
410 students benefit from Educational Care Bank project
KUWAIT: Al-Safa Charitable Society announced that 410 students across various educational stages have benefited from the Educational Care Bank project for the 2024-2025 academic year. The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the General Secretariat of Endowments, provided a total of KD 100,000 (approximately $330,000) in educational support within Kuwait. Chairman of Al-Safa's Board of Directors Mohammad Al-Shaya said in a press statement on Monday that the project reflects a shared commitment to supporting future generations by creating an educational environment free from financial obstacles. He emphasized that the initiative also aims to alleviate the financial burden faced by low-income families amid ongoing economic challenges.
Al-Shaya praised the General Secretariat of Endowments for its continued sponsorship of impactful and innovative projects that serve the community, particularly those focused on education. He noted that the Secretariat's support for this program underscores its strong belief in education as a cornerstone for societal advancement and sustainable development. He added that Al-Safa Charitable Society, through this partnership, seeks to nurture a knowledgeable and responsible generation capable of contributing meaningfully to national development. The project, he explained, targets students who face difficulty in paying tuition fees, reaffirming the association's belief in the right to education for all—without discrimination or financial barriers. — KUNA
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Kuwait Times
18 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait revives co-op Kuwaitization plan with new online hiring system
KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs announced Thursday that it will open online applications for supervisory positions in cooperative societies starting July 27, as part of the country's broader Kuwaitization strategy aimed at placing more citizens in leadership roles across key sectors. The move comes nearly a year after the ministry temporarily suspended earlier initiatives to Kuwaitize the sector. For the first time, candidates will be required to take an electronic exam on September 9, organized in cooperation with the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), according to the ministry's Acting Undersecretary Dr Khaled Al-Ajmi. 'In a first since appointments in co-ops began, the ministry will require applicants to take an electronic test,' Al-Ajmi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), adding that passing with a score above 80 percent is mandatory to qualify for the in-person interview stage. The exam will count for more than 80 percent of the final evaluation, while the interview will account for 15 percent. The decision is part of a wider national effort to prioritize citizens for employment and address what officials have described as the country's 'demographic imbalance.' In 2023, the ministry launched its first round of Kuwaitization efforts in co-ops, posting supervisory jobs in five co-ops — Nuzha, Qortuba, Faiha, Jabriya, and Qadisiya — for positions such as directors, deputy directors, and department heads. A special committee was assigned to oversee the process. However, sources noted that turnout was lower than expected, citing job security concerns. Since then, the ministry has been working to expand the scope of the Kuwaitization initiative. In July 2024, it introduced a new vision that included general roles such as legal accountants, procurement clerks, and store managers. In January 2025, Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State for Family and Childhood Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah announced the formation of a new committee tasked with overcoming obstacles in hiring Kuwaitis. Al-Ajmi emphasized that the new electronic test is intended to ensure fairness and transparency in the hiring process. 'The goal is to enhance transparency, equal opportunity, and job justice in selecting candidates,' he said, noting that a free, optional training course will be made available for applicants to prepare. Salaries for the available supervisory positions range from KD 1,000 to KD 2,000 depending on the role and its responsibilities, Al-Ajmi added. Assistant Director-General of the Public Authority of Manpower Musaed Al-Mutairi confirmed that the authority has activated a digital system to register and advertise vacancies submitted by co-ops. The job opportunities will be published through the 'Fakhrona' platform dedicated to hiring Kuwaiti nationals. Applications can be submitted via the authority's online portal or through the Sahel app, Al-Mutairi told KUNA. He added that cooperative societies are a promising space for young Kuwaitis to gain leadership experience, thanks to their community-focused and administratively flexible nature. — Agencies


Arab Times
20 hours ago
- Arab Times
Judicial Specialization: The missing pillar in Kuwait's economic reform vision
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This governmental initiative is both timely and visionary. However, to truly transform the justice system and support economic modernization, Kuwait must go beyond establishing a single economic court. What is required is a fully integrated system of specialized courts structured by value, subject matter, and legal complexity. This will ensure that commercial and financial disputes are resolved swiftly, competently, and in line with global standards. Why Judicial Specialization Is Strategic. Specialized courts are no longer an administrative preference. They are a structural necessity. In modern economies, disputes span a wide range of sectors including taxation, customs, capital markets, insolvency, anti-money laundering, intellectual property, cross-border finance, and complex commercial fraud. Each domain carries unique legal and regulatory requirements that demand judicial expertise. Placing all these matters under one general economic court risks jurisdictional overlap, inefficiency, and procedural delay. A segmented and specialized judiciary, on the other hand, empowers judges to build sectoral depth, improves case flow, and enhances investor confidence. This is a key driver behind the Minister's initiative Global Best Practices and Local Relevance Kuwait's proposed judicial reform should mirror the legal sophistication of mature economies. Models such as the UK's Business and Property Courts and the Delaware Court of Chancery in the United States provide strong benchmarks. These systems offer specialized procedures, expert judges, and value-based jurisdiction. This leads to faster litigation cycles, improved consistency, and greater legal certainty for commercial actors. Kuwait must now build a framework that translates those advantages into its local context. A Framework for Kuwait's Specialized Judiciary In response to the Ministry's directive, the following structural proposal is recommended: 1. Value-Based Specialization High-Value Commercial Court: Jurisdiction over disputes exceeding KD 5 million, or those involving cross-border or institutional finance. 2. Subject-Matter Specialization Tax and Customs Court Capital Markets and Investment Court Insolvency Court (with separate civil and criminal divisions) Economic Crimes Court Intellectual Property and Technology Court Competition and Consumer Protection Court This segmentation ensures that each dispute is handled by a judiciary with domain-specific competence and procedural efficiency. Anticipated Impact on Kuwait's Investment Climate The Minister's initiative reflects a broader realization. A modern economy requires a modern judiciary. If properly implemented, judicial specialization will yield profound benefits, including: Faster resolution of commercial and investment disputes Reduced reliance on international arbitration Greater legal certainty for investors and businesses Alignment with global standards in dispute resolution Direct support for Kuwait Vision 2035 as a legal and financial center Kuwait's message to the global investment community will be unmistakable. This is a jurisdiction that protects capital through competence, speed, and legal clarity. Legislative Feasibility and Institutional Readiness Kuwait's constitutional and legal framework fully supports this direction. Articles 164 and 166 of the Constitution grant the legislature authority to structure the judiciary, provided that the principle of dual-instance litigation is upheld. Additionally, the newly enacted Judicial Fees Law No. 78 of 2025 introduces a proportional fee of 1 percent for cases exceeding KD 5 million. This serves as a significant policy tool supporting the creation of value-based judicial channels. The Ministry's inclusive committee, comprising stakeholders from the judiciary, academia, financial regulators, and investment authorities, provides a strong foundation for building consensus and shaping a specialized court system rooted in Kuwait's legal identity. Academic and Comparative Insights Legal education in Kuwait has long acknowledged the importance of specialization. At Kuwait International Law School, advanced courses such as Economic Crimes I and II reflect the layered complexity of modern litigation, where financial understanding and legal analysis intersect. Assigning such cases to general criminal courts or bundling them into a single economic court undermines their intricacy. Instead, they must be addressed within specialized judicial tracks, managed by judges trained in both law and financial systems. Internationally, Egypt's experience with economic courts offers valuable lessons. While pioneering in the region, Egypt's model faces challenges from jurisdictional overlap and the merger of civil and criminal cases into a single court. Kuwait should avoid this approach. Conclusion: Aligning Legal Reform with Economic Ambition The decision to establish specialized courts is a critical and welcome milestone. But Kuwait must now look beyond a single economic court and embrace a full architecture of judicial specialization. It must be modular, expert-driven, and tailored to the modern business environment. This is not merely a reform of the courts. It is a structural investment in Kuwait's economic future. A truly competitive economy is built on three pillars: sound regulation, business-friendly policy, and judicial certainty. Kuwait is now poised to lead by building a legal infrastructure that reflects its aspirations, supports its investors, and upholds its role as a regional leader in law, finance, and governance.

Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait Airways receives second A321neo aircraft from Airbus
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