 years. — Agencies