• Opposition retains majority in Kuwait parliament post elections

    Kuwait City, Kuwait - Opposition lawmakers maintained a majority in Kuwait's parliament, results showed Friday, after the Gulf state's third parliamentary vote in as many years held just months into the new emir's reign. Opposition candidates won 29 seats in the 50-member assembly, according to results carried by the official KUNA...
  • Jadwa buys stake in Gissah

    The investment bank bought a 35% stake in Kuwaiti firm.
  • Kuwait looks to boost cooperation with WHO in ‘all health services’

    Kuwait City, Kuwait-- Kuwait is looking to strengthen cooperation with the World Health Organization in all health services, according to the oil-rich country's Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi. According to Kuwait News Agency, the minister met with Dr. Hanan Balkhy, assistant director for antimicrobial resistance at the WHO, to discuss...
  • Agility posts Q2 earnings of $46m

    Net profit was affected by higher interest rate.
  • UAE ranks first globally in employing Indians, Saudi second: Minister

    New Delhi, India -- The UAE ranks first among the countries in the world in the employment of Indians, currently employing more than 3.55 million people from the world's most populous country, India's Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, told parliament. The number of Indians in the UAE...
  • GCC deals with rice shortage amid Russia-Ukraine war

    The Russian-Ukrainian war heightens global food crisis fears as India, followed by the UAE and Russia, sequentially impose rice export bans, disrupting global supply chains.
  • Kuwait bars Barbie movie from theatres citing ‘public ethics’

    Kuwait City, Kuwait - Kuwait has barred hit film Barbie from cinemas over concerns about "public ethics", officials have said, also confirming a separate ban on a horror movie featuring a transgender actor. Barbie and Talk to Me both "promulgate ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and...
  • Kuwait bars film from screening for showing trans actor

    The film titled 'Talk to Me' features Australian actor Zoe Terakes. (AFP)
  • UAE supplies 25.63 million barrels of crude oil to Japan in June

    Tokyo, Japan--Japan's crude oil imports from the United Arab Emirates amounted to 25.63 million barrels in June 2023, or 37.4 percent of total imports, the Natural Resources and Energy Agency of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. During June, Japan's total crude oil imports were 68.5 million barrels,...
  • Lebanon’s minister backtracks on Kuwaiti aid comments

    BEIRUT, LEBANON - A Lebanese minister on Saturday sought to clarify comments condemned by Kuwait over aid money to rebuild Beirut's grain silos that were destroyed in a devastating port blast three years ago. The oil-rich Gulf state in 2020 said it was ready to rebuild the storehouses, which Lebanon had...
  • Iran invites Kuwaiti minister for talks over disputed gas field

    The dispute over the field -- known as Arash in Iran and Dorra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia -- dates back to the 1960s when Iran and Kuwait awarded overlapping offshore concessions. Last year Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to develop the field, despite objections from Iran which...
  • Saudi Arabia, Kuwait reject Iran claims to disputed gas field

    Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait renewed "their previous and repeated calls to the Islamic Republic of Iran to negotiate" the demarcation of their maritime borders to settle the issue, according to the statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Recent attempts to revive negotiations have failed.
  • Student enrolments in GCC to grow by 1.1m in 5 years

    Saudi Arabia is expected to lead the growth, with a CAGR of 1.6 percent, while Kuwait and the UAE are projected to experience faster growth rates compared to other member nations
  • Kuwait’s scorching summers a warning for heating planet

    Kuwait City, Kuwait -- As the blazing summer sun beats down on Kuwait, shoppers stroll down a promenade lined with palm trees and European-style boutiques, all without breaking a sweat. In one of the world's hottest desert countries, it's all made possible by architecture and technology: the entire street is located...
  • Thriving businesses elevate UAE’s position globally

    The country ascends four spots in Kearney's 2023 Global Services Location Index, reflecting its thriving business environment and emergence as a tech hub with 4,000+ startups.
  • Iran to ‘pursue rights’ over disputed gas field, also claimed by KSA, Kuwait

    Earlier this month, Kuwait had invited Iran for another round of maritime border talks after Tehran said it was ready to start drilling in the field. On Thursday, Sky News Arabia quoted Kuwait's Oil Minister Saad Al-Barrak as saying his country would begin "drilling and production" at the gas field...
  • Kuwait posts fiscal surplus after almost a decade, says finance ministry

    Kuwait recorded its first surplus in nine years for the 2022-2023 fiscal year which ended in March, the finance ministry said, crediting last year's surge in oil prices. The Gulf emirate, whose revenues rely heavily on hydrocarbons, closed its fiscal balance with a surplus of $21 billion, the ministry said.
  • Kuwait records its first fiscal surplus in nine years on oil prices surge

    The Gulf emirate, whose revenues rely heavily on hydrocarbons, closed its fiscal balance with a surplus of $21 billion, the ministry said. More than 92 percent of revenues came from oil after prices surged following last year's Russian invasion of Ukraine.
  • KNPC exports first shipment of 95 octane motor fuel to Europe

    Kuwait City, Kuwait--The Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has exported the first shipment of 95 octane motor fuel and low-sulfur to European markets. Ghanim Al-Otaibi, the deputy CEO of Fuel Supply Operations and official spokesman for KNPC, said that the volume of the shipment that was exported from Mina Al-Ahmadi...
  • GCC project awards surge by 86% to $49.7bn in Q2

    The highest quarterly project awards value in over five years showcases the region's determination for diversification, and reflects the strength of GCC economies.
  • Sweltering heat leaves Gulf residents at risk during noon

    DUBAI, UAE- As much of the world swelters in record temperatures, spare a thought for Issam Genedi, who ekes out a living washing cars in one of the planet's hottest regions, the Gulf. Pausing from his work at an outdoor carpark in Dubai, the Egyptian migrant says the UAE's furnace-like summer...
  • Finance minister quits in latest Kuwait political turmoil

    Kuwait City, Kuwait - The finance minister of Kuwait, one of the world's biggest oil producers, has resigned only three months after his appointment by the prime minister, state media said on Wednesday. Manaf Al-Hajeri' resignation comes against a backdrop of perpetual political turmoil in the only Gulf Arab state with...
  • Kuwait 2023-24 draft budget estimates $22.2 billion deficit

    Lower oil prices and volumes attributed to the estimated deficit, according to a newspaper report. MP Osama Al-Zaid said the draft budget estimates oil revenues of 17 billion dinars, a 19.5 percent decrease from the previous budget.
  • Kuwait has third largest millionaire population in world

    Dubai, UAE -- Kuwait ranked third and Qatar 22nd on the list -- prepared by the World of Statistics -- of the countries with large millionaire populations. About 15 percent of Kuwaitis were millionaires, after Hong Kong's 15.3 percent and Switzerland, which had the highest number of millionaires (15.5 percent)...
  • Kuwait calls for border talks with Iran over gas field

    KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT -  Kuwait reinvited Iran on Monday to talks on their sea borders after Tehran said it was ready to start drilling in a disputed gas field in the resource-rich Gulf. Kuwait insisted it held "exclusive rights" to the maritime field along with Saudi Arabia, after the neighboring countries...
  • Saudi Arabia summons Swedish ambassador over Quran burning

    The kingdom had already condemned Wednesday's incident in which an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden stomped on the Muslim holy book and set several pages alight. The foreign ministry summoned the ambassador on Sunday to urge Sweden "to stop all actions that directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the...
  • Iran makes US$54 billion in revenue from export of oil in 2022

    Tehran, Iran-- Iran has earned revenue to the tune of $54 billion last year from the export of oil, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimate. OPEC members earned about $888 billion in net oil export revenue last year. That’s what the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates in...
  • Kuwait and South Korea sign MoU to regulate airline operations

    Kuwait -- Kuwait's General Administration of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 28 to regulate air operations between the two countries and increase their cooperation in civil aviation. The MoU, which amends the agreement signed...
  • Kuwait, France discuss bilateral ties, cooperation on regional, global issues

    Paris, France - Kuwait and France discuss bilateral relationship and cooperation on regional and global issues of shared interests on Tuesday.  The discussions took place during the meetings between the visiting Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine...
  • Kuwait’s central bank says broad money supply rises marginally

    KUWAIT- Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) announced that the broad money supply (M2) went up by 0.3 percent last May to settle at US$130.6 billion (KD 39.6 billion). Local banks' private sector deposits increased by 0.6 percent to settle at US$119.4 billion (KD 36.2 billion), revealed the CBK's economic research...
  • Kuwait, UN sign MoU to enhance cooperation in counter terrorism

    NEW YORK, US - Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in countering terrorism and exchanging experiences. "The memorandum will enhance cooperation, exchange of experiences, training of youth and those concerned with the country in combating terrorism, and...
  • Iran foreign minister rounds out Gulf tour with UAE visit

    Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit to the UAE followed stops in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman -- the latest in a flurry of diplomatic moves by Tehran as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. He discussed "bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation" with UAE President Sheikh...
  • Kuwait crown prince exhorts new MPs to focus on reforms

    Kuwait City, Kuwait-- Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged parliament members to focus on reforms "for the sake of Kuwait" with objective of meeting aspirations of citizens to achieve prosperous future. "We are facing a new phase" during which MPs should focus on reforms, a phase full...
  • Kuwait forms new government led by Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah

    Kuwait - Kuwait on Sunday formed a new government led by the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Deputy Amir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah signed a decree approving the new a 15-member government line-up.  The Gulf Arab state also named a new defence minister, Sheikh Ahmad...
  • Stable oil price achieved by OPEC, OPEC+ to benefit member states: Saudi oil chief 

    Baghdad, Iraq - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+ alliance have succeeded in achieving stable oil price that will benefit member states and oil industry, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud said Friday. The Saudi minister made the statement during a celebration hosted in...
  • Kuwait urges Europe to facilitate Schengen visas for its citizens

    Kuwait-- Kuwait has urged European states to facilitate the granting of Schengen visas for Kuwaiti citizens. The call was made by Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who received at a luncheon several European ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions and charge d'affaires serving in Kuwait. The minister called upon...
  • GCC digital banking targets $2trn with cloud services

    GCC authorities, however, acknowledge the accompanying challenges and are developing regulations to enhance digital banking experiences. A key requirement is that Cloud Service Providers must reside in their service regions, overcoming which could significantly expand regional financial services and mark a new phase in GCC's financial evolution.
  • Kuwait elects new parliament dominated by opposition

    Lawmakers from opposition won 29 of the 50 seats up for grabs in the election, according to results announced by the official Kuwait News Agency. The vote on Tuesday came after Kuwait's constitutional court in March annulled the results of last year's election -- in which the opposition made significant...
  • Iran reopens embassy in Saudi Arabia, confirming China-brokered detente

    "We consider today an important day in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli told a flag-raising ceremony. "The cooperation between the countries is entering a new era."
  • Kuwait heads to polls yet again to break political deadlock

    Polls opened on Tuesday in Kuwait's seventh general election in just over a decade, following repeated political crises that have undermined parliament and stalled reforms. More than 793,000 eligible voters will have the chance to determine the make-up of the 50-seat legislature in the Gulf state.
  • Kuwait to hold seventh election in 10 years amid political paralysis

    The oil-rich country suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets installed by the reigning Al-Sabah family. The opposition is taking part in Tuesday's vote in which 207 candidates, including 13 women, are standing, the lowest number of candidates in a legislative election since 1996.
  • Time won’t strip Palestinians of right to return

    "While commemorating 75 years since the crisis, we remember with sorrow the crime against humanity the Palestinian people faced in 1948, when hundreds of thousands were forcefully displaced and were forced to stay away from their land and home for over seven decades," AlBannai adds
  • Kuwait’s court upholds dissolution of 2022 parliament

    Kuwait - Kuwait's Constitutional Court has upheld a previous ruling that declared the September 2022 parliamentary election void, in which the opposition had made gains, Reuters reported.  The court rejected an appeal against this decision, which was filed by members of the 2022 parliament who argued that the court had...
  • Iran appoints envoy to Saudi Arabia after seven years

    The new envoy, Alireza Enayati, previously served as Iran's ambassador to Kuwait, assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, the English-language Iran Daily said. There was no immediate confirmation of his appointment from the foreign ministry of the Islamic republic.
  • India’s largest jeweller participates in Kuwait gold and jewellery show

    Kuwait: Tanishq from the House of Tata is showcasing its range of gold and diamond jewellery at the Gold and Jewellery in Kuwait City taking place from 24-29 May at Kuwait International Fairs Ground. An important platform for designers, global jewellery retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers, the highly regarded annual event...
  • Gulf investments fuel Turkey’s economic growth

    The GCC is the third largest source of foreign investment in Turkey, with 1,973 Gulf companies currently operating in the country.
  • GIG to pay $49m in dividends

    This amounts to cash dividend of 54 percent (54 fils per share)
  • Kuwait awards Mitsubishi Power contract to run its largest power station

    Kuwait City, Kuwait – Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, announced on Monday that it had been awarded a long-term contract by the Kuwait Ministry of Electricity & Water & Renewable Energy to optimize the performance of the Sabiya power and water distillation station and boost...
  • Iran’s trade with six Arab countries climbs up to US$35bn in 2022-2023

    Tehran, Iran--Iran's trade with six Arab states has vaulted to $35.11 billion in the fiscal year of 2022-2023, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic. According to Iran Customs Administration, the Islamic Republic traded 58.25 million tons of goods (excluding crude oil exports) worth $35.11 billion with...
  • Kuwait’s central bank issues US$1.05bn worth of bonds and tawarruq

    Kuwait City, Kuwait--The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has announced the latest allocation of issuance of bonds and tawarruq valued at $1.05 billion. In a statement, the CBK said that the value of the first issuance amounted to KD 160 million (about USD 528 million) for three months with a...
  • 31 more Kuwaitis file papers for parliament election

    Kuwait City, Kuwait -- At least 31 Kuwaitis have filed candidacy papers for Kuwait's National Assembly election set to take place on June 6.  The candidates presented their documents to the election affairs department affiliated with the Ministry of Interior on Saturday, bringing the total number of candidates to 61,...