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Calls for stricter penalties after trash piles up at Shuwaikh Beach

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Rising litter in public areas creates a burden ‘beyond the capacity of cleaning workers’: Official

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality is pushing for stricter fines for public cleanliness violations, following complaints about piles of trash left at Shuwaikh Beach over its opening weekend. The Assima Governorate’s cleaning team stepped in immediately after large crowds of families and children visited the newly opened beach, removing all waste left behind.

Municipality Spokesperson Mohammad Al-Sandan said the rising amount of litter in public areas has created a burden “beyond the capacity of cleaning workers.” “There is a pressing need to impose fines for cleanliness violations,” Al-Sandan said in a statement, noting that fines for littering should be “similar to those enforced in traffic, electricity, water, and environmental laws.”

Following the incident, Kuwait Municipality said it has put a comprehensive plan in place to manage Shuwaikh Beach. Faisal Al-Otaibi, Al-Assima’s Director of cleaning and road occupation, said the municipality added more trash bins and increased the number of cleaning workers. “Things are under control,” he told Arabic-language local newspaper Al-Rai.

The municipality deployed 25 cleaning workers, along with five 1,100-liter bins and 15 240-liter bins, as previous containers could not handle the volume of waste. Al-Otaibi also highlighted the challenges of getting cleaning vehicles onto the site during the busy opening days. Under direct supervision from the municipality, workers removed more than 600 bags of trash and used a compactor capable of handling eight to 12 tons of waste.

According to Al-Otaibi, fine for littering outside designated areas is KD 100 and is referred directly to the public prosecutor. Al-Sandan urged authorities to approve “deterrent fines commensurate with the scale of public cleanliness violations.” He said stricter penalties could play “an effective and significant role in preventing the dumping of household waste in roads, squares, and open spaces,” highlighting that improper disposal has been on the rise in multiple public areas.

The beach incident quickly drew attention on social media. Users posted videos and comments showing trash scattered across the walking paths, green areas and playgrounds. One user wrote: “What’s the solution? It’s heartbreaking.”

Other users called for stricter enforcement and better infrastructure. “Everyone represents themselves and their upbringing — there should be fines for anyone who leaves a mess,” one comment said. Another asked, “Where is the environmental police?” The municipality said cleaning teams will be deployed to Shuwaikh Beach around the clock. — Agencies

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Today in Kuwait’s history | Kuwait Times Newspaper

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KUWAIT: 1956 — Moudhi Al-Sarhan became the first Kuwaiti female to join the Ministry of Interior’s correctional institute.

1981 — Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah signed a decree to establish the Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies at Kuwait University, as well as changing the name of the Faculty of Law and Sharia to the Faculty of Law.

1990 — Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah patronized a popular conference in the Saudi city of Jeddah. Participants in the three-day national event reiterated their commitment to the legitimate Kuwaiti leadership in the face of Iraqi aggression against the State of Kuwait.

1990 — Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), which was occupied and looted by Iraqi invaders of the State of Kuwait, began broadcasting from an interim headquarters in London, UK, to provide subscribers with news about occupied Kuwait.

1999 — Kuwait won the Gulf Junior Squash Championship, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2010 — Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed a KD 11 million loan agreement with Mauritania to finance construction of a Nouakchott University campus.

2017 — The KFAED signed a KD 12 million loan agreement with Senegal to reconstruct a major highway.

2018 — Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Center won the Best Services Architecture Building award in the Middle East and North Africa. — KUNA

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Nod to conditional foreign ownership of property in Kuwait

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KUWAIT: An Amiri decree published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Sunday has allowed listed companies in which non-Kuwaitis have shares to own property in the country, excluding private residences. Under a Kuwaiti law issued in 1979, such companies were barred from owning property in the country and only Arab individuals can own a house or land through an Amiri decree.

Foreigners who inherit property from their Kuwaiti mothers must sell it within one year, according to the old legislation. Foreign embassies can own a maximum of 4,000 square meters to build their own premises based on mutual treatment. Most Gulf countries currently allow foreigners to own houses directly and some states even offer long-term residence permits to big buyers.

The new decree, however, made an amendment to the 1979 law, allowing listed shareholding companies, real estate funds and investment portfolios with non-Kuwaiti ownership to buy real estate. Such companies must be listed on bourses in Kuwait and one of their purposes is trading in property, the new decree states. Such companies are, however, not allowed to purchase land used for private housing. Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are treated like Kuwaitis in owning property in Kuwait, the decree states.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) announced on Sunday that it has referred a senior government bureaucrat and an unspecified number of other persons to the public prosecution on suspicion of graft and filing incorrect financial statements about their wealth. Nazaha has recently referred dozens of leading government bureaucrats to the public prosecution over suspected violations regarding mandatory financial statements about their private wealth.

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Graduation ceremony marks the completion of ‘Tamooh’ program

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KUWAIT: Under the patronage and attendance of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a graduation ceremony was held on Monday for the 10th and 11th batches of the “Tamooh” (Ambition) program for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ new recruits for the academic year 2024-2025 at the Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute.

The ceremony was attended by Head of the Prime Minister’s Diwan Abdulaziz Dakhil Al-Dakhil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Diplomatic Institute Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Director General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority Sheikh Dr Meshal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, along with senior officials and dignitaries. In a press statement, His Highness the Prime Minister congratulated the graduates on their achievement, noting that it reflects their competence and readiness to serve Kuwait in the diplomatic arena.

He expressed confidence in their ability to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, representing the country’s values and principles with dedication.  His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was also praised for supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its cadres in their continued mission to strengthen Kuwait’s relations abroad, serving the nation’s supreme interests and consolidating its position regionally and internationally.

Assistant Foreign Minister for the Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute, Ambassador Nasser Subaih Al-Subaih, delivered a speech emphasizing the state’s commitment to preparing a new generation of diplomats equipped with knowledge, competence, initiative, and responsibility.

He prayed for the graduates’ success in serving the country under the leadership of His Highness the Amir and  His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Diplomatic Attaché Mohammed Nabil Al-Shraideh spoke on behalf of the graduates, stating that their graduation marks the beginning of their mission to serve Kuwait and pledging their full dedication and capabilities to advancing the nation’s interests. The ceremony concluded with His Highness the Prime Minister honoring the 10th and 11th batches of the “Tamooh” program at the Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute. — KUNA

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