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New rules to protect public money, speed up courts

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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

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Al-Nuwaisib Customs foils smuggling of 620 cartons of cigarettes hidden in vehicle tires.

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KUWAIT: As part of the ongoing efforts by the General Administration of Customs to combat smuggling, customs inspectors at the Nuwaiseeb border crossing foiled an attempt to smuggle cigarettes out of the country.

When a vehicle arrived at the inspection area, the inspector did a routine check and didn’t find anything illegal inside except for 20 packs of cigarettes that were visible.

After inspecting the vehicle and passing it through an X-ray machine, abnormal densities were found in the four tires, and a manual inspection revealed 620 packs of cigarettes professionally hidden inside the tires.

 A report was filed on the incident, and the seized items and suspects were referred to the competent authorities to complete the remaining legal procedures against them.

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Family visit visas to Kuwait valid for up to one year: official

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KUWAIT: Family visas for expats are valid from one month to one year like tourist visas, a top interior ministry official announced on Wednesday, a day after the ministry said all expats can bring in their extended families to the country without the need for a salary cap condition.

Deputy director of the electronic services at the Residency Affairs Department Col Abdulaziz Al-Kandari told reporters at the government communications center that family visas can be for a single entry for one month, or two months or three months.

It can also be for multiple entries for between three months to one year, provided any single stay should not exceed one month, he said.

Kuwait on Tuesday said that family visas for expats was open for everyone with a valid residence permit, thus abolishing the salary cap condition that restricted the majority of expats from bringing in their wives and children to Kuwait.

The ministry also said family visas were expanded to include four-degree relatives and third-degree relatives by marriage.

Kundari said that expats willing to bring their relatives can apply online at Kuwaitvisa platform or application by uploading the necessary documents.

Relatives allowed to be brought by expat residents include a wide range of relatives from wives, children, parents to parents of the wife, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, grandfathers and grandmothers, grandchildren of both the applicants and their wives and others.

They also include the father’s wife for both applicants and wives, the son’s wife, the daughter’s husbands and similar relatives.

For a majority of applications only a birth certificate is required and a marriage certificate is needed for some cases to establish the relationship. Col Kandari said that all documents must be in Arabic and documents in other languages must be translated into Arabic from authorized offices.

Kandari also announced a large number of professionals residing in GCC states and who can obtain a tourist visa either on arrival or online through the Kuwaitvisa platform.

They include chairmen of companies, their deputies and assistants, diplomats and embassy staff, general managers, managers and their assistants and deputies, judges, public prosecutors and lawyers, university academics, holders of golden visas, investors, businessmen and partners and others.

They also include real estate owners, consultants and their assistants, experts and assistants, senior jobs in travel and tourism business, accountants, auditors and financial analysts, doctors and surgeons and their assistants, pharmacists and their assistants, nurses and their assistants, medical technicians, engineers and their assistants, school teachers and assistants, information analysts and alike, pilots and air stewards and others.

They also include referees and coaches and their assistants, journalists and media men, in addition to professions that come under physicists, chemists, geologists, marketing officer, advisor, vessel captain and alike.

Permitted professions can be checked through the Kuwaitvisa platform while applying online.

Kundari said that applicants must also state their address in Kuwait or the address of their hosts.

Kandari said that all types of visas are open to all nationalities except for the Israeli nationality which is barred by an Amiri decree. He also said that holders of travel documents can obtain a visa with the approval of the interior minister.

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Sadu House workshop sheds light on hand-weaving

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KUWAIT: Sadu House held a workshop titled “Embroidery Using the Nafash Needle Technique,” as part of the 17th edition of the “Summer Cultural Festival” organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL). The workshop was led by trainer Anfal Al-Azmi that attracted participants interested in handicrafts and traditional arts. Al-Azmi explained that the “Nafash Needle” technique is a type of hand-weaving that involves inserting the needle into a piece of cotton fabric to create various designs and patterns.

She added that this technique is commonly used to decorate bags, carpets, and clothing, as well as to produce distinctive art pieces. Al-Azmi noted that while learning the craft is relatively easy, it requires some training to master the stitching properly. The workshop included hands-on practice with a simple sample to give participants their first practical experience. The “Summer Cultural Festival” serves as a platform to revive heritage and promote arts and handicrafts, and offer diverse cultural and artistic events suitable for all age groups. — KUNA

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