Latest news with #KuwaitMunicipality
Arab Times
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Arab Times
Kuwait Sets New Funeral Burial Timings Amid Rising Temperatures
KUWAIT CITY, May 26: In response to rising daytime temperatures and in accordance with Fatwa No. 128/A/2001 issued by the Ministry of Awqaf permitting nighttime burials, Kuwait Municipality has announced new official times for funeral burials. To ease the burden on grieving families and mourners, and to ensure comfort during funeral prayers and burials, the municipality has decided to allow burials at three designated times: 9:00 a.m., after Maghrib prayer, and after Isha prayer. This decision also comes with a commitment to provide proper lighting in cemeteries to facilitate nighttime burials. The directive, effective immediately, instructs all cemetery officials to organize their operations accordingly and ensure all necessary arrangements are in place to serve the public interest. The announcement was made by Mishaal Fahd Al-Joudan Al-Azmi, Deputy Director General for Municipal Services Sector Affairs.
Arab Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Municipality begins clearing charities from private homes in Mubarak Al-Kabeer
KUWAIT CITY, May 22: Kuwait Municipality has launched a series of field inspection campaigns in Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate to enforce regulations prohibiting the operation of charitable societies within private and model residential areas. Head of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Municipality team, Abdulwahab Al-Ameeri, told KUNA that municipal field teams have recently identified and issued warnings to 15 charitable societies and organizations found operating in violation of zoning regulations. 'Today's inspection tour covered the areas of Sabah Al-Salem, Al-Qurain, Al-Fintas, and the coastal strip to confirm that all previously warned premises had been vacated,' Al-Ameeri stated, adding that the team had verified compliance in those areas. He praised the swift cooperation of charity operators in vacating the properties following the warnings, and noted that the teams are also addressing other violations, including unauthorized outdoor advertisements and iron mesh installations on some residences. Al-Ameeri emphasized that the inspection teams have adopted a strict approach from the outset of the campaign and will continue to enforce all legal measures against violators of Kuwait Municipality's regulations. The campaign is in line with Ministerial Resolution No. 206/2009, which prohibits the use of buildings in private and model residential zones for purposes other than private housing. The municipality's enforcement actions aim to implement this regulation by ensuring that all branches of charitable organizations are removed from such residential areas.
Arab Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Kuwait Municipality continues crackdown on charitable societies in residential areas
KUWAIT CITY, May 19: The Kuwait Municipality has confirmed that its field inspection campaigns will continue across all six governorates to evacuate charitable societies and organizations operating out of private and model residential areas. Meshari Al-Turkait, Head of the Engineering Audit and Follow-up Team in Hawalli Governorate, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Monday that more than 200 properties were found to be in violation, serving as headquarters for charitable societies and organizations in residential areas. Al-Turkait explained that the municipality's inspection teams had contacted the violators, instructing them to vacate the properties immediately. He noted that most charitable committee owners cooperated swiftly, removing their operations without delay. In Hawalli Governorate, the inspection team identified 17 properties being used as unauthorized headquarters. However, only seven of these required warnings, as the rest of the charitable societies quickly complied with the directive to vacate. The teams are also focusing on removing advertising billboards for these charities and any other violations, such as awnings or windows that contravene regulations. Al-Turkait emphasized that the municipality would ramp up its inspections in the coming days to ensure compliance with the regulations. He stated that the municipality would not hesitate to take legal action against violators, enforcing all necessary measures in accordance with municipal rules. It is important to note that Ministerial Resolution No. (206/2009) strictly prohibits the use of buildings in private and model residential areas for anything other than private housing. The municipality's current enforcement efforts are in line with this resolution, which mandates the removal of charitable societies from these residential zones.
Kuwait Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait enforces eviction of charities from private housing
Move follows Ministry of Social Affairs order to uphold residential zoning law KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality launched Thursday its first field inspection campaign to evacuate charity associations and foundations operating in private and model residential areas across the six governorates. Private residential areas are low-density zones reserved for single-family housing, primarily intended for Kuwaiti citizens, where land is distributed through the country's housing welfare program. In contrast, investment housing areas feature multi-unit buildings — such as apartments, duplex villas, and studios — designed for rental or ownership across all floors. The campaign comes following a request from the Ministry of Social Affairs to Kuwait Municipality to enforce Ministerial Decision No. (206/2009) — which prohibits the use of buildings in private residential areas for any purpose other than private housing. The ministry began surveying all registered charities — approximately 84 organizations with over 200 branches across the country — earlier this month to take legal action against those located in private residential zones. Khaled Al-Fadhli, Head of the Emergency Team at Ahmadi Municipality, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that field teams had issued warnings to several charity premises over the past days, ordering them to vacate. On Thursday, the teams inspected five areas — Fahaheel, Fintas, Ali Sabah Al-Salem (Umm Al-Hayman), Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City, and Al-Sabahiya — issuing 15 evacuation warnings. Al-Fadhli praised the cooperation of some associations that voluntarily removed their violations in Al-Ahmadi Governorate. Al-Fadhli stressed that the monitoring teams will not tolerate any violations of Kuwait Municipality's regulations and laws, emphasizing that field campaigns will continue over the coming days across different governorates. This move is part of a wider regulatory reform of Kuwait's charitable sector. Last month, the ministry suspended all charitable fundraising nationwide, citing concerns about unauthorized campaigns. Since November 2024, Minister of Social Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah has dissolved at least 30 charities found inactive after inspections. These measures are designed to eliminate inactive or ineffective organizations and ensure that resources are being used efficiently. These reforms also align with Kuwait's efforts to improve financial oversight and comply with international anti-money laundering standards. A Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report released in November 2024 acknowledged Kuwait's legal framework to combat illicit finance, but pointed to enforcement challenges. Countries that fall short of FATF standards risk being greylisted or blacklisted, which can affect global financial relations. Kuwaiti authorities have since ramped up coordination among ministries to tighten control, particularly over cross-border donations. Officials say these efforts aim to uphold Kuwait's humanitarian leadership while meeting international best practices. — Agencies
Gulf Insider
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Cracks Down On Violating Charities
Kuwaiti authorities have launched a large-scale campaign removing charity groups unlawfully housed in residential buildings. Kuwait Municipality launched the campaign to clear charity offices from residential buildings across the country's six governorates. Khaled Al Fadhli, a municipal official in Al Ahmadi governorate, said field teams had monitored and warned several charities located in private residential areas over the past few days to vacate their offices there. He added that the municipality Thursday carried out its first field inspection campaign in five areas to ensure that operators of charities in residential areas are complying with the eviction orders. The municipal team in Al Ahmadi issued 15 warnings to violating charities and many of them took the initiative to immediately vacate the buildings. The official stressed that the inspection team will not hesitate to take all legal measures against violators of the regulations. A 2009 Kuwaiti law bans the use of buildings in residential areas for any purpose other than private housing. Last month, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Social Affairs said it had suspended all fundraising operations after detecting links to unofficial and unknown websites collecting donations.
