According to the Public Authority for Manpower, the authority is working with concerned authorities to expedite the process of issuing work permits for foreign workers. The new system of issuing a work permit will take no more than ten days instead of three months.

Our team is working with Daman Health Insurance Hospitals Company, which coordinates with approved hospitals in labor outsourcing countries to develop a new procedure. During the medical period, 2 days are spent in the country of origin and 2 days are spent in the country of destination.

In order to speed up the medical examination process of foreign workers, the board of directors of the authority is in the process of studying a proposal. Al Rai reports that the goal is to eliminate long lines at the labor examination center. Labor examination centers have been crowded and stampeded in recent months. In addition, to avoid delays of a month in obtaining results. There will be a higher fee for this new service, and it will be optional.

The Central Bank of Kuwait announced it will provide ATM service in a number of commercial complexes during the Eid period. These machines will have banknotes of all Kuwaiti dinar denominations. This is due to the increased demand from the public for these denominations to distribute Eid gifts, reports Al-Nahar daily. In a press release, the Central Bank of Kuwait explained that the ATM service will be available in the Avenues Mall, 360 Mall and Al Kout Mall, starting from July 3 until the third day of Eid Al-Adha.

This service had previously been well received by the public, as it saved them the trouble of obtaining different denominations of banknotes, especially the smaller ones, which are not usually available in other ATMs. The Central Bank of Kuwait had earlier provided local banks with new banknotes of the aforementioned denominations so that they could be made available to the public in bank branches located in all parts of Kuwait.

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has taken legal measures against five companies proven to have violated the ban on work in open areas from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm during summer to protect the workers from the extremely hot weather conditions, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The authority took this step after reviewing the results of the inspection campaigns carried out by the concerned team in the National Center for Occupational Health and Safety from June 1-30.

The team inspected a total of 295 work sites within this period. For the first time, the number of erring companies reached 250, while the number of companies that fulfilled the conditions upon re-inspection totaled 245. The number of workers found in the sites during the banned hours reached 392 workers and 14 warnings were issued.

According to the Bloomberg news agency, Kuwait ranked first within the Gulf region in terms of cheap fuel prices, based on the data obtained from the Global Petroleum Price website, reports Al-Anba daily. Also, the price of fuel in Kuwait is lower than the world average, as the price of a liter of gasoline is USD 0.34 cents while the global average is USD 1.47.

On the other hand, the price of fuel in the UAE is three times higher than in Kuwait. The UAE, which is the third largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has raised gasoline prices for the fifth time this year to about USD 1.23 per liter, further widening the gap with other oil producers in the region who are subsidizing the cost of fuel. While other oil-producing countries in the region subsidize the fuel to varying degrees, the UAE liberalized gasoline prices in 2015.

Its prices are now three times the price in Kuwait and more than twice the average cost in other Gulf countries. It should be noted that the high cost of fuel prompted the company “Uber Technologies”, which provides transportation services, to raise the prices in the UAE twice this year. In a post uploaded last week on Twitter and shared by Bloomberg, academic Abdul- Khaliq Abdullah said the price of fuel in the UAE is the highest and most expensive in the Gulf and is still trending upwards, but it is lower than the global average of $ 1.47, according to data from the Global Petroleum website, as the average cost of a liter of gasoline is $ 1.37 in the United States, and $2.32 in the United Kingdom.

Director General of Kuwait General Administration of Customs (KGAC) Suleiman Al-Fahd said the electronic customs declaration form is one way of easing procedures for travelers; as it is activated automatically in accordance with law number 106 of 2013 on money laundering and financing terrorism, reports Al-Jarida daily. Al-Fahd explained the form is completed electronically prior to arrival in a way that shortens time and strengthens security, warning that an incorrect declaration will prompt customs authorities to take legal action against the concerned passenger.

He added that every person entering or leaving the country through various ports must disclose to the customs authorities the amount they have in their possession during travel like currencies or negotiable financial instruments whose value exceeds KD3,000 or the equivalent in any foreign currency.

As per regulation, the Ministry of Health has made the fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine available for enhanced immunity.

For those who have completed four months after the third dose, the fourth dose can be taken. It is recommended for everyone over the age of 50 years and for those aged between 12 and 50 years with weak immune systems.

Additionally, authorities urged those over 12 years old to take their first booster dose if they haven't already done so.

 The Ministry of Information has issued administrative decisions to cancel the licenses of 50 electronic newspapers, reports Al-Qabas daily. The administrative decisions, a copy of which has been obtained by the daily, stated that the decisions were issued in implementation of the law regulating electronic media and in accordance with the decisions, the reasons for cancellation varied in application of Articles 14 and 16 of the Electronic Media Law, which included that the cancellation of licenses is for the following reasons:

• Every lease of the license is void, and it may not be sold or ceded without obtaining a prior approval from the Ministry. The buyer or the assignee must meet the conditions prescribed in this law for the issuance of the license or to another person if the legally prescribed conditions are met.
  ● If the licensee is a legal person, and his legal personality lapses for any of the legally prescribed reasons.
  ● If the licensee loses any of the conditions mentioned in Article (8) of this law.
  ● If the position of the responsible manager becomes vacant, or if the appointed manager loses one of the conditions that it must meet, and the licensee has not appointed a replacement who meets the prescribed conditions within the period specified in Article (10) of this law.
  ● If the licensee leases the license.
  ● If the licensee sells or assigns the license without the approval of the Ministry.
  ● If the licensee does not carry out the licensed activity within the period stipulated in Article (13) of this law.
  ● If the license period expires without a request to renew it within six months from the date of its expiry.
  ● If the licensee dies without having a legal heir, or if the heirs have not transferred the license within the period specified in Article (14). In other than the previous cases, the license may not be canceled except by an enforceable court ruling or upon a written request from the licensee.

Kuwait ranked first in the world with one billionaire for every 33,090 population, according to Global Finance, citing a report by the Ultrata Corporation, which monitors wealthy people, followed by San Francisco, with a billionaire for every 56,209 residents, and Hong Kong in third place with one billionaire per 59,516 inhabitants, reports Al-Rai daily. Based on its being an urban area (capital), Kuwait is considered the highest-ranked city in terms of billionaire density.

Ultrata revealed that the wealth of the world’s billionaires jumped in 2021 by 17.8 percent to a record $11.8 trillion, with an increase in the number of billionaires in the world by 3.3 percent to 3,311. The report pointed out that billionaires monopolize a high proportion of the volume of global wealth. Last year, they represented only 0.9 percent of the world’s high net worth, meaning those with a fortune of $30 million and above, but they monopolized 27.4 percent of the total wealth of that group.

Director- General of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Engr Ali Al-Farsi issued a decision to suspend the director of the Execution and Maintenance Department in the Agricultural Sector for three months and refer him for investigation on suspicion of negligence and failure to follow up the implementation of contracts with the concerned companies, reports Al-Rai daily.

In a related development, the director- general terminated 25 expatriate engineers as per the directive of Public Works Minister Engr Ali Al- Mousa. These expatriate engineers will be replaced with Kuwaitis, who will then follow the implementation of contracts.

With electric vehicles growing increasingly popular in recent years, the worldwide movement for greener means of transportation has taken a significant leap. Electric automobiles may be spotted roaming throughout Kuwait, with such vehicles charging at electric charging stations, which have begun to appear in many areas around the nation.

Being environmentally conscious and conscious is likely the biggest driving reason behind electric automobiles, with various car makers now offering this choice to eager customers

COVID-19 is no longer a global threat in spite of significant and impressive advances in vaccine technology. Identifying those with severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is critical to limiting its spread. Using an antibody-based detection method, Japanese researchers developed a rapid and reliable way to detect SARS-CoV-2 without collecting blood samples.

Global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been severely limited by ineffective identification of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, and the high rate of asymptomatic infections (16 percent to 38 percent) has only exacerbated this issue. Up to this point, most detection methods involve swabbing the nose and throat with a cotton swab. Nonetheless, the application of this method is limited by its long detection time (4-6 hours), high cost, and requirement for specialized equipment and medical personnel, especially in countries with limited resources.

A complementary and alternative means of confirming COVID-19 infection involves the detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. In many countries, testing strips based on gold nanoparticles are used for point-of-care testing. Results are available within 10-20 minutes, but blood samples must be collected by using a lancing device on a finger prick. In addition to being painful, this increases the risk of infection and cross-contamination, and the kit components present a biohazard risk.

Leilei Bao from the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, explains: "We explored the possibility of sampling and testing interstitial fluid (ISF), which is in the epidermis and dermis layers of human skin. Despite the antibody levels in the ISF being around 15%-25% of those in blood, we experimentally confirmed this method of non-invasive detection, and that ISF could substitute for blood sampling for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies."

In order to sample and test the ISF, the researchers developed an innovative approach after demonstrating that ISF can be used for antibody detection. In the first step, we developed biodegradable porous microneedles made of polylactic acid to extract the ISF from human skin, says senior author Beomjoon Kim. Our next step was to construct a paper-based immunoassay biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. By combining these two elements, the researchers created a compact patch that can detect the antibodies on-site within 3 minutes (results from in vitro testing).

With this new detection device, patients will be able to obtain rapid screening for COVID-19 and many other infectious diseases in a safe and comfortable manner. A key goal of managing infectious diseases globally is to use this technology in as many countries as possible, regardless of wealth.

 The Earth will be farthest away from the Sun next Monday morning in an annual phenomena known as the Aphelion, said Al- Ojeiri Scientific Center for Research in Astronomy Thursday. Head of Public Relations at the center Khaled Al-Jam’an indicated that the distance between the Sun and the Earth would be 152,096,150 kilometers. He noted that the average distance between the two celestial bodies was at 149,600,000 kilometers, adding that opposite to the Aphelion was the Perihelion, where the Earth is nearest to the Sun by 147,099,590 kilometers.

The next Perihelion will occur in January of 2023, Al-Jam’an revealed. Despite the Aphelion occurring, the temperature in Kuwait and the northern hemisphere this time of the year remain high, he pointed out, adding that was due to the 82-degree angle of the sunrays reaching the Earth. (KUNA)

The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Daman) reported that Kuwait topped the global and Arab rankings in 2021 with the lowest unemployment rate (1 percent), while it ranked fifth globally in the current account balance ratio and government debt-to-output ratio, adding that it ranked 33 globally in net Government borrowing or borrowing as a percentage of output, and 22 globally in the current account balance, in billions of dollars, reports Al- Rai daily. The sources indicated that Kuwait topped the Arab countries in the majority of global indicators of the country’s risks related to trade last year, while it came in second place in the Arab world in the two COFAS indicators for assessing the business climate and state risks (38 globally).

In the 37th annual report on the investment climate in the Arab countries for the year 2022, Daman pointed out that Kuwait ranked third in the Arab world in terms of GDP growth rate last year (166 globally), 59th globally in the value of output in billions of dollars, and 67th in output according to a tie purchasing power, 38 per capita output, 35 per capita output according to purchasing power parity, 94 per capita infl ation, and 84 per capita investment as a percentage of output.

The report stated that Kuwait fell 27 places in the economic freedom index in 2022, to rank 101 globally, compared to 74th in 2021, while it came 6 in the Arab world. With regard to new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the Arab countries during 2021, Daman reported that Kuwait ranked 11th with 7 projects that constituted 0.8 percent of the total foreign investment projects in the region, while the country ranked 13th in the Arab world in the investment cost of projects, which constituted a cost of the seven projects, amounting to $100.8 million, are only 0.3 percent of the region’s total.

As for the number of new jobs provided by these projects, Kuwait ranked 11th in the region with 461 jobs. Kuwait ranked third in the Arab world in the number of inter-Arab projects invested by it in the Arab countries with 15 projects, while the investment cost of those projects amounted to 500.4 million dollars, making the country ranked second in terms of cost.

In Kuwait, Kuwait's state employment agency has identified the bachelor's degree specialties most needed in the job market.According to the Civil Service Commission, the following 26 specialties are in demand: medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, medical labs, imaging, physiotherapy, speech therapy, pharmacology, social work, and graphics.

Additionally, the list includes specialties in psychology, physics, bibliography, information technology, communication engineering, architecture, sociology, electrical engineering, applied statistics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, English, and support medical sciences.

According to the commission, the job market excludes mass communication, history, international relations, philosophy, political science, geographical information systems, oil and gas engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Kuwait's population of 4.6 million is made up of nearly 3.4 million foreigners.

Kuwait has stepped up its efforts to create jobs for its citizens in recent years and has adopted a policy known as Kuwaitisation, which replaces foreigners with Kuwaitis.

During the open house at the embassy auditorium, the Indian Ambassador presented a presentation on the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of domestic workers.

The Indian and Kuwaiti governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June 2021 relating to domestic work recruitment.

By streamlining the recruitment and working conditions of Indian domestic workers, this MoU will address most of the concerns of Indian domestic workers and Kuwaiti employers," the Ambassador said.

Indian Domestic Workers in Kuwait are now protected by a legal framework that streamlines their recruitment and streamlines their legal protection. For all Domestic Service Workers in the ECR category, the Embassy already has a contract, which is now mandatory for all workers in this category.

Domestic workers in the Embassy Shelter are mostly those who entered Kuwait on tourist visas to third countries, then were given domestic worker visas once they arrived in Kuwait. The Ambassador cautioned that illegal agents and middlemen should not be encouraged or entertained and urged individuals to follow the proper channels when traveling to Kuwait. Additionally, the Ambassador called on community associations to make it known to Indian citizens that they must follow procedures prescribed by the Indian Government when travelling to Kuwait for work.

Many illegal middlemen were arrested and deported by the Embassy, while others remain at large. According to the Ambassador, here is your home away from home, your embassy.

According to local Arabic media, worried government organizations are attempting to develop a new Friday market in Jahra Governorate. The new Jahra Friday market will reportedly be built using a different model. An invoice will be required for every sale under the new system in order to guarantee the security of the buyer and the rights of the consumer.

If an item has a problem, it should be possible to return it within a certain number of days. Every selling counter will accept electronic payments. According to insiders, authorities are getting ready to hire a consultancy firm to look at the proposal.

A malfunction in the K-net company stamp devices caused delays in the authentication of visitors’ documents, says the Acting Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Counselor Mishaal Al-Mudhaf, reports Al- Qabas daily.

Al-Mudhaf explained in a press statement the company responsible for this service was contacted and that until all efforts to rectify the fault had been unsuccessful until the time of issuing the statement. He stressed that, in the interest of the administration to provide its services to the clients and not to delay their interests, it was agreed with the Ministry of Finance to work according to a mechanism that ensures the management of the auditors’ interests, which restores work in the certification centers to normal.

The State of Kuwait ranked 117th out of 179 countries in the ‘Nature Index 2022’ of research in 82 high quality scientific journals in the field of natural sciences, during the period from March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022, reports Al-Jarida daily. It is noteworthy to make a mention that Saudi Arabia ranked 30, the UAE 46, Egypt 56, Qatar 58, Oman 66 and only Bahrain ranked lower than Kuwait at 167. Informed sources told the daily that Kuwait’s ranking in this indicator is considered low, pointing out that the number of participating research articles was limited to 54, with a contribution of 0.88 in various sciences of physics, life, nature, earth, chemistry and others.

The sources added that the most prominent parties participating in research published in prestigious scientific journals are the Gulf University of Science and Technology, the Kuwait University, the American University of the Middle East, the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fisheries Resources, the Kuwait Oil Company and the Dasman Center for Diabetes Treatment and Research. The sources stated, “This indicator is one of the most important indicators in scientific research and is related to the publication of the fields of natural sciences. It ranks the volume of publication in various countries,” noting that the list related to the publication of research was topped by the United States of America, China, Germany and others.