KUWAIT CITY, May 15: In a bid to strengthen cooperation and partnership for the largest joint project between two Gulf states in the field of refineries and petrochemicals, the management of Duqm Refinery — owned by Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) and the Omani OQ Oil Group — intends to increase the refining capacity of Duqm from 255,000 to 270,000 barrels per day in the next two years, say Omani sources.

Sources disclosed that the management is considering increasing capacity without the need for investment or financing; given the strong demand for Duqm Refinery products, as its products are clean and high-quality like diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas, sulfur and petroleum coke. Sources stated that the management welcomes the recruitment of the largest possible number of Kuwaiti youths — both male and female — to work at the refinery.

They revealed that around 32 to 40 Kuwaitis are currently working at the refinery — out of a total of 750 employees from 32 nationalities. They are hoping that the number of Kuwaiti employees will increase, considering Kuwait is a key partner of the refinery. They said the Kuwaiti employees at the refinery have proven their competence and dedication to their work. “To fulfill the demand to attract more Kuwaiti employees, the management recently opened recruitment opportunities for fresh Kuwaiti graduates in the fields of Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources Management, Business Administration and Computer Engineering,” sources confirmed.

Sources said the requirements for Kuwaiti job applicants are as follows:

Sources stressed that applicants, who do not meet the conditions, will be excluded; adding that in case of the same results between more than one candidate for the job, the criteria for comparison will be oldest age, first to obtain the qualification, and a married person is preferred over the single person, provided they meet the required general graduation average, and pass the English language test and aptitude test. Sources said the refinery management opened the door for receiving applications until May 24.

By Najeh Bilal
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff 

The Board of Directors of Kuwait Airways Corporation with the British Rolls-Royce Group PLC.

LONDON, May 15: Kuwait Airways and Rolls-Royce PLC have agreed to strengthen efforts aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency of the airline’s aircraft engine system. The collaboration is part of Kuwait Airways’ ongoing strategy to improve its operations and adapt to the evolving global aviation market, according to a statement from the airline’s chairman, Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan, following discussions between the two parties on Wednesday.

Al-Fagaan explained that the initiative aligns with Kuwait Airways’ “strategic goals,” which are strongly supported by the political leadership. He also emphasized that this agreement marks a significant step toward deepening the partnership between Kuwait Airways and Rolls-Royce, a leading UK-based engineering company.

The Kuwaiti national carrier has long focused on initiatives aimed at improving the quality of its fleet. Al-Fagaan added that these efforts will ultimately benefit the airline’s passengers by ensuring greater convenience and comfort onboard.

Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer at Rolls-Royce, praised the relationship between the two companies, describing Kuwait Airways as one of the firm’s most trusted business partners. He noted that through joint initiatives, Kuwait Airways will strengthen its aircraft systems, leading to more durable and efficient operations.

The collaboration aims to enhance the airline’s aircraft engine systems, improving both performance and reliability while also boosting operational efficiency across the fleet.

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) in Seoul, South Korea on May 15. (AP)

WASHINGTON, May 15, (AP): World shares and US futures slipped Thursday after US stocks drifted to a mixed close on Wall Street. Oil prices fell about $2 a barrel. China moved to reverse some of its “non-tariff” measures against the US as agreed with Washington in their temporary trade war cease-fire and most markets traded in a narrow range.

The future for the S&P 500 lost 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.5%. Germany’s DAX shed 0.8% to 23,344.95, while the CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.4% at 7,804.46. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.5% to 8,540.97. In Asian trading, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 1% to 37,7755.51. Computer chip-related stocks were among the biggest decliners, with Disco Corp falling 3.2% and Advantest down 1.1%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.1% to 23,382.26, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.7% to 3,380.82. Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.2% and India’s Sensex also was down 0.2%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.2% higher to 8,297.50. South Korea’s Kospi gave up 0.7% to 2,621.36. On Wednesday, a choppy day of trading on Wall Street ended with a mixed finish as gains by several big technology stocks helped temper losses.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% to 5,892.58 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2% to 42,051.06. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.7% to 19,146.81. Super Micro Computer surged 15.7% after signing a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabian data center company DataVolt. Advanced Micro Devices gained 4.7% after announcing a $6 billion stock buyback program. Nvidia rose 4.2% and Google parent Alphabet added 3.7%. The US will release its April report for inflation at the wholesale level on Thursday, and economists expect an easing of price pressures.