KUWAIT: Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait issued a decision on Sunday to form a committee to set conditions for property ownership of investment companies in which expats are shareholders. An Amiri decree was issued last week allowing listed companies in which non-Kuwaitis have shares, in addition to investment entities, to own property in the country for their businesses but excluded private residences.

The decree relaxed strict conditions set by a 1979 law that banned foreigners from owning property without the prior approval of the Council of Ministers. Al-Sumait said the new step comes to improve the legal environment to encourage investments and facilitate their ownership of property in the country, adding that the proposed legislation aims at striking a balance between attracting investments and protecting property ownership.

The committee will list the conditions in a new decree that will include rules and regulations for licensing the property ownership, naming the areas where foreign ownership is allowed and restrictions on reselling them, the minister said. Most Gulf countries currently allow foreigners to own houses directly and some states even offer long term residence permits to big buyers.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Council on Sunday approved a request by Kuwait Municipality to change the names of 591 streets and roads to numbers, while renaming three streets after Arab capitals and retaining 66 existing names. During an extraordinary meeting, the council approved recommendations by a special committee formed to study the issue which called for changing the names to numbers. The new decision came after a change in the law stipulating that names of persons should not be used to name areas or streets except for rulers, crown princes, leaders of Arab and friendly nations, historical figures and some members of the ruling Al-Sabah family.

 1958: Kuwait Writers Association held its first meeting since its establishment in May of the same year. The meeting was held at Shuwaikh High School, the association’s interim headquarters.

1971: Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah signed a decree separating Kuwait University’s Faculties of Sciences, Arts and Education into: Faculty of Science, and Faculty of Arts and Education.

1973:  State of Kuwait Army’s Al-Jahra Brigade headed to Al-Sheikh Mountain in Syria to take part in the October War.

1992: Kuwait Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah opened the seventh Legislative Session of the National Assembly, the first elected house since the parliament’s dissolution in 1985.

2001: State of Kuwait and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) signed an agreement to establish the UNESCO/Amir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The prize is worth USD 500,000.

2002: Kuwait Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah decorated Kuwait University’s former President Dr. Fayza Al-Kharafi with the Order of First Merit in recognition of her service and contributions to higher education.

2015:  Abdulameer Al-Turki, a renowned writer, director, and producer, passed away at the age of 70.

2020: Kuwait Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, at the opening of the fifth regular term of the 15th Legislative Session of the National Assembly, underlined importance of compliance with constitution, rule of law and national unity as the “weapon” to confront challenges.

2020: The National Assembly approved a bill to organize structure of population, aimed at specifying number of foreign workers in Kuwait. The parliament also approved a draft law amending some regulations concerning people with the special needs to improve services towards this section of society.

2021: Kuwaiti government implemented final actions to return to normalcy as of October 24 following COVID-19 restrictions. This includes allowing conferences, festivities, social gatherings, and weddings. Face masks were required in closed spaces and could be removed in open areas.

2021: The Kuwaiti government tasked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to implement the third phase of the plan to operate Kuwait International Airport at full capacity as of October 24 following COVID-19 restrictions.

2024: Kuwait’s Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced the evening work period at government bodies will start on January 5, 2025 based on a Cabinet decision. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Scout Movement Conference commenced in Kuwait on Sunday under the patronage of Education Minister Jalal Al-Tabtabaei, with the participation of 200 Arab and international scouts. In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Kuwait Boy Scouts Association Dr Abdullah Al-Taraji noted that the conference coincides with the 70th anniversary of the association.

He lauded the political leadership, the Minister of Education, and all relevant parties for their continuous support of scouting in the country. The conference’s first session will focus on strategies to develop the Scout Movement, expand membership, and enhance youth empowerment.

The second session will address the Scouts’ contributions to sustainable development and their role in supporting the Palestinian project. The third session will explore the development of camps and scouting activities, as well as the importance of alternative and complementary medicine in treating injuries within the movement.

The event is organized in cooperation with the Arab Parliamentary Scout Union and the Arab Union of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. During the opening ceremony, several prominent figures were honored for their efforts in advancing the scouting movement and promoting volunteerism and national values through diverse scouting programs. — KUNA