The Ministry of Health has signed a contract to purchase new equipment for a number of hospitals, including Al-Adan, Al-Sabah and Jaber Al-Ahmad, reports Al- Qabas daily. The Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, said, on the sidelines of the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Conference these devices will arrive in the country within three months, saying this is within the framework of the Ministry’s keenness to keep abreast of the latest developments in international medical technology.

Speaking of the conference, Al- Aawadhi said that it is being held after interruption due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic while at the same time expressing his pride in the presence of national cadres in various specialties, whether in the radiology and radiotherapy departments at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center and the nuclear medicine departments.

He pointed out that these three disciplines play an important and essential role in the advancement of technology with the participation of international companies, as radiation therapy systems and treatment through nuclear medicine develop, in addition to the diagnostic role and progress in the standards of accuracy in devices and related lectures. He expressed his happiness with the participation of many scientists, doctors and consultants from countries of the world to enrich the scientific discussion.

About 1,800 expatriate teachers await their fate in light of the Ministry of Education’s intention to cut down the number of expatriate teachers in some disciplines for which alternative Kuwaiti teachers are available, most notably Islamic education, social studies, computers, art education, and music, reports Al-Rai daily. According to educational sources, the Public Education Sector in the ministry has provided the Administrative Sector with a list of the teachers’ names to take the necessary measures.

 A meeting with the two sectors will be held soon to develop a mechanism to terminate the services of this large number of members of the educational staff, and to set dates for informing them of the decisions and signing the termination letters. However, the sources denied that the termination of the teachers’ services was based on instructions from the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

 They said, “About three years ago, they were included in the replacement policy, because the ministry is committed to the specified percentage of male and female teachers, as the percentage of Kuwaitis exceeds 72 percent, and the percentage of expatriates is less than 27 percent.” The sources indicated that the teachers’ services would be terminated in August due to their entitlement to summer vacation salaries, according to the educational stage and the end dates of the year according to the academic calendar.

They said this approach is based on the instructions of the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr. Hamad Al-Adwani regarding ending the services of expatriate teachers if national components are available. In addition, the Ministry of Education is still receiving applications from new teachers (local contracts) on its website, as well as rejecting the applications of dozens of applicants for some majors, because they are limited to children of Kuwaiti women only, according to the official website of the ministry.

In order to determine the percentage of profits from delivering civil ID card applications, which are estimated to amount to about 80 thousand cards, the Public Authority for Civil Information changed its procedures, reported Al Qabas daily, leaving it up to bidders to decide, since the contract lasts for three years, subject to renewal.

PACI will close the submission of bids for the card delivery auction on 23 February.

In addition, PACI’s specifications brochure revealed that the company that will win the award will be the one to submit the highest bid with a cut-off value of the delivery service fees, which are specified at KD 2 in favor of PACI, and the first contract specifies the percentage of commission at 650 fils for each card.

In a statement, Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Union, affirmed his desire to resolve the issue of exempting Kuwaitis from Schengen visa requirements.

 Al-Qabas reports that he said this during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Al-Abdullah today, Friday, at the 59th Munich Security Conference.

At both official and popular levels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed Kuwait's position regarding the recent decision taken by the European side regarding exempting Kuwaiti citizens from Schengen visa requirements.

Borrell expressed his understanding of this matter, expressing his eagerness and interest in closing this file, valuing in this context the close relationship established between the two.

Security challenges on the regional and international arenas were also discussed, including the Ukrainian crisis and the Middle East situation, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue.

The Ministry of Health has suspended expats medical examination center from Mishrief exhibition grounds hall no 8, Thursday was the last working day for the center.

The MOH stated that it will shift temporarily to Shuwaikh at the Expat Medical Examination Center until Rumaithiya Health Center is opened. The MOH will announce the opening date of the Expat labor health center in Rumaithiya very soon.

The Ministry of Interior announced the launch of a project to link traffic violations in Kuwait and the UAE in implementation of the decisions of the Interior ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, reports Al-Rai daily. 

According to a statement from the Directorate General of Security Relations and Media, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior in the UAE Major General Khalifa Hareb received the Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic and Operations Affairs and the Head of the delegation of the technical team to link traffic violations Major General Jamal Al-Sayegh, on the occasion of the inauguration of the project.

Al-Sayegh affirmed that the project is a starting point for linking all other security services, which contributes to increasing efficiency of the system and security between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The statement stated that the work to complete the connection took eight months, according to the schedule of all Gulf countries, to link the traffic system in the near future, using Gulf technology that enhances cooperation and coordination between the GCC countries.

The inauguration of the project was attended by the Acting Director General of the General Department of Information Systems Colonel Osama Al-Wahib, the Director of the Technical Office in the Traffic Affairs and Operations Sector Colonel Haqouqi Khaled Al-Adwani, and from the Traffic Investigation Department Colonel Haqqi Faisal Al-Ali, Assistant Director of the Information Systems Department Colonel Bashar Al-Sayed, and from the General Administration of Ministerial Councils and Committees Lieutenant Colonel Nasser Al-Daihani.

In a bid to prevent deportees, including those involved in forgery, from returning to Kuwait, the Ministry of Interior is implementing biometric scan features, including iris, face, hand scanning and electronic signature procedures, at Kuwait International Airport and all borders soon.

 Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defense, initiated Kuwait's central biometric system's testing today. The first stage of this project will be open next month at all entry and exit ports in Kuwait.

The integrated central system for bio-metric features includes hand and palm prints, facial image, iris, and electronic signature for all individuals.

This feature will update the entry and exit procedures for travelers by matching the traveler’s vital features by checking fingerprints, face, and iris of the eye, and checking local and international prohibited lists before travel.

At the ports, vehicles will also be checked for security.

 The Ministry of Health said the crisis of shortage of some medicines which some ministry facilities complained as of late is expected to end within two months, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting health ministry sources. The sources said the ministry will complete processing between 90 and 95 percent of the observations related to the unavailability of medicines in some health centers and hospitals.

The same sources said Medical Warehouses Department has recently obtained 3 new warehouses to store large quantities of medicines and medical supplies to support the strategic stock of medicines for long periods, in anticipation of any crises or emergencies in future, similar to what happened during Covid-19 pandemic instead of waiting for the medicines to arrive from international medical firms and factories indefinitely, which may be controlled by shipping and transportation companies, in the event of closure of some factories, or even the increase in drug prices and other unknown factors.

The source explained the additional warehouses will be in the Jaber Hospital, the old Jahra Hospital and the Sabhan region, indicating that the capacity of the three warehouses is approximately 5,000 square meters, and is subject to direct supervision by warehouse officials, especially with regard to storage and methods of distributing medicines to health facilities in all regions, according to their needs. The sources stated the medicines are expected to arrive next April to ensure all medicines are available of medicines, stressing that the strategic stock of some medicines at the moment is 12 months, at a time when the Ministry continues to supply medicines for chronic diseases such as the blood pressure, diabetes and cancer medications unhindered at all government facilities.

On a related level, the sources revealed that the Ministry of Health recently provided injections for patients suffering from rare diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, at a cost of 4 million dinars, explaining that the cost of one “course” for a patient varies according to the condition and treatment protocol, and may reach 250,000 dinars for the diseased condition since the medicines is taken in stages over months. The sources indicated this disease usually begins to appear during early childhood, and if it is not properly treated, it causes a person’s inability to walk and is genetic that affects the muscles in the body.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Technical Affairs, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi, affirmed, during the inauguration of the fifth conference for the management of medical laboratory services the day before yesterday, that laboratories are an integral part of any health system, and are directly related to the quality of health care provided to patients not only in Kuwait, but in the entire world. The most important steps to be taken in the health area include, providing new warehouses for storage of medicines, covering shortages for some treatments and increased coordination with local agents.

Kuwait Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday the trial launch of the VISA KUWAIT electronic application concerned with regulating the entry of expatriates to Kuwait. The country will check the entry features of workers and visitors, and approve entry visas electronically, quickly and accurately, before boarding the plane. The ministry said in a press statement that this comes in implementation of the directives of First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad Al- Sabah organizing the entry of expatriates into the country and limiting the process of forgery and manipulation of the entry visas that are issued by the Ministry of the Interior.

Application
He also added that launch of the VISA KUWAIT application also aims to protect society from entry into the country of those with criminal records, those wanted by the courts, or those infected with infectious diseases. Stressing that work and coordination are currently underway with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, various airlines and Kuwaiti embassies abroad for the official launch of the application, which will not allow expatriate workers and visitors may not enter Kuwait except through it.

Ministry of Interior said that the experimental launch of the application allows airlines, expatriate workers, and workers in Kuwaiti embassies to download and use this application to ensure the validity of the application features of entry of expatriate workers.

He indicated that work is underway to add a set of services in coordination with the various ministries of the state, which aim to educate workers about labor laws, entry procedures, and many more benefits that aim to regulate demographics and develop the labor market. Meanwhile, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Talal Khaled Al- Ahmad Al-Sabah inspected on Thursday the implementation of final stages of the development project and the establishment of an integrated central system for biometric features for the State of Kuwait which will be operational as a first stage next March.

Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled confirmed in a press statement to the General Department of Security Relations and Media at the Ministry of Interior that the ministry, with the support and directives of the wise leadership, is continuing to implement development and modernization plans in all sectors. He praised the efforts of the Ministry’s employees and leaders and their efforts in confronting all types of crime.

Al-Ajairi Scientific Center has announced that the first day of Shaban will be Tuesday, February 21st, and the first day of Ramadan will be Thursday, March 23rd.

The center, in a statement, said that the astronomical month of Ramadan for this year will start on Thursday, March 23rd.

The moon will be visible on Wednesday for a period of up to 52 minutes, the center said.

In order to implement Kuwaitization policy on jobs in cooperative societies, the work team formed to do so has begun by obligating cooperative societies to quickly implement Kuwaitization policy on all supervisory and leadership positions within them, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The committee's decision to amend demographics and develop the labor market has been implemented by the committee. On Tuesday, the work team held its first meeting, presided over by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs, during which it discussed implementation mechanisms.

In cooperative societies, the team discussed replacing about 1,000 supervisory positions with Kuwaiti young people, including general managers, their deputies, and heads of departments.

In addition to this batch, there will be other batches in the future. The sources confirmed that retirees cannot be appointed to the aforementioned jobs, but they could be hired as consultants within cooperative management boards to provide their expertise. The team will hold its second meeting next Tuesday to complete discussions on implementing Cabinet's decisions to amend demographics and develop the labor market.

As part of its growth strategy, Air India will buy 250 aircraft from Airbus and 290 aircraft from Boeing.

Air India's purchase of Boeing airplanes has been hailed as an "historic agreement" by US President Joe Biden. According to Emmanuel Macron, the contract between Airbus and Tata Sons marks a new chapter in the strategic partnership between India and France.

"The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France's strategic partnership. Thank you @NarendraModi for your confidence in France and our industry," Macron said in a tweet.

Boeing said in a statement that Air India has selected up to 290 of its jets to serve its strategy for sustainable growth. It said Air India had selected 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X airplanes.

The agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s aircraft.

Boing said when finalized, this will be its largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company's nearly 90-year partnership with Air India.

Air India said on Tuesday that it would buy 250 aircraft from France's Airbus, in what is billed as the world's largest aviation deal in history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday virtually attended the launch of the new Air India-Airbus partnership. The Tata group will buy 250 aircraft from Airbus, in what is the world's largest aviation deal in history.

PM Modi expressed gratitude to the French President for participating in the launch of the Air India-Airbus partnership. He said that the deal shows the "deepening ties" between India and France and is a reflection of India's successes and expectations in the civil aviation sector. In his remarks, PM Modi said, "I would like to express my heartiest congratulations and best wishes on this landmark agreement between Air India and Airbus. My special thanks to my friend President Macron for joining us in this event."

The deal includes 40 A350 wide-body ultra-long-range aircraft. The rest will be narrow-body aircraft.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, veteran industrialist Ratan Tata, and other leaders were present during the virtual conference

Air India was looking for a remix of aircraft to boost their domestic and international network through recent orders. Soon after the divestment of the airline, CEO Campbell announced in its speech to the AI employees that the airline is going for a historic order.

 The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has warned farms that contain “sparkling wells” in the Wafra farming area to amend their violating conditions in order to avoid the legal measures that are taken against violators, reports Al-Rai daily.

Informed sources said, “The plant resources sector in PAAAFR issued warnings to farms whose owners deliberately withdraw water from bubbling wells to benefit from it, and divert more of that water outside the farms, which leads to the destruction of the infrastructure, in addition to the damages caused by this water when it spills in the nearby productive farms.

Complaints were received by PAAAFR about the formation of lakes in some roads of Wafra farms due to the exploitation of those violating wells by some.

With the cooperation of the Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Ministry of Public Works, some farms have been identified. Warnings have been issued to them to stop withdrawals from the wells and close them immediately.

Maintenance of roads damaged by this water will continue. The depressions in some roads will be rectified by laying pipes to withdraw water to a distance of two kilometers, where the water withdrawn from the low streets is collected to make a lake that will be treated according to a scientific mechanism under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Works.

The authority will stop the transactions of violating farms and the support provided to their owners in the event that they do not amend their legal status during the warning period.”

Chairman of the parliamentary Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee MP Hamad Al-Matar has criticized officials of Kuwait Society for Quality Education (KSQE); including Chairman Bader Khalid Al-Baher and Vice Chairman and Secretary Hashem Al-Refaie. He quoted Al-Refaie as saying on his Twitter account that he will closely monitor the individuals who added Doctor – denoting Doctor of Philosophy degree holder – to their names even if they have not completed such a degree.

The lawmaker asserted that Al-Refaie should start with himself, indicating the latter should stop using the title ‘Doctor’. He cited as an example the ministerial decision on the official declaration of KSQE published in Kuwait Gazette on Dec 3, 2016 in which the title ‘Doctor’ preceded the name of Al-Refaie; in addition to the contracts that Al-Refaie signed with the Public Authority for Applied Education (PAAET).

Al-Matar went on to highlight the violations recorded by the State Audit Bureau (SAB); stating Al-Hashem did not inform PAAET that he was on overseas treatment trip, during which he illegally received allowances estimated at KD16,000. He added that Al-Hashem was obligated to return the amount he received illegally. According to the lawmaker, Al-Hashem is forcing his students at PAAET to buy his books every semester and Al-Hashem admitted it in his reply to a comment on his Twitter account.

Queries
Addressing columnist Ahmed Al-Sarraf, the lawmaker claimed the columnist is like a liquid that dilutes liberalism while saturated with sectarianism. He urged Al-Sarraf to comment on the information he revealed about the latter’s friend Al-Refaie as part of his incessant articles on the development of education.

Addressing Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development and Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs May Al-Baghli, the lawmaker disclosed that he forwarded queries about KSQE to the minister on Jan 3, 2023; but he has yet to receive any response. He gave the minister until Sunday to respond; otherwise, she will be subjected to questioning as per the Constitution. He then stressed the important role of public profit organizations in developing education; but some of such organizations are being used as platforms to attack others. He also affirmed that the Board of Directors of KSQE consists of competent academic figures like Dr Khalid Al-Fadhel who served as a minister and chairman of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).

Meanwhile, MP Thamer Al-Suwait asked Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Majed to comment on the report of SAB for fiscal 2021/2022, including a warning about the decreasing global food production due to climate change and other global crises. He wants to know the steps taken to address the violations stated in the report ,such as the lack of oversight and follow up on the part of the Animal Production Department at the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR). He also inquired if the ministry has a plan or strategy to achieve food selfsufficiency and to ensure food security, as well as the projects that PAAAFR supports in a bid to increase food production. He also asked Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Adwani about the cancellation of the election of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) in Egypt for the current academic year. He demanded for copies of the correspondences between the ministry and Kuwait Embassy or Kuwait Cultural Office in Cairo regarding the objection of Egyptian authorities to conduct the elections, if any; legal stand of the committee tasked to oversee the election; method of collecting the fees for subscription in the general assembly; and legal basis for the collection of such fees.

National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun had a meeting with Chairman of the General Court of Audit in Saudi Arabia Dr Hosam Abdulmuhssen Al-Angari and Chairman of SAB Faisal Al-Shayaa. The Saudi delegation included Director of GCA branch in Gazan Abdulrahman bin Yahya Abuwakda, Director of GCA branch in Asseer Muhammad bin Amer Al- Burqan, Director of GCA branch in Makkah Abdullah bin Habib Al-Tayyari, Director of Audit Department at the National Guard Abdullah bin Salman Al-Angari and GCA Chairman Secretary Fahd bin Dekhail Allah Al-Malki. The Kuwaiti side consisted of Assistant Undersecretary for Audit on Ministries and Public Institutions in SAB Assam Salem Al-Romi and First Coordinator at the Public Relations and Information Department in SAB Ahmad Faisal Jawhar.

A proposal was considered by the Council of Ministers to implement the 3-shift system for government workers to ease traffic congestion on Kuwait's roads after the return of regular school, according to Al Qabas. According to the proposal, the first period will begin at eight in the morning and end at two in the afternoon, the second period will begin at noon and end at six in the evening, and the third period will begin at four in the afternoon and end at ten in the evening.

It is proposed that the implementation of the 3-shift system would reduce the number of permits during the first and second working periods, as well as reduce the number of vehicles from four to ten by one third.

The Council had assigned the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Electricity and Water, and the Kuwait Municipality, to complete the necessary procedures to ensure the implementation of urgent, medium and long-term solutions to the traffic congestion in Sabah Al-Salem.

In the past five years, the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries has received more than 5,000 reports and complaints about the spread of stray dogs, according to Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Mojel. According to Al-Moajil, the authority has been working for three months to temporarily address the problem of stray animals until the tender is funded, as requested by the authority. The Authority also pointed out that the issue of stray dogs in the country is mainly concentrated in remote areas.

Al-Moajil said there is a plan to provide shelters for stray dogs after they are caught by the animal control team, along with castration, rabies vaccination, veterinary care and delivery to volunteer agencies and animal welfare associations. Once the winning company submits the timetable and the financial appropriation for the tender, the vision will be implemented, according to Al Qabas.

The Malaysian credit rating agency, MARC, affirmed Kuwait’s foreign currency sovereign rating at (AAA) with a stable outlook, based on Kuwait’s strong credit measures, noting that Kuwait’s strong credit rating reflects the strong financial and external reserves that the country enjoys.

The agency said in its report that however, Kuwait’s strengths are offset by its heavy dependence on oil and political tensions that still affect its economic decision-making, as well as weak governance and poor performance of government institutions, reports Al-Qabas daily.

In the past two years, Kuwait's economic prospects have improved due to relatively favorable oil prices and high production, after the country recorded its second worst economic performance since the global financial crisis in 2009, with a contraction of 8.9% in GDP in 2020.

Kuwait's gross domestic product is expected to grow 8.7% in 2022 and 2.6% in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Kuwait’s strong financial reserves remain its strongest credit advantage, through its sovereign fund, which is the fourth largest sovereign fund in the world, with an asset value of $750 billion, say sources.

The sources indicated that in the meantime, Kuwait’s position as a strong creditor country internationally is reflected in its high international investment position, which, according to the latest available data, amounted to about 691% of its gross domestic product in 2020, pointing out that despite its large financial reserves, it is likely that Kuwait’s structural risks will remain high, if tensions between the National Assembly and the government continue to influence decision-making and economic policies.

MARC confirmed that Kuwait’s stable future outlook reflects the balance of negative pressures and positive aspects on its credit rating, pointing out that on the positive side, the financial support coming from continuously high oil prices and high production may have a positive impact on the growth prospects of the Kuwaiti economy and better financial flexibility of expectations.

MARC explained that the weakness of departments and institutions in Kuwait constitutes negative credit indicators, noting that despite expectations of short-term risks that may decline with the improvement in oil prices and the increase in production, the high geopolitical and economic uncertainty confirms the urgent need for financial and structural reforms in the country.

The agency said that the negative aspects that may be reflected in its credit rating are summed up by the continued political stalemate in the country, which affects political and economic decisions in the country and keeps economic risks high.

Kuwait’s comprehensive and sustainable financing plans and economic rebalancing efforts would also reduce future economic risks.

The agency indicated that despite the availability of many economic plans and initiatives, Kuwait is still struggling to develop a non-oil economy through “Vision 2035”, which, if successful, will reduce dependence on oil and enhance human capital, in addition to greater participation of the private sector in economy.

Personnel from the General Department of Criminal Investigations raided the office of an acting undersecretary in one of the state ministries, after learning that the suspect was falsifying the attendance records for more than a year and was subsequently caught red-handed recently, reports Al-Jarida daily. The sources said the suspect had assigned his driver in the ministry, who is believed to an Iranian, to sign on his behalf every day and this continued for more than a year.

The sources added, day before yesterday CID men swooped on the administration and conducted extensive investigations with the suspected personnel which extended until hours. The daily added, late in the evening all heads of the departments who worked directly under the undersecretary were summoned to learn to what extent they were involved in the fingerprint forgery scam.

The sources added, the concerned agent, since he was a director and then assigned the post of assistant undersecretary and undersecretary of the ministry, continued to commit the forgery to hoodwink the authorities so that no salary deductions would be made for his repeated absence based on laws and instructions issued by the Civil Service Commission.

Moreover, other sources revealed this undersecretary was also a recipient of excellent work reward for the past two years 2021 and 2022, and on each occasion collected 1,500 dinars. He was also a recipient of the front row reward during the corona pandemic in his capacity as head of the committee examining applications for this reward granted by the Council of Ministers.

The State of Kuwait recently achieved another record in the Guinness World Records – largest bisht in the world, reports Annahar daily. The size of the bisht, which exceeded the previous record, was 17 x 16 meters. Al-Baghli Exhibition for the Bishout Industry supervised the creation of the bisht that took 48 days. Guinness-accredited arbitrator Kenzi Al-Dafrawi honored Riyad Al-Baghli – owner of Al-Baghli Exhibition – for breaking the previous record of 17 x 9 meters obtained by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Guinness-accredited arbitrator Kenzi Al-Dafrawi honored Riyad Al-Baghli – owner of Al-Baghli Exhibition

There are countless potholes on the Al-Salmi Highway, which are the cause of serious accidents. The most recent accident occurred on Friday when an elderly Saudi man, who was the head of the family, became the latest victim of a serious accident. His family of six suffered multiple injuries and had to be rushed to a hospital.

Recently, Al-Qabas visited the road and revealed that it had deteriorated, with potholes every few meters for several kilometers, in addition to gravel flying from all directions, making driving extremely difficult.

Activists on Twitter called this the ‘Road of Death’, criticizing the significant deterioration of the road and the lack of action by the Ministry of Works and the Public Authority Roads and Land Transport, despite the recurrence of accidents during the recent period.

Due to the importance of the road for travelers by land, as well as the dependency of Kuwaiti guests arriving by land via the same road, citizens asked the concerned authorities to repair the damaged parts.