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The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation is preparing, in cooperation with the Kuwait University will organize interviews for employment in the oil sector.

The interview will comprise English language and specialized tests, during the next two weeks at the Al-Shaddadiah University in a step that heralds the imminent employment in the oil sector, reports a local Arabic daily.

The sources added instructions have been issued at higher level to create work opportunities as much as possible to accommodate the biggest possible number of Kuwaiti youth in the oil sector, especially that the job announcement period has been extended to provide an opportunity for more graduates have yet to get their certificates which has been delayed due to several reasons.

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According to the Administrative and Financial Affairs Sector of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, in collaboration with the Civil Service Commission, electronic certificates can now be issued via the CSC official application or website without requiring employees to visit the concerned departments in person.

PAAET sources explained this service allows the employee to extract — for example — a salary certificate, a salary transfer continuity certificate, a job and financial status certificate, a “To Whom It May Concern” certificate, a career progression certificate, a job and financial status statement certificate, and a detailed salary gradation certificate, reports a local Arabic daily.

The Administrative and Financial Affairs Sector confirmed its continued use of electronic technologies to improve the services provided to all employees, and this application comes in line with the state’s orientation towards electronic work, simplifying work procedures and upgrading the services provided.

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According to the sources in the Deanship of Student Affairs at Kuwait University, some female students of the university were referred to the investigation committee in the deanship not because they expressed their opinion on the matter of closing down the Faculty of Public Health but because of their transgression against a member of teaching staff, reports Al-Anba daily.

The sources explained that one female student from the Faculty of Public Health and three female students from the College of Graduate Studies were referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the Deanship of Student Affairs after they verbally attacked one of the faculty members of the the university using obscene words under the pretext that he was the reason for closing the Faculty of Public Health. The sources denied the referral of any male or female student for investigations at the Deanship of Student Affairs because they expressed their opinion on the closure of the Faculty of Public Health.

Five years after the issuance of the Civil Service Council’s Resolution No. 11/2017 to reduce the number of non-Kuwaiti government employees, an official government report revealed that this Kuwaitization policy succeeded in increasing national employment by 5.3 percent in the government sector from 39,671 employees out of a total of 224,054, representing 70.7 percent of the total employees in the government sector in the 2017/2018 fiscal year, to 263,725 employees last year, representing 76 percent, distributed among 28 government agencies covered by the decision.

In application of the percentages specified in the Civil Service Council’s decision, the report indicated that 9,457 non-Kuwaiti employees left the government sector in the past five years, and their numbers dropped from 92,697 to 83,240 by the end of last year during the mentioned period. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ranked first with the appointment of 2,000 Kuwaiti employees compared to its total number of 5,096 employees.

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries are expected to start negotiations for a free trade agreement next month with an aim to boost economic ties between the two regions, an official said.

GCC is a union of six countries in the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

"Terms of reference for the agreement are being finalised and we expect to launch the negotiations next month," the official said.

India has already implemented a free trade pact with the UAE in May this year.

According to experts, the GCC region holds huge trade potential and a trade agreement would help in further boosting India's exports to that market.

Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Director, Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore, said the GCC market is unexploited by domestic exporters and it holds huge potential.

"GCC is a major import dependent region. We can increase our exports of food items, clothing and several other goods. Duty concessions under a trade agreement will help in tapping that market. It will be a win-win situation for both sides," Mr. Joshi said.

Mumbai-based exporter and founder chairman of Techno-craft Industries India, Sharad Kumar Saraf said the GCC has emerged as a major trading partner for India and there is huge potential for increasing investments between the two regions.

"FTA will have a major benefit for both the sides," Mr. Saraf said.

Sharing similar views, Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) Vice Chairman Khalid Khan said sectors like chemicals, textiles, gems and jewellery and leather will get a major impetus by this agreement.

India imports predominately crude oil and natural gas from the Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and exports pearls, precious and semi-precious stones; metals; imitation jewellery; electrical machinery; iron and steel; and chemicals to these countries.

India's exports to the GCC increased by 58.26% to about $44 billion in 2021-22 against $27.8 billion in 2020-21, according to data of the Commerce Ministry.

The share of these six countries in India's total exports has risen to 10.4% in 2021-22 from 9.51% in 2020-21. Similarly, imports rose by 85.8% to $110.73 billion compared to $59.6 billion in 2020-21, the data showed.

The share of GCC members in India's total imports rose to 18% in 2021-22 from 15.5% in 2020-21.

Bilateral trade has increased to $154.73 billion in 2021-22 from $87.4 billion in 2020-21.

Besides trade, Gulf nations are host to a sizeable Indian population. Out of about 32 million non-resident Indians (NRIs), nearly half are estimated to be working in Gulf countries.

According to a November 2021 report of the World Bank, India got $87 billion in foreign remittances in 2021. Of this, a sizeable portion came from the GCC nations.

Saudi Arabia was India's fourth-largest trading partner last fiscal. From Qatar, India imports 8.5 million tonnes a year of LNG and exports products ranging from cereals to meat, fish, chemicals, and plastics.

Kuwait was the 27th largest trading partner of India in the last fiscal, while the UAE was the third-largest trading partner in 2021-22.

 In response to a video clips posted in the social media about manipulation in weights of a dairy product because it does not match the weight displayed on the package, the commercial control emergency teams were deployed in cooperative societies and supermarkets in all governorates to check random samples of several types of different dairy products and found that all samples matched for weights mentioned on packages, reports Al-Jarida daily.

The Ministry of Commerce called on valued consumers not to hesitate to inform the Ministry of Commerce as soon as they discover any tampering with any product by submitting a report through the government’s ‘Sahel’ application or through the ministry’s accounts on social media. 

 The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has reassured consumers that the products in the Kuwaiti market are completely safe, reports Al-Jarida daily. This came following the spread of news that the US Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a hair care product from the US market because it contains carcinogenic benzene.

“The Ministry of Commerce and Industry would like to reassure our valued consumers and confirm that the products in the Kuwaiti markets are completely safe, as the Ministry of Commerce, after monitoring the news, coordinated with the Ministry of Health and verified the recalls and withdrawals that took place in the American and Canadian markets,” say sources.

The sources added, “Only certain types of these products that were previously distributed only in the American and Canadian markets have been recalled.” The ministry affirmed that the local markets are free of these products and its constant keenness to verify all that threatens the health and safety of consumers.

The latest statistics released by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) revealed that 15,724 expatriates – who are 60 years old and above and do not hold university degrees – have so far left the country. This is an indication of the acceleration of the pace of demographic adjustment and elimination of labor market imbalances.

The statistics revealed that the number of expatriates 60 years old and above without a university degree totaled 82,598 in the middle of this year, compared to 98,598 in the same period in 2021. The number of expatriates 60 years old and above with university and postgraduate degrees who left the country reached 1,664 within this year; while their number in the middle of this year totaled 14,544, compared to 16,208 in the middle of 2021. By Najeh Bilal Al-Seyassah Staff

The Kuwaiti Sidr honey from ‘B Organic’ apiaries won first place at the international competition at the British Honey Fair 2022, reports Al-Rai daily. This competition is considered the largest and oldest in the world, with the participation of 2,088 samples. It is worth noting that this is the first time that an Arab beekeeper has received this honor. 

The beekeeper Dr. Issa Al-Issa dedicated this victory to HH the Amir, government and people of Kuwait, saying this victory is for every Kuwaiti, Gulf and Arab beekeeper, and “I hope that the beekeeping profession will spread among Kuwaiti youth because of its health benefits from the consumption of original honey and can be an excellent source of income for young people because of the excellence of Sidr honey and the global demand for it.”

Well informed educational sources told Al-Anba that the Ministry of Education is in constant contact with the Ministry of Health to follow up on the health situation in the country, noting that the situation is reassuring and not a cause for concern.

The sources indicated there is no tendency to return to two group study system or return to distance education that was adopted at the height of the Covid- 19 pandemic, noting that things are good and stable and wishing health and safety for all.

Al-Anba daily reports that the work contracts of expatriates still working in government agencies last only one year. The sources explained that all contracts, even using the services of any non-Kuwaitis, are renewed annually, and there are no 5 years or open-ended contracts any more. The sources reassured all Kuwaitis, whether they have children who aspire to obtain a government job or those who are about to graduate and are worried that a job will not be provided for them, that there is no renewal for any expatriate at all as long as a citizen is available to fill any specialization and this applies to all ministries without any exception.

This came in response to a question about the completion of the implementation of Resolution No. 11 of 2017 regarding the rules and procedures for Kuwaitization of government jobs last August, whose implementation period is set at five years, and 22 specialties are still occupied by expatriates.

There are many jobs in these disciplines, including engineering, teaching, education, training, social, educational, and sports services, science, livestock, agriculture, aquaculture, financial, economic, and commercial jobs, law, politics, Islamic affairs, forensic evidence, rescue, and professional and service jobs.

In Arab local papers, authorities are currently investigating a household worker of undisclosed nationality for allegedly trying to end the life of a three-month-old baby with detergent powder.

 The Public Prosecution received a report from the Al-Adan police station about an Asian maid who was immediately detained for allegedly attempting to kill the child. Officials took the statements of the baby’s parents who requested to investigate the incident, as well as appealed to send the infant to the Forensic Medicine Department and Child Protection Center.

As a result of the prosecutor's interrogations, the suspect was detained for further investigation.

Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad revealed that the bidding envelopes for the management and operation of the technical inspection centers under the Ministry of Interior will be opened soon, reports Al-Anba daily. In a press statement on the sidelines of the inauguration of the first sustainable environmental school in the country – Al-Jazaer High School in Shamiya, Sheikh Al-Ahmad revealed these centers will measure the rate of car emissions before renewing the vehicle registration book. He affirmed the authority is currently completing procedures related to the bidding in coordination with the ministry.

He explained that EPA will examine the vehicles and their emission rates, issue a statement on the condition of each vehicle, and then attach the statement to the vehicle’s technical inspection file to ensure the rate of emission is within the accepted standards, which will determine whether the registration book will be renewed or not.

He said the inspection data will be circulated to the measurement implementers in EPA and the technical inspection companies. He added these companies will ensure the validity of vehicle exhaust, as an agreement has been reached with the ministry that no vehicle registration book will be renewed unless the standards are met.

Inauguration On the inauguration of the first sustainable environmental school in the country, Sheikh Al-Ahmad affirmed this was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Education and the ‘We Protect It’ initiative. He said the initiative is keen on achieving sustainability through schools, ensuring food security and supporting agriculture. He called for the creation of sustainable environmental schools in all academic levels as one way of addressing environmental issues like water scarcity and climate change.

On the other hand, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Activities in the Ministry of Education Faisal Al- Maqsed praised the efforts of EPA, led by its director general, in supporting the bid to make schools environment friendly. He revealed there is an ambitious plan to make Kuwait an environmental incubator in all its facilities until 2035. President of Kuwait Water Society Dr Saleh Al-Muzaini announced that Al-Jazaer High School has been nominated for the ‘Green Flag’ Award – the first of its kind in Kuwait, in cooperation with the concerned international organization. Vice President of Kuwait Water Society Mona Al-Raz reviewed the objectives of the Environmental Education Foundation; pointing out it is the largest environmental education organization in the world and it is active in more than 100 countries

Kuwait's population increased by 1.8% to 4.46 million in first half 2022, but it remains below the pre-covid level and expatriates have declined by 11.4%, National Bank of Kuwait said.

Despite the increase in the number of arrivals by 2.3% in the first half of 2022, the expatriate population is still significantly lower on an annual basis with a huge drop of 382,000. Among expatriates, the Indian community recorded the sharpest fall of 15% ie 153000 people, followed by Egyptians (-9%) ie 58,000 people in 2021. Accordingly, Indians’ share in the overall population fell to 19% from 22% in 2019, while the share of Egyptians dropped to 14% from 15% of Kuwait’s total population, the report said.

The employment rates of Kuwaiti nationals witnessed a sharp increase during the past year, thanks to the increase in job opportunities for Kuwaiti nationals in the private sector. Kuwaiti employment jumped by a sharp 6.1% However, the overall employment (excluding domestic workers) fell 5.9% in June 2022, overwhelmingly driven by declining non-Kuwaiti jobs, the report said.

Although the expatriate population has declined since 2019, the share of domestic workers in the expat population increased from 20% in 2017 to 23.6%.

According to the report, low-end non-Kuwaiti jobs have plummeted, particularly in construction, private household workers, retail, and manufacturing.

The Ministry of Health announced Tuesday detection of a number of positive cases of the new coronavirus XBB strain in Kuwait. “The team in charge of following up coronavirus developments registered a number of cases infected with the new COVID-19 variant which had been detected earlier in several countries including some in the region,” the ministry said in a statement. It assured that the emergence of genetic mutations of viruses over time is normal.

“The coronavirus have undergone a number of genetic changes and mutations since its appearance and this is not a cause for concern,” the ministry stressed. It pointed out that “the epidemiological indicators and criteria indicate the stability of the situation in Kuwait at the present time.” The ministry noted that “the public health measures and guidelines for the prevention of the coronavirus remain the same”. It advised the public to complete vaccination against the virus (KUNA)

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with personnel from the Ministry of Interior, conducted an extensive check on transactions of the automobile sector, including leasing companies and offices specialized in buying and selling from outside the agency, reports Al-Rai daily. Relevant sources indicated that the increase in the inspection of the books of these authorities came as part of a broader supervisory move towards this sector, in parallel with the recent Commerce Ministry decision regarding the closure of the well-known car buying and selling office.

The sources pointed out that the list of newly monitored violations is unending, but it is free of any suspicions related to money laundering and terrorist financing operations. It is useful that the list includes more than one legal violation, not the least of which was obligating those who rent cars to pay the rental value.

The sources explained members of the committee formed by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of the Interior discovered that some offices collect from their clients the rental value for the period during which the rented car was out of service, even though it is covered by a comprehensive insurance policy, which means that these offices obtain the rental value twice. One of them is sums collected from the customer that are not due, which makes the procedure contrary.

The sources pointed out that according to the law, all car rental companies must insure their cars with a comprehensive insurance policy, noting that in the event that any of these cars suffers breakdowns, the renter is not legally obligated to pay the rental value for the period in which his rental benefit is stopped, no matter how long the period.

The Natural Medicine and Health Rehabilitation Hospital of the Ministry of Health, honored a batch of Chinese doctors and nurses who specialize in providing traditional Chinese medicine services, reports Al-Qabas daily. The MOH honored the outgoing Chinese medical team consisting of about 17 doctors and nurses of both sexes out of the 222, which was part of 22 batches sent by the Chinese government to Kuwait. In a farewell ceremony held by the Chinese Embassy, on the occasion of the end of their work in the country and in appreciation of their role, efforts and constant cooperation in the interest of patients.

The Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, Zhang Jianwei, said that Kuwait is the first among the Gulf countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, as well as the only Gulf country where a Chinese medical team is stationed. He added, that in early 1976, the Chinese government sent the first batch of the Chinese medical team to Kuwait. He added that during 4 decades, China has sent a total of 222 medical workers who have diagnosed and treated nearly 800,000 patients in Kuwait.

He explained that the program of sending the Chinese medical team to Kuwait is just one example of our health cooperation and strategic partnership, pointing to the concerted efforts between the two countries in facing the challenges posed by the (Covid 19) pandemic, as Kuwait provided medical aid to China, while China sent a group of medical experts to help Kuwait during the outbreak of the pandemic.

In turn, the Director of the Physical Medicine and Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Salah Al-Shayji praised the role of the medical team to provide support and assistance in the hospital, indicating that they are committed to the rules and regulations of the hospital and respect our culture and the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

Al-Shayji praised the medical team’s professional and meticulous skills, pointing out that they are keen to provide appropriate treatment to patients and are working to spread the culture and technology of Chinese medicine, which makes the hospital distinguished by providing more diverse medical services. For her part, Director of the International Relations Department at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Rehab Al-Watian, revealed that the new Chinese medical team will arrive in Kuwait on November 5, expressing her aspiration to implement positive initiatives to enhance health diplomacy and cooperation between the two friendly countries, which have deep relations for the benefit of both parties in various fields.

A leopard was spotted at Brindavan Gardens forcing the authorities to order its closure while a giant crocodile was sighted in a stormwater drain in the heart of Mysuru, on Saturday.  

The leopard was found sauntering along the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam when a few workers tending to the adjoining Brindavan Gardens spotted it.

In the blink of an eye the leopard sprang to the nearby steps of the Visvesvaraya Canal and entered the gardens where it camouflaged itself in the vegetation before making a dash and raced behind the Royal Orchids Metropole Hotel.

An official in the KRS said the Forest Department was immediately alerted and senior officers reached the spot and combed the area. But since there was no sighting of the leopard’s movement, they have decided to place a cage with a bait hoping that the leopard will be trapped.

Though Brindavan Gardens receives thousands of visitors on a daily basis, the rush is higher during weekends and holidays, especially in the evenings. But the leopard was spotted at around noon and there were only a handful of tourists. However, in their own interest and safety the dam authorities asked them to leave the place immediately while the ticket counters were closed making the KRS and the Brindavan Gardens out of bound for tourists for the rest of the day.

The official said they did not want to take risk with so many tourists and children around and hence closed the gardens. ‘’A decision to reopen the gardens will be taken only on Sunday provided there were indications of leopard movement outside the park’’, the official added. So there is uncertainty whether the Brindavan Gardens will be open to the public on Sunday.

Incidentally, this is the second time that a leopard has been spotted at the KRS since the last few months. A case was placed earlier to trap it but the leopard proved elusive.

Kuwait’s skies witnessed at 1:20 pm Tuesday partial solar eclipse, which remained visible until 3.44 pm — a space phenomenon deemed the most significant in the country this year. Director of space sciences at the Scientific Club Issa Al-Nasrallh told KUNA the partial sun eclipse is the first recorded in Kuwait since ending constraints of the coronavirus on June 21, 2020, when the Kuwaiti skies witnessed an eclipse at a rate of 60 percent of the sun size. Earlier on December 26, 2019, another partial eclipse was witnessed when the sun appeared blurred at its rise. The phenomenon will recur in Kuwait on August 2, 2027, and there will be another one on March 20, 2034, he added.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah Al- Salem Al-Sabah Cultural Center said shape of the eclipse varied from one region to another. The concealed side of the sun is seen larger in northern regions. Khaled Al-Ajman, the museum curator at the center, told KUNA the partial eclipse lasted for two hours and 24 minutes. Kuwait’s citizens and residents performed eclipse prayer Tuesday as it is an obligatory sunna whenever there is an eclipse of the sun. Kuwait’s skies witnessed at 1:20 pm partial solar eclipse, which remained visible until 3.44 pm. (KUNA)

The Ministry of Education did not receive any official instruction to require wearing masks in schools, reports Al-Anba daily quoting sources who affirmed the current public health condition is stable.

Sources said parents or guardians should not send their children to school if they exhibit certain symptoms such as cough, cold, fever and nausea; indicating the administration of the school must be informed about this. Sources affirmed the concerned students will be allowed to take special exams, provided a medical certificate is submitted.

In addition, a number of employees and some officials at the ministry are suffering from seasonal influenza; and some of them are absent from work as they need to rest in order to fully recover from the disease, sources revealed while stressing there is no reason for the public to be alarmed as this is common whenever the season changes.