The Bhavans community and members of the Indian business and professional community in the GCC are mourning the death of Mr Ramachandran NK, founder and owner of Bhavans Schools in the Gulf region and a member of the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC).

News of his passing was received with deep sorrow, with tributes highlighting his contribution to the Bhavans community and his association with the wider Indian community in the region. In a message of condolence, the IBPC expressed its profound sorrow over his death and extended heartfelt condolences to his family and members of the Bhavans community.

Ramachandran was closely associated with the Bhavans Schools, which serve the Indian community across the GCC. His passing marks a loss for the school community and those who worked alongside him. The IBPC conveyed its condolences to his family and the wider Bhavans community during this difficult time and prayed for his soul to rest in eternal peace.

The Public Authority for Food and Nutrition has called for greater public awareness and responsible consumption to reduce food loss and waste, stressing that food conservation is a shared responsibility.

Acting Director General Abeer Al-Ramah made the remarks during an awareness event at The Avenues Mall on Tuesday to mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, observed annually on September 29.

Al-Ramah said reducing food waste can begin with simple daily practices, including buying appropriate quantities, storing food properly and making use of leftovers instead of throwing them away.

She noted that food passes through several stages and requires significant effort and resources before reaching consumers, making its preservation part of responsible consumption.

Al-Ramah urged the public to help promote a culture of reducing food waste, saying that conserving food also supports the protection of national resources and sustainability.

Kuwait is accelerating its digital government drive, with all government agencies instructed to transfer their digital services to the unified Sahel application within six months. The move builds on the growing success of Sahel in enabling citizens and residents to access government services electronically without the need to visit government offices, stand in queues or move between different agencies to complete transactions.

The expansion of Sahel is aimed at creating a single, unified digital experience for government services in Kuwait while strengthening electronic connectivity and integration between government entities. It is also expected to improve service efficiency, reduce processing times and help rationalize government spending.

The initiative forms part of Kuwait’s broader push toward paperless government and digital transformation, supporting the objectives of Kuwait Vision 2035. Through Sahel, users can access and follow up on government transactions electronically, making it easier for citizens and expatriate residents to complete procedures and monitor the status of their requests without repeated visits to government offices.

The development of digital journeys through Sahl has already contributed to improving the government service experience by increasing integration between agencies and enabling transactions to be processed through connected electronic channels. The unified platform has also strengthened interaction between government agencies and users by providing greater transparency over the progress of applications and transactions.

Users can directly monitor the status of their requests, reducing the need for in-person follow-ups. Officials see the wider adoption of Sahel as a key step toward consolidating Kuwait’s multiple government digital platforms and service channels into a single, more accessible digital gateway.

Under the six-month deadline, government agencies will be required to move their digital services to Sahl while continuing to develop and update the platform in line with usage data, technological developments and the evolving needs of citizens and residents.

The expansion is expected to further reshape how government transactions are completed in Kuwait, with the emphasis shifting from residents travelling between government entities to services being brought directly to users through one integrated digital platform.

Kuwait is moving to accelerate the integration of government systems as the Ministry of State for Communications and Information Technology urges government institutions to complete the requirements for electronic linking and data exchange through the Apigee platform. The initiative is intended to strengthen connectivity between government entities and improve the quality and efficiency of digital services provided to beneficiaries.

The ministry has stressed the need for government agencies to quickly link services launched through Sahel, Kuwait’s unified government application for electronic services, with the Apigee platform. The move is aimed at improving the exchange of data between government systems and creating more integrated digital services for users.

The ministry said activating electronic linking and data exchange through the platform comes in line with Council of Ministers directives to complete government integration requirements and strengthen data exchange between various government entities. For Kuwait’s digital government programme, the integration is intended to improve the efficiency of government operations, enhance data quality and simplify procedures by enabling government entities to exchange information more effectively.

noThe initiative is also expected to help reduce duplication between government entities and support more coordinated delivery of electronic services. The ministry said the measures form part of Kuwait’s broader direction toward digital transformation, with greater integration between government systems aimed at improving the use and delivery of digital government services.

The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) has launched a new electronic service allowing applicants covered by Article 7 bis (personal guarantee) to submit requests for status modification online.

The service is available through the Sahel application or via the Authority’s website, enabling eligible applicants to submit their requests electronically without the need to visit the Authority in person.

Al Shaheed Park is set to open its third phase to the public on October 1, with a two-day celebratory carnival designed around the themes of peace, harmony and hope. The opening celebrations on October 1 and 2 will transform the park into a vibrant public space featuring cultural, artistic, entertainment and sporting activities, while giving visitors an opportunity to explore the new facilities and experiences introduced as part of the third phase.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, Anwar Al-Yatami, head of the Supervision, Management and Follow-up Committee for the third phase and representative of the Amiri Diwan, described Al Shaheed Park as a national project that has added a new dimension to Kuwait’s cultural and recreational landscape.

She said the third phase builds on the achievements of the park’s first and second phases while introducing new components that bring together culture, art, entertainment and sports within a modern and sustainable environment. According to Al-Yatami, the latest phase is intended to strengthen Al Shaheed Park’s position as a major destination in Kuwait and provide an integrated experience for families and visitors.

The opening carnival will feature a range of activities across the park over two days. These will include light shows around the dome of Al-Sour Theater, family and children’s entertainment, Kuwaiti heritage performances, festive processions and artistic works and creative installations. Nadera Al-Ahmad, a member of the supervisory committee, said the programme was designed to introduce visitors to the park’s diverse facilities through activities combining culture, arts, entertainment and sports.

The celebrations will also include physical and sports activities, with local athletes participating in parkour and skating arenas. Additional activities will be offered across the park’s facilities by sponsors and partners. Visitors will be able to use the carnival schedule and interactive map to identify the locations of activities and performances throughout the park.

Al-Yatami expressed appreciation to the Governor of the Capital, Sheikh Abdullah Salem Al-Ali, for his support, as well as to the sponsors and all those involved in developing the third phase. She said the committee hoped the new phase would build on the success of the previous stages and provide a platform for further events and activities serving the community and strengthening Kuwait’s cultural and entertainment offerings.

Kuwait is tightening its scrutiny of money-laundering risks in the precious-metals and jewelry sector, with businesses being urged to look beyond individual transaction values and pay closer attention to patterns of repeated purchases.

Gold and jewelry have long been an area of concern for financial-crime regulators because they combine high value with portability, liquidity and ease of resale. Kuwait’s risk assessments have identified the precious-metals sector as particularly vulnerable to money-laundering risks, placing greater emphasis on effective anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) controls.

Under current Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) procedures, jewelry businesses are required to conduct basic customer due diligence for sales and purchases. Transactions exceeding KD 3,000 are subject to additional documentary requirements, while enhanced due diligence may be required in certain higher-risk circumstances. However, the regulatory focus is increasingly extending beyond the value of a single transaction.

MOCI’s updated 2026 compliance procedures identify small, repeated transactions conducted within close periods of time as a suspicious indicator. The Ministry’s July 2026 guidance on suspicious transaction reporting also highlights multiple purchases over a short period as conduct requiring closer scrutiny.

For example, a customer may purchase jewelry worth KD 900, return a few days later to make a KD 1,200 purchase and then spend another KD 850 the following week. While none of these transactions individually reaches the KD 3,000 threshold, the transactions warrant examination and must be viewed collectively.

A suspicious indicator, however, does not automatically mean that money laundering has taken place or that a suspicious transaction report must be filed. It requires the business to examine the circumstances and assess whether there are reasonable grounds for suspicion. Where such grounds exist, the transaction must be reported to the Kuwait Financial Intelligence Unit (KwFIU) within two working days.

The consequences of failing to identify and report suspicious activity can be significant. Under MOCI procedures, where an inspector determines that suspicious activity should have been reported but was not reported within the required period, the business may face a KD 5,000 fine.

For jewelry businesses, one of the key challenges is determining what constitutes a pattern of “repeated” transactions or how short a period must be before transactions are considered sufficiently connected to warrant further examination.

The regulations do not prescribe a fixed number of transactions or a specific number of days. Instead, businesses are expected to apply a risk-based approach and develop a clear and defensible methodology for identifying, reviewing and escalating potentially suspicious activity.

Another important consideration is that the AML/CFT framework does not provide a blanket exemption based on the size or ownership structure of a jewelry business. While the way compliance controls are implemented can be proportionate to the nature, scale and complexity of the business, the underlying AML/CFT obligations continue to apply in full.

For jewelry businesses, the compliance challenge in 2026 is therefore no longer limited to determining whether a customer’s purchase crosses the KD 3,000 threshold. Businesses must now be able to recognize when several apparently ordinary transactions, considered together, form a pattern requiring examination. They must also be able to demonstrate that they have a documented and rational process for determining when such activity requires examination and/or escalation.

In a sector where relatively modest purchases can take on regulatory significance when viewed collectively, effective transaction monitoring is becoming an increasingly important part of AML compliance and a key safeguard against potentially costly regulatory action.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Education has warned private schools that students must not be denied education, prevented from sitting examinations or deprived of their academic results because of unpaid tuition fees, as families across the country adjust to newly approved increases in private-school fees.

The ministry’s latest regulations allow eligible private schools to raise tuition fees by between 10 and 15 percent, while imposing stricter controls on how the increases are applied and how schools collect payments. The rules also place explicit safeguards around students’ access to classes, examinations and academic results.

Under the latest decision covering Arabic-language and Pakistani private schools, institutions charging annual fees between KD250 and KD450 may increase tuition by up to 15 percent, while schools charging KD451 or more may raise fees by up to 10 percent. The increase can be applied only once and must remain within the percentages approved by the ministry.

A similar framework is already being implemented in Indian-curriculum schools. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 375 of 2025, schools charging between KD300 and KD500 may increase fees by up to 15 percent, while those charging KD501 and above may increase fees by up to 10 percent. The Public Administration for Private Education instructed Indian schools to implement the approved increases for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The ministry has also established a fixed payment mechanism under which tuition fees are to be collected in three equal instalments. Schools are not permitted to alter the number, value or scheduled payment dates of the instalments.

Schools must also submit their approved fee structures to the General Administration of Private Education for review and are required to make the approved fees clearly available to parents, either through school noticeboards or their websites. The regulations are particularly significant for families struggling to meet higher education costs.

Indian schools began issuing circulars to parents after the ministry directed them to implement the previously approved fee increases for the current academic year. For many Indian schools, the move followed nearly a decade during which tuition fees had remained largely frozen.

Parents interviewed by the media said the increase comes at a time when expatriate households are already dealing with higher rents, food costs and other living expenses. Some parents with several children in private schools said the additional annual cost could amount to hundreds of dinars across their families. Others said they were being forced to reconsider spending on tutoring, leisure and other household expenses to accommodate higher school fees.

School administrators, meanwhile, have argued that the increases are necessary after years of rising operating costs, including rents, teacher salaries and facility maintenance, while tuition revenues remained restricted.

Some schools have said additional income will be directed toward teacher salaries, professional development, technology, laboratories and other improvements to the educational environment.

Despite allowing schools to increase tuition, the ministry has drawn a clear line between fee collection and a child’s right to continue receiving education. Private schools covered by the regulations are prohibited from preventing students from attending classes or receiving educational services because of outstanding fees. They cannot bar students from sitting mid-year or final examinations, expel them solely over unpaid tuition during the academic year, or withhold their academic results.

The ministry has also required schools to ensure that parents and students can access examination results even when tuition payments remain outstanding.

The directive concerning Indian schools similarly states that students should not be prevented from receiving educational services, sitting examinations or accessing related academic services because of fee-payment issues.

Some Indian schools have already introduced measures to help families struggling with payments, including extended payment arrangements, sibling discounts, scholarships and case-by-case assistance. School administrators have also acknowledged that some families have accumulated outstanding fees and said they are willing to work with parents facing genuine financial difficulties.

The new regulations therefore seek to balance two concerns: allowing private schools to adjust fees in response to rising operating costs while ensuring that financial disputes between schools and parents do not interrupt a child’s education.

For parents, however, the key issue now is whether higher fees will translate into improved educational services and whether schools will maintain transparency in the additional charges they impose.

The Ministry of Education’s regulations make clear that approved fee increases do not give schools the right to introduce additional charges beyond the authorised structure or to use a student’s education, examinations or academic results as leverage for collecting outstanding tuition.

The monetary value of this year’s Nobel Prizes has increased by 9 percent to approximately $1.22 million for each of the six prize categories, the Swedish Nobel Foundation announced.

The increase is intended to preserve the significance of the prestigious awards and ensure that their financial value remains stable over time, Nobel Foundation Executive Director Hannah Stearn said in a statement.

Winners of the 2026 Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economics will be announced between October 5 and 12, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the first Nobel Prize awards.

The Nobel Prizes are traditionally presented in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded separately in Oslo, Norway.

The Public Authority for Civil Aviation has denied reports that transit flight operations at Kuwait International Airport will begin from October 1, describing the reports as inaccurate.

The authority’s official spokesperson, Abdullah Al-Rajhi, said Tuesday that no airline operating at Kuwait International Airport had been notified or informed of any decision to launch transit flights from the date mentioned.

Speaking to KUNA, Al-Rajhi urged airlines operating at the airport to verify information and regulatory decisions with the competent authorities before issuing or publishing announcements related to air services or operational arrangements.

He stressed that airlines should refer to the Public Authority for Civil Aviation before announcing any new operational procedures or arrangements to ensure that information provided to passengers and the public is accurate and officially approved.

Al-Rajhi also condemned the issuance of inaccurate announcements, warning that such information could cause confusion among passengers and the wider public.

He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to keeping passengers and the air transport sector informed of approved and official developments. Any decision or development concerning the launch of transit flight operations will be announced officially through the authority’s approved communication channels. – Kuna

The seasonal ban on outdoor work during midday hours officially ended at the beginning of September, but Kuwait’s extreme summer heat continues, with temperatures forecast to climb to 47 degrees Celsius this week.

The Meteorological Department expects the maximum temperature to reach 44°C today, Monday, at Kuwait International Airport, rising to 45°C on Tuesday and reaching 47°C on Wednesday and Thursday. Weather conditions during the period are expected to remain “very hot.”

The forecast highlights a gap between the fixed calendar date for ending the midday outdoor-work restriction and the persistence of the extreme weather conditions that prompted the measure.

The annual restriction is intended to protect workers from the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to intense heat during the hottest part of the day. However, the latest forecasts indicate that high temperatures can continue well beyond the formal end of the seasonal restriction.

With temperatures approaching the upper 40s, outdoor workers remain exposed to demanding conditions even after the official ban has ended, placing renewed attention on workplace safety measures and employers’ responsibility to protect workers from heat-related risks.

The continued heat also underscores the importance of monitoring weather conditions alongside fixed seasonal dates, particularly during periods when temperatures remain exceptionally high.

The Environment Public Authority (EPA) said Sunday that protecting the environment is a shared societal responsibility that requires cooperation and participation in initiatives aimed at preserving natural resources and ensuring their sustainability for current and future generations.

EPA Director of Public Relations and Media Sheikha Al-Ibrahim told KUNA, marking World Cleanup Day on September 20, that the occasion highlights the importance of environmental protection and promoting a culture of cleanliness and environmental volunteerism in Kuwait.

Al-Ibrahim said protecting the environment requires coordinated efforts to reduce sources of pollution, improve waste management and limit plastic waste and other pollutants that can affect the environment and its components.

She said the EPA places strong emphasis on environmental awareness and education through programs aimed at reducing pollution and maintaining the cleanliness of public areas. The authority also monitors compliance with environmental laws and requirements and cooperates with various organizations and institutions in implementing environmental initiatives and campaigns.

Al-Ibrahim said cleanup campaigns, including coastal cleanups, are important initiatives for promoting environmental awareness because they combine practical fieldwork with direct awareness efforts and help establish a culture of environmental protection.

She noted that Kuwait has a diverse natural environment and said preserving it requires sustained environmental efforts and stronger partnerships among government agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations and volunteers, along with greater public awareness.

Al-Ibrahim stressed the importance of encouraging positive behavior and sustainable practices, including avoiding littering in public places, reducing the use of plastic products and preventing plastic waste from being disposed of in the sea.
Such measures, she said, help reduce pollution and protect natural resources, wildlife and marine life.

The Central Bank of Kuwait is preparing to launch the Kuwait Wage Payment and Protection System at the end of September as part of the second phase of the Kuwait National Payments System, with the new platform designed to strengthen the efficiency, reliability and electronic monitoring of wage payments for private-sector workers.

The system will provide a central platform for processing and monitoring payroll payments through local banks. It will include mechanisms to match transferred salaries with documented employment contracts and update administrative justifications relating to suspended employees.

For private-sector workers, the system is intended to provide a more reliable and electronically trackable mechanism for salary transfers, while enabling regulatory authorities to monitor wage disbursements and identify cases of non-compliance with salary-transfer requirements at an early stage.

The Central Bank has instructed local banks to complete preparations for the launch and ensure that their systems comply with the approved regulatory, operational and supervisory requirements. The platform will allow regulatory authorities to monitor wage payments in real time, supporting oversight of salary transfers and the labor market.

The system is also intended to increase transparency and electronic tracking of wage payments, while supporting financial inclusion and encouraging greater use of banking services and electronic payment methods.

The Kuwait Wage Payment and Protection System will cover all private-sector workers, including both Kuwaiti citizens and expatriates, without exception. The system will not impose a minimum establishment size, meaning both small and large companies and institutions will be covered by the electronic wage-transfer mechanism.

Under the system, private-sector salaries will be transferred electronically through a mechanism that can be monitored and audited and that is linked to approved employment standards.

The launch forms part of an integrated package of national payment systems. Some components were gradually activated during the previous phase, while the remaining systems are being completed according to the approved project plan.

The Central Bank’s preparations for the wage system are aimed at completing this phase of the national payments system while strengthening the reliability and monitoring of salary transfers for private-sector workers.

Kuwait has temporarily suspended the activities of around 11 small and medium-sized exchange companies over failures to adequately update their systems and procedures for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, in a tightening of controls aimed at blocking suspicious and high-risk financial transfers.

The suspensions were imposed in batches rather than simultaneously and will remain in place until the companies correct the identified shortcomings and bring their systems into compliance with requirements set by the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

The companies may continue servicing customers whose transfers were processed through their systems before the restrictions took effect, according to the regulatory measures. To resume normal operations, the suspended companies must strengthen safeguards for identifying the true beneficiary of transfers, improve controls over high-risk transactions and implement enhanced due diligence procedures for complex or unusual financial activity.

They must also strengthen early-warning systems capable of detecting suspicious patterns, including unusual transaction volumes, frequency, size and structures that could potentially be used to conceal the identity of the actual beneficiary or facilitate illegal activity.

The regulatory measures also require exchange companies to ensure that no financial or related services are provided to individuals, entities or groups whose funds are subject to asset-freeze decisions, in line with requirements associated with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Kuwait currently has 33 licensed exchange companies operating under Central Bank supervision. The intensified monitoring of transfers to and from Kuwait forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing framework.

Red flags under scrutiny

Particular attention is being given to transactions involving high-risk geographical areas, weak financial-control environments and jurisdictions subject to sanctions or other restrictions. Regulators are also requiring exchange companies to improve their ability to detect attempts to bypass financial controls through complicated transaction structures, multiple intermediaries or different locations and agents.

Such patterns can make it harder to determine who ultimately benefits from a transfer and can create opportunities for financial crimes, prompting authorities to demand stronger monitoring and verification systems. The companies have also been instructed to apply enhanced due diligence to complex transactions and activate early-warning mechanisms when customer activity does not match a known financial profile or declared purpose.

Examples of suspicious indicators include customers transferring large amounts and rapidly converting currencies without an apparent economic purpose, conducting transactions involving several parties without a clear legal relationship, or making unusually large transfers to multiple recipients, particularly overseas.

Regulators are also watching for repeated transfers involving offshore financial centers or jurisdictions considered vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist-financing risks. Other warning signs include inactive or irregular customers suddenly making high-value transfers, particularly when the transactions are inconsistent with their established customer profile.

Stronger safeguards against hidden beneficiaries

A central focus of the crackdown is the ability of exchange companies to identify the actual beneficiary of funds transferred from Kuwait and determine whether the person or entity receiving the money is the legitimate intended recipient.

Authorities are therefore pressing exchange companies to upgrade their systems so that suspicious patterns can be detected before transactions create avenues for concealing beneficial ownership or circumventing financial restrictions, Al-Rai daily reports.

The measures form part of Kuwait’s wider efforts to strengthen financial-sector safeguards and ensure that exchange companies can identify, assess and report transactions presenting heightened money-laundering or terrorist-financing risks.

The regulatory action does not, by itself, establish that the suspended companies engaged in money laundering or terrorist financing. Rather, the suspensions relate to deficiencies in their compliance systems and procedures that regulators require them to correct before resuming full activity.

The Ministry of Education has approved new rules governing tuition fees at Arabic-language private schools and Pakistani schools, allowing a one-time increase of 10 to 15 percent while introducing tighter controls on how fees are collected and stronger safeguards for students whose families have outstanding payments.

Under the decision, schools charging between 250 and 450 dinars will be permitted to raise tuition fees by 15 percent, based on the approved fee structure of each school. Schools whose fees start at 451 dinars or more may increase charges by 10 percent.

The increases are to be applied only once, with schools required to provide educational services corresponding to the level of the approved increase. The decision therefore links any higher financial burden on families to the continued provision of the services covered by the school’s approved fee structure.

Fees to be collected in three instalments

The ministry has also established a standard payment mechanism, requiring tuition fees to be collected from parents in three equal instalments. The first instalment is due during the first week of the student’s attendance at the beginning of the academic year and includes the registration fee.

The second instalment is payable during the first week of the second academic period, in line with the approved academic calendar. For Pakistani schools, the third instalment is due during the first week of the third academic period. The decision places clear limits on schools’ ability to alter this arrangement.

Fees cannot become a barrier to education

Covered schools may not increase fees beyond the percentages and amounts approved by the ministry, nor may they change the number, value or payment dates of the instalments specified in the decision. One of the most significant elements of the decision concerns student rights.

Schools are prohibited from preventing students from receiving educational services because of unpaid tuition fees. They may not bar students from sitting for mid-year or final examinations, remove them from school, or withhold their academic results because fees remain unpaid during the school year.

The provision puts the continuation of a student’s education and access to academic assessment beyond the reach of fee-collection disputes, ensuring that outstanding payments do not automatically translate into a loss of classroom access or examination rights.The ministry has laid down specific rules for students who transfer between schools during the academic year.

Rules also cover students changing schools

If the due date for the first instalment arrives and the student has already begun attending classes during that period, the school is entitled to half of the tuition fees. If the second instalment becomes due while the student is attending the school, the school is entitled to the full tuition fee.

For a student who transfers to another school or leaves education during the academic year, the fees due are determined according to the instalment schedule and the applicable circumstances. The receiving school cannot charge tuition for the period the student spent at the previous school, preventing families from being charged twice for the same period of study.

There is a specific exception for students who are academically expelled or transferred from one school to another under the school regulations. In such cases, the Examinations and Equivalencies Department, in coordination with the Administrative Affairs Department of the General Administration of Private Education, may reorganise the fees due during an instalment period according to the actual length of time the student spent at the original school.

Indian schools had already received a similar increase
The latest decision follows a similar move involving private schools operating under the Indian curriculum. In November last year, the Ministry of Education approved a 15 percent increase for Indian schools whose fees started between 300 and 500 dinars, while schools charging more than 500 dinars were permitted a 10 percent increase.

Because the decision concerning Indian schools was issued after the academic year had already begun, roughly two months after classes started, some schools opted not to implement the increase immediately and instead deferred its application until the beginning of the current academic year.

Parents to get clearer view of approved fees

The ministry has also strengthened requirements for disclosure and transparency. Schools covered by the decision must submit a list of their approved tuition fees to the Financial and Administrative Affairs Department of the General Administration of Private Education. The list will be reviewed to ensure that schools are not exceeding the fees authorised by the ministry.

Once reviewed, schools must make the approved fee schedule readily available to parents by displaying it prominently on a noticeboard at the school or publishing it on the school’s website. The aim is to give parents a clear picture of what they are expected to pay for the academic year and make it easier to identify charges that fall outside the officially approved structure.

Academic results must remain accessible

The ministry has further required private schools to allow both parents and students to view their results in mid-year and final examinations even when tuition fees have not been paid.

Schools must also notify parents of students who fail one or more subjects and are required to sit for a second examination. Notification must be made through a recognised communication channel that has been clearly communicated to the parent in advance, including text messages, electronic messages, email or postal correspondence.

Taken together, the new regulations establish a framework that not only permits private schools to adjust tuition fees, but also places greater emphasis on predictable payments, fee transparency and the protection of students’ access to education and academic results.

The Ministry of Interior has reiterated that the ban on aerial photography and the operation of drones remains in force across Kuwait until further notice.

The ministry has urged citizens and residents to fully comply with the instructions, stressing that any violation will result in the necessary legal action against those responsible in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.

The ministry also called on everyone to cooperate with the authorities and adhere to the instructions that have been issued to help safeguard the security and safety of Kuwait, its citizens and residents.

Kuwait banks are becoming more selective in lending to expatriates, shifting from broad-based expansion toward a more risk-focused approach. Lenders are placing greater emphasis on employment stability, the financial strength of employers and the likelihood that borrowers will maintain a regular income to service their loans.

Several banks are reportedly developing a “grey list” of expatriate professions considered vulnerable to Kuwaitization, workforce reductions or uncertainty over the future operations of employers. The shift comes as Kuwaitization policies accelerate across government entities and the private sector.

The Ministry of Education’s plan to address staffing surpluses, including the termination of services for around 7,019 expatriate teachers in its first phase, has heightened banks’ concerns about employment-related credit risks. Government teachers in specialties targeted for Kuwaitization, retirement or identified as surplus are therefore facing greater scrutiny. Expatriate employees of cooperative societies and public-benefit organizations are also receiving closer attention.

Banks are particularly cautious about employees with new employment contracts, lower salaries or lower educational qualifications, with financing for these categories likely to be more selective and subject to lower credit limits. However, the approach does not amount to a blanket ban on expatriate lending, as decisions continue to depend on each customer’s individual circumstances.

At the same time, banks continue to favor expatriates working in professions considered more secure or difficult to replace. Doctors, engineers, healthcare professionals, technicians, technology and artificial-intelligence specialists, as well as workers in other specialized and scarce occupations, remain among the more attractive borrowers. Teachers working in specialties considered less exposed to Kuwaitization over the medium term also continue to receive relatively favorable treatment.

Years of service have become an increasingly important credit factor. Expatriates with stable employment, a good credit record and around 10 years or more of service are viewed more favorably because their accumulated end-of-service benefits provide an additional financial cushion. Banks may take these benefits into consideration when determining financing eligibility.

The strength of the employer is another major consideration. Employees of Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed companies or companies already approved by a bank can receive more favorable treatment because lenders have greater visibility over the employer’s financial position and salary-payment record. For companies that are not listed or approved, banks may instead assess their market reputation, operational presence and ability to maintain regular salary payments.

Minimum salary requirements vary between banks. According to the source, some lenders require expatriate borrowers to earn at least 400 dinars per month, while others set the minimum at 600 dinars. Employers that maintain strong governance and transparency practices, including notifying banks of changes affecting employees’ salary transfers, can also improve the credit profile of their workers.

Some banks are going further by seeking assurances regarding end-of-service benefits. In certain cases, borrowers may be required to provide an undertaking from their employer confirming that any end-of-service payment will be transferred to the lending bank if employment is terminated before the loan is fully repaid.

Eligible Kuwaiti and expatriate borrowers who satisfy regulatory and banking requirements can obtain combined consumer and housing financing of up to 95,000 dinars. Monthly loan installments are generally restricted to 40 percent of net salary, making income level a key factor in determining borrowing capacity.

Under the examples cited in the source, a borrower requiring a monthly installment of 1,100 dinars would need a salary of around 2,750 dinars. For a 25,000-dinar loan, a monthly installment of 490 dinars would correspond to a salary of around 1,225 dinars, based on the financing assumptions outlined.

Despite tighter lending policies for some expatriate categories, wealthy non-Kuwaiti customers remain highly attractive to banks. Expatriates classified as “platinum” customers can continue to receive preferential treatment, including specialized banking services, competitive interest rates and investment products.

These high-value customers typically have substantial deposits, strong financial capacity, shares, exceptional end-of-service benefits or other valuable collateral. As a result, banks continue to compete for such expatriate customers and may provide financing close to the maximum limits permitted by the Central Bank of Kuwait.

Overall, the banking market is moving toward a two-tier approach to expatriate lending. Workers in jobs exposed to Kuwaitization, restructuring or employment uncertainty face greater scrutiny, while highly skilled professionals, long-serving employees, workers at financially stable companies and wealthy expatriates with strong collateral remain attractive customers.

The key change is that job security and employer strength are increasingly being considered alongside salary and credit history when banks assess expatriate borrowers.