The transactions of citizens in various sections of the General Traffic Department (GTD) at the Ministry of Interior can now be completed within a few minutes; as the department issued a circular on the allocation of paths and counters for the quick completion of transactions, reports Al-Rai daily. This is in compliance with the instruction of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled to ease procedures for citizens who expressed satisfaction over such move.

On Monday morning, the daily’s staff visited the Capital Traffic Department building; during which they observed commitment to the circular in all sections — technical inspection of cars, driving licenses, payment of fines, coordination and follow up.

A number of citizens praised this development, stressing it will greatly contribute to the immediate completion of transactions that require personal attendance, and relieve them of the torment of crowding and waiting in long queues. They consider this a step in the right direction, especially since GTD is the main artery of the ministry and its one of the important sectors serving a large number of citizens and expatriates. They expressed gratitude to the ministry, while hoping this will be implemented in other government agencies.

This came after Director General of GTD Major General Yousef Al-Khadda issued a circular for all traffic departments to establish special lanes and counters to expedite the completion of transactions. He affirmed this is in compliance with the directive of the minister to remove all obstacles that citizens used to face in the processing of their transactions. GTD previously allocated a special section for people with special needs through which they can complete their transactions while inside their vehicles; in addition to activating electronic services for online completion of transactions through the ‘Sahel’ and ‘My Identity’ applications.

According to Kuwait Financial Center (Markaz), the high cost of basic materials, logistical costs, and lack of supply chains are causing the increase in construction costs. 

Markaz added, in a report entitled “Construction Cost in Kuwait and its Components”: The main factors in this change are the rise in the prices of basic materials and the rise in inflation rates worldwide, reports a local Arabic daily.

He explained that the significant increase in the prices of primary raw materials, such as structural steel supports, rebar, timber, copper tubes and cables, in addition to the shortage of labor at the level of the construction sector in the region, are the main reasons for the increase in construction costs in recent years.

To find out the effects of increasing inflation rates globally, the report delved into the study of rising prices of imported goods and their impact on development in the Gulf region, where geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global supply chains have increased the cost of construction in the GCC countries.

Forty percent of respondents to a Turner & Townsend survey focused that increases in construction costs significantly affect the delivery of completed development projects, while 60% indicated that a shortage of skilled labor directly affects the delivery of construction projects.

In light of the transformations that the world is going through, the report indicated that the construction industry in Kuwait is currently witnessing an increase in the cost of construction as a result of rising labor costs, and increasing prices of materials and transportation services.

Last February, the average cost of building one square meter of private housing was estimated at 230 dinars, compared to about 170 dinars per square meter before the start of the Corona virus pandemic, an increase of nearly 35% due to materials and labor costs.

According to these figures, the cost of building a private housing unit with an area of 1,240 square meters increased from 210,000 dinars (170 dinars per square meter) before the outbreak of the epidemic to 285 thousand dinars (230 dinars per square meter). This cost is $741 per square meter, which while high, is still lower than the cost of building villas and the high rise in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have an average cost per square meter of $1,396 and $1,835 per square meter respectively.

The report attributed the relatively low construction costs in Kuwait, compared to high market conditions, to the state’s support for building materials prices, in addition to implementing price control policies and banning the import and re-export of major building materials, such as wood and iron.

The report pointed out that construction costs in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are affected by changes in global supply chains, increasing material costs, and global social and economic policies.

It is estimated that commodity prices will remain above average for the next five years, and therefore metal prices are expected to remain at historically high levels. The World Bank predicts that commodity, mineral, and energy prices will decline in 2023, but remain high.

Director of Ophthalmology at the Ministry of Health Dr. Ahmad Al- Foudari warned on Monday that looking at the sun during solar eclipse could lead to eyesight damage or blindness.

This came in a statement for KUNA, in which he warned from staring at the sun for long as this phenomenon begins on Tuesday at 13:20:30 P.M., reaches its peak at 14:35:34 P.M., ends at 15:44:13 and the eclipse would reach a percentage of 53.4 percent. (KUNA)

The Ministry of Interior’s Residency Affairs Department issued a decision to cancel residence of expats holding Article 17(govt sector visa), 19 (partners visa), 22 (family visa), 23 (students visa) and 24 (self sponsorship visa) if they are outside Kuwait for more than 6 months. The duration of presence outside Kuwait will be calculated starting from 1st Aug 2022 last date to enter will be 31st Jan 2023. Those expats who stay outside Kuwait for 6 months and more their residence will be automatically cancelled in accordance with the provisions of Article 12, paragraph 3 of the Expats Residence Law.

Previously decision was made for holders of Article 18 (private visa) who were outside Kuwait for 6 months and more from May 2022 calculation had begun. Expats on Article 18 have to enter Kuwait before 31st Oct 2022.

The Ministry of Interior from a humanitarian point of view due to pandemic crisis some airports were shut in some countries hence had provided expats to stay outside Kuwait for over a period of 2 yrs. 

A report issued by the Central Administration of Statistics for second quarter of 2022 shows the number of workers is about 655,000 (compared to 639 thousand at the end of the second quarter of 2021), distributed almost equally among the male and female workers – male about 315,000 and female workers numbering about 339,000, reports Al-Jarida daily.

A report says a quarter of the total expatriate workers in Kuwait is domestic workers and that the male employees from India lead the others with about 213,000 (210,000 at the end of the second quarter 2021), while the Philippines takes the lead for female employees with about 161,000 (137,000 at the end of the second quarter 2021), and India leads the numbers of domestic workers of both sexes by 46.2 in percent of the total domestic workers, followed by the Philippines with 24.7% of the total.

The statistics showed in general, four nationalities – India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka account for about 95.1 percent of the total number of domestic workers out of 10 nationalities, while the other six nationalities make up for only about 2.1 percent and the lowest 0.2 percent. Among the ten domestic workers exporting countries, 3 African countries are led by Ethiopia with a share of 1.5 percent of the total labor force, then Benin with 0.4 percent, and Sudan with 0.2 percent.

The 43.5 metre Launch Vehicle Mark 3 weighing around 644 tonne carried 36 satellites weighing 5,796 kg or about 5.7 tonne
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest rocket Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV Mark 3) which took off from the second launch pad (SLP) of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota at 12.07 a.m. (IST) has successfully orbited 36 satellites of U.K.-based OneWeb.

This is OneWeb’s 14th launch, bringing the constellation to 462 satellites. This launch represents more than 70% of its planned 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity worldwide.

The 43.5 metre LVM3 weighing around 644 tonne carried 36 satellites weighing 5,796 kg or about 5.7 tonne. With this launch, LVM3 has made its entry into the global commercial launch service market.

LVM3-M2 is the dedicated commercial satellite mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Space, Government of India. This mission is being undertaken as part of the commercial arrangement between NSIL and m/s Network Access Associates Limited (m/s OneWeb Ltd), a U.K. based company. OneWeb is a joint venture between India’s Bharti Enterprises and the U.K. government.

With only four more launches to go, OneWeb remains on track to activate global coverage in 2023, while its connectivity solutions are already live in regions north of 50-degrees latitude.This partnership with NSIL and ISRO demonstrates OneWeb’s commitment to provide connectivity across the length and breadth of India by 2023. From Ladakh to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, OneWeb will bring secured solutions not only to enterprises but also to towns, villages, municipalities and schools, including the hardest-to-reach areas across the country.

The Public Authority for Civil Information announced 14 services that it offers to citizens and residents from now on will be completed exclusively via the unified government application Sahel only, reports Al-Jarida daily. The authority said in a press statement the move to convert its transactions to the Sahel application comes in support of the state’s goals towards digital transformation, which depends on digital services instead of applicants visiting PACI personally.

The sources added that the digital transformation will speed up the pace of completion in order to save time and effort, which will be reflected in improving the performance of the services provided by the authority. It is noteworthy that the Public Authority for Civil Information provides more than 20 services through the unified government application Sahel in order to facilitate the completion of the transactions of individuals and entities.

The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy restored the power supply to all parts of the chalets area in the south of the country after the emergency power failure that occurred in the main transfer station Al-Zour A, reports Al-Rai daily.

The Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, Abdulaziz Al-Moajil instructed the municipality to coordinate with the Ministry of Interior to deport expat contractors who violate the rules and regulations of building construction including clearing of rubble, reports Al Jarida.

Al Moajil stated that strict application of the law will limit abuse and violate laws and regulations set by the municipality.

 Following the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health about the increase in the emergence of respiratory symptoms with the beginning of the current viral disease season, health sources told Al-Qabas, that hundreds of people who visit hospitals daily, are infected with the H1N1 virus previously known as swine flu, which has spread widely in the country, with the return of students to schools. The sources said that most cases of visits to primary health care centers and emergency departments in hospitals show that they suffer from the same symptoms, such as high fever, sneezing, coughing and shortness of breath, stressing the need to take vaccinations against viral diseases and seasonal influenza.

The sources added that the medical and nursing staff in health centers and public hospitals has received instructions from ministry officials to continue using the face masks while on duty, because of the increase in seasonal flu infections during the past two weeks, to protect the working medical staff and limit the spread of viruses.

The sources called on segments of the society to be careful and beware of seasonal influenza, especially the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases, and those who suffer from genetic diseases or respiratory problems, noting that infection with H1N1 may cause serious complications later in limited cases. In a related context, Ghanim Al-Salem, a consultant in internal diseases, gastroenterology and endoscopy, confirmed that the H1N1 virus has recently been noticed in the country, since a significant number of infections have been recorded, indicating that the virus has become a seasonal virus which was earlier called the swine flu.

Al-Salem addedm “despite the spread of the H1N1 virus in the country, the cases that require hospitalization are very limited, and the presence of hundreds of patients infected with the virus daily does not spell danger.” He recommended five quick actions in this regard — quick diagnosis of whether it is a common cold or otherwise, check for dengue fever, abdominal pain, vomiting or continuous bleeding, keep the room temperature constant and the environment clean and keep distance from people who show symptoms.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to prevent cholera and to deal with any infected cases, whether they originate in Lebanon or elsewhere. The Director of the Department of Infection Prevention and Sterilization at the MOH, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mutawa, said that Kuwait has an infrastructure of water and sewage networks that operate with high efficiency to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country.

Al-Mutawa explained that a person can get infected with the disease by consuming contaminated foods or liquids, while guaranteeing that the country is devoid of such contamination due to the efforts of the health control, as well as its continuous follow-up and adequate public health awareness.

He added that the chances of transmission of cholera infection to the country are very small, unlike transmission of airborne viruses, such as seasonal diseases during winter. The official added that cholera is a bacterial disease that usually spreads through contaminated water or food and causes diarrhea, severe dehydration, nausea and fatigue. He indicated that if not treated, infection can be fatal.

Additionally, Al-Mutawa noted that in addition to drinking contaminated water and eating food contaminated with cholera bacteria, the disease can also be spread by eating raw vegetables and fruits, undercooked food, and food prepared and stored by individuals infected with the disease, whose symptoms usually appear within five days of infection.

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In 7 months, Kuwaiti exports amounted to 312.1 million dinars. The sources said Arab Gulf states accounted for the highest percentage of Kuwaiti exports at KD 183.7 million, followed by the group of Arab countries with KD 95.9 million, and then the European continent with KD 10.9 million.

The rest of the exports were distributed in varying proportions to African countries with an amount exceeding half a million dinars a little to 543,000 dinars, Asian and Australian countries by 3.1 million dinars and the countries of the Americas by 18 million dinars, reports a local Arabic daily.

Kuwaiti-origin exports to the world reached their peak last July, with total exports of 76.8 million dinars, followed by February with total exports of 72.8 million dinars, and May with total exports of 39.4 million dinars, while April recorded the lowest value of exports with 24.8 million dinars. In June, exports totaled 26.8 million dinars.

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The General Directorate of Traffic revealed that about 3,000 expat driving licenses were revoked in the first week due to violation of conditions on which they were granted. This decision comes on the instructions of the First Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al Khaled to reopen expat drivers license files.

3,000 Expats driving licenses were blocked and were listed to be withdrawn. The licenses which have been withdrawn are due to change in work permit or they transferred the residence to another field of work hence they have lost one of the conditions either based on work profession or salary.

Reviewing all the licenses will take about two months at least, if conditions are not met the licenses will be blocked and the owner will be summoned. If the person doesn’t hand over the license it will be blocked through Kuwait Mobile ID and Sahel application, reports Al Rai.  In the event it is detected that he is still driving the vehicle despite the driving license has been revoked he will be dealt according the law and will be deported from Kuwait for not complying with the laws

Kuwait is preparing to launch the first edition of Winter Wonderland at Shaab Park on Dec 1, featuring 28 games for all age groups, including action, children and family games, reports Al-Qabas daily. This is in addition to various recreational activities and a theater that can accommodate 1,200 people for entertainment and family shows. Shaab Park is one of the important sites under the management of Tourism Enterprises Company (TEC).

Shaab Park
The site is currently untapped and it was chosen as the venue for the ‘Winter Wonderland Kuwait’ this year, as it has the necessary infrastructure for such an event. This is in line with the goal to effectively utilize the winter season this year until the main goal is achieved — equipping a huge site to accommodate the locals and visitors.

Selection
Talking about the selection of the site, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TEC Eng Muhammad Ahmad Al-Saqqaf explained that Shaab Park is the most suitable venue for the ‘Winter Wonderland Kuwait’ event this year — the first edition. This is in compliance with the royal directive to expedite the completion of development and entertainment projects that benefit the people and the commitment of the Mega Projects Committee that asked the Ministry of Finance to provide an entertainment facility which is ready for Winter 2022.

Al-Saqqaf stressed that ‘Winter Wonderland Kuwait’ is the result of the fruitful work of team formed by Minister of Finance Abdulwahab Al- Rasheed, consisting of Fadel Al-Dosari and Noura Al-Qabandi, in coordination with TEC and other concerned entities. Upon completion of the project, it will be a precedent in the implementation of entertainment projects; especially since the target completion period is less than four months — a manifestation of the commitment to develop the entertainment sector.

TEC and the Ministry of Finance team utilized the best foreign expertise specialized in organizing such events in order to transfer the experience to Kuwaiti youths and the local market, as youths will be involved in the daily operations. This project is also an economic opportunity with a positive impact on many vital sectors in the State; while other sites are currently being considered for the next season in 2023, which is expected to be in a much larger venue to include more games and entertainment events.

Kuwait Fishermen Union Chairman Dhaher Al-Suwayan has confirmed the return of sea pirates and robbers in a remarkable way, such that armed robbery happened in more than 20 fishing vessels in less than three days, reports Al-Qabas daily. In a press statement, Al-Suwayan disclosed: “Many fishermen in Fahaheel and Sharq no longer want to fish due to the lack of security for them; especially since the pirates usually steal all the fishing equipment, navigation devices, air conditioners, personal properties and their catch for the day — fish and shrimp.”

He said two red boats with four pirates each were seen recently, stressing that the situation is dangerous; hence, the need for action on the part of the concerned authorities and protection for Kuwaiti fishing vessels. He hopes the concerned authorities will address this issue and establish a fixed security checkpoint in the commercial waters; so the Kuwaiti fishermen can fish safely to supply the local market with fish and shrimp, affirming the union has informed the concerned authorities.

Last week, the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica reached its largest size since 2015, and despite this significant growth, scientists say that the size of the hole is still declining as a general trend.

The ozone hole is formed annually over Antarctica, and this is the third year in a row that the hole has grown significantly, and the area of ​​the hole is approximately 10 million square miles (26.4 million square kilometers), according to what was published by the “Russia Today” website.

However, a local Arabic daily quoted Paul Newman, chief Earth scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, as telling the Associated Press that All the data suggests that the ozone layer is improving.

Ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms and makes up very little of our atmosphere, but it has a huge impact on our planet.

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 Health sources confirmed that the Ministry of Health had obtained approvals from the regulatory authorities to establishing, complete and maintain the Kabd Health Center, affiliated to the Jahra Health District, after re-examining the request to float the tender again, noting that it is one of the important future projects, and serves large segments in the region, reports Al-Qabas daily. The sources pointed out that the aforementioned area is inhabited by a significant number of expatriate workers, as well as citizens of the owners of cabins and rest houses who come to the area periodically, especially during official holidays and the weekend, explaining that this requires providing the best medical services in the health center, whether it is to be established or currently in place.

The sources also pointed to about 20,000 expatriates working in about 11,000 farms and surrounding areas will benefit from the new health center project and deal with emergencies and accidents at any time, especially during the winter and summer holidays, explaining the difficulty of transferring cases to Farwaniya or Jahra hospitals for treatment as the time factor is very important to save the life of any patient or injured person in the area.

On the other hand, the sources stated that the ministry had obtained approvals to extend contracts for four tenders for the preparation and delivery of meals to public hospitals and health centers, for periods of up to 6 months, at a cost of about 9 million dinars, indicating that it includes “wages, meals and maintenance” until new tenders are floated stressing the keenness of the Ministry of Health to provide all services to all patients in the wards and intensive care, in addition to health services.

The Ministry of Interior decided to impose a 9 Kuwaiti dinar fee on any type of entry visa for Egyptians. This is in response to the decision of imposing a 30 dollars fee on every Kuwaiti entering Egypt.

Officers, soldiers and civilians working at the land and airport ports received a circular that included strict instructions that a fee of 9 dinars should be collected when issuing any type of visa to Egyptians.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said it is an honour for him to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award and he looks forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.

Nadella, who plans to visit India next January, formally received the award for distinguished service, from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T.V. Nagendra Prasad, last week.

The 55-year-old CEO of Microsoft was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year.

On receiving the award, Mr. Nadella said: “It’s an honour to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised with so many extraordinary people. I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.”

Discussion on India’s growth trajectory

During the meeting, Mr. Nadella discussed with Mr. Prasad the critical role digital technology plays in empowering inclusive growth in India. The discussion focused on India’s growth trajectory and the country’s potential to be a global political and technology leader, according to Microsoft.

“We are living in a period of historic economic, societal and technological change,” said Mr. Nadella following his meeting with Dr. Prasad.

“The next decade will be defined by digital technology. Indian industries and organisations of every size are turning to technology to help them do more with less, which will ultimately lead to greater innovation, agility and resilience,” Mr. Nadella said.

Hyderabad-born Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft in February 2014. In June 2021 he was also named the company's Chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.

Mr. Nadella plans to visit India in January 2023, his first visit to the country in nearly three years, Microsoft said.

Due to the difficulty of proving the crime technically, electronic fraud is on the rise in Kuwait and the Gulf countries in general. It is exacerbated by lapses committed by targeted users through chat programs, social networking sites, messages, or even electronic games or fake pages.

Sophisticated methods of fraud have spread, the latest of which is falsifying logos of companies or stores, to entrap customers in the purchase, payment and money transfer window, without the real presence of products or the delivery component, which has made many people who depend on e-shopping and direct purchase, through smart applications or websites, which have become uncomfortable at international level, reports a local Arabic daily.

The Public Prosecution every year deals with at least 350 cases of electronic fraud filed by individuals who have been misled by Kuwaiti phone numbers using communication applications WhatsApp or IMO, or by sending links via text messages, using logos or names of government agencies.

The head of the Kuwait Society for Information Security, Dr. Safaa Zaman, told the daily that Kuwait ranks fourth in the list of fraud cases registered in the Middle East and North African countries, and residents are among the most likely victims of electronic fraud.

Dr Zaman said that a recent study prepared by the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the International Criminal Company “Interpol”, under the title “The Role of Financial Institutions in Reducing Information Crimes” at the beginning of this year, showed the presence of 5 types of financial fraud crimes, considered the most common in the Arab world, and uses 24 criminal methods to reach the victims.

She added, the study analyzed 503 fraudulent ads, topped by 4 methods in the areas of “investments, business email, romantic text message fraud, in addition to the method of sexual extortion.”

With regard to fraud methods that were monitored at the local level, Zaman said that they “diverse and evolved, with the development of technical eras, and increased with the prosperity and spread of social networking programs, based on the richness of these programs with data and personal information, which facilitated penetration operations in general, and fraud in particular.” .

Dr Zaman continued saying, one of the most important requirements for financial fraud is the presence of adequate data and information about the victim, which is provided by social networking programs. Unfortunately, users do not realize the importance of the data and information placed in these programs and their uses that may expose them to theft and extortion through the use of social engineering.

She pointed out that “the spread of a new method recently, in which the fraudster convinces the victim to download an application that enables him to control his device remotely, and when the victim downloads the application, the fraudster gains full control of his device and then transfers money and steals files and data without hindrance or approval from the victim.”

Dr Zaman provided a set of tips for individuals, so that they can make optimal use of the current technological tools of the virtual world, to avoid falling into scams, by “not trusting the link or social networking accounts and making sure that no one wants to give you money easily and without fatigue, and not to place sensitive data in the phone, using a prepaid card to complete electronic purchases, not sharing credit data with anyone even if the merchant or representative asks you, and not entering your personal data into public devices or connecting to unreliable networks.

She called for caution against dealing with websites with poor design and content, and immediately reporting any fraud or attempt to mislead you, so that the bank can take the necessary measures, educate other customers, and constantly update the operating system.

The 10 most common methods of electronic fraud in the modern era

- Sending links that take the victim to sites containing malicious software
- Links whose mission is to seize the secret number of bank accounts
- Contact the victim by phone and take data, the most important of which is (OTP)
- Software that hides caller numbers and shows the number of the bank or financial institution
- Fake websites bearing the name and logo of the bank or financial institution
- Online stores displaying fake, counterfeit and non-genuine goods
- False bank letters by email or text message
- Granting loans on easy terms or repaying loans without reasonable conditions
- Pay off loans in exchange for your signature on documents by paying larger amounts
- Cameras in automated teller machines that reproduce cards and their information The Latest and important news on our Telegram Channel click here to join