Dr. Ali Al-Yaqoub, the Ministry of Education's Undersecretary, announced the ministry's need for non-Kuwaiti instructors with university degrees to serve in public schools in the next academic year 2022/2023.
"Those who hold degrees in Science streams and passed from the faculties of Kuwait University will be accepted on a priority basis if the applications for employment are accompanied by paperwork and the applicant's occupation is listed as a teacher," according to a local Arabic daily.
According to the announcement, workers in private schools or the private sector must have the sponsor's initial approval, as well as a copy of the sponsor's permitted signature and one personal photo measuring 4 x 6 cm.
Academic qualifications and transcripts must be validated by official authorities and attested by Kuwaiti cultural offices in the place of graduation when applications are received.
For the certificate given by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you must also bring a "real" copy of the certificate, transcript, and a statement of attendance attested by the Kuwaiti Cultural Attaché.
If the applicant is a citizen of a Gulf Cooperation Council country, the country's passport and personal identity card must be shown, and all documents must be current.
Acceptance for employment is contingent on passing the personal interview, which applies to all cases and specializations.
Dr. Al-Yacoub indicated several general requirements for the applicant, such that the applicant's university qualification should be rated as acceptable or better, and that the applicant's age should not exceed 42 years.
After Kuwaitis, children of Kuwaiti women married to Bedouin get priority for an appointment, followed by children from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The following conditions must be met in order for applicants' documents to be accepted in all disciplines except music education (females):
Those with non-educational qualifications will have to wait three years, while those with educational qualifications would have to wait two years.
The certificate of experience is only given in the public and private sectors of education, not in the quota and pay system, and it is documented by the authorities. The following groups are exempt from the requirement for prior experience:
Holders of a doctorate degree and an average of not less than excellent in the university qualification, holders of a Master's degree and an average of not less than excellent in the university qualification, graduates of Kuwait University's College of Education, and graduates of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training's College of Basic Education and all other government colleges in Kuwait.
Emphasizing that the certificates provided by the Council of Private Institutions are equivalent to those issued by private universities and that after passing the interview, the candidate must verify with the Human Resources Department's Educational Jobs Selection Section for necessary approval.
Those who pass the interview must additionally provide proof of "good behavior" from their employer's country, as well as certification from the applicant's country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kuwaiti embassy.
On the Ministry of Education's website, applications are submitted electronically. Job opportunities link, local contracting (www.moe.edu.kw), and the concerned individual will be contacted to examine the Human Resources Department, auditors' hall in the Ministry's building in South Surra, as well as the documents specified above if the application is accepted.
Personal interviews will be undertaken for the candidates in accordance with the ministry's policies and procedures.
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The Council of Ministers has issued a decision according to which all local banks accounts which were actively receiving cash to support the government’s efforts to confront the Covid-19 pandemic must be closed while maintaining the main account with the Central Bank of Kuwait which will continue to receive donations in this regard, reports Al-Rai daily. Informed sources told the daily that, according to the instructions issued by the Minister of Finance Abdel Wahab Al- Rasheed, only the main account opened with the Central Bank of Kuwait will be maintained to receive donations made in this regard.
He added, the reason for closing the accounts at local banks is due to the significant decrease in donations at local banks. It is noteworthy to make a mention the Council of Ministers had approved, during its extraordinary meeting which was held on March 26, 2020, the opening of intermediary accounts with all local banks to facilitate receiving cash contributions to support efforts to confront the Covid-19 pandemic, provided the money was transferred to the main account with the Central Bank of Kuwait
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Days after it announced that international flights to and from India are set to resume fully from March 27, the government has restored the electronic tourist visa (e-TV) facility for 156 countries, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order.
However, all land and riverine borders, including the Attari-Wagah post along Pakistan, will continue to remain shut, except for those with special permission. The Ministry said that the “instructions will not be applicable to Afghanistan nationals” who will continue to be governed by e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous Visa.
“Order for opening of Land ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) and riverine routes will be communicated separately,” the order said.
It said that in continuation with October 20 order, and keeping in view the improvement in COVID-19 situation in India, the government has considered the need for further relaxation of visa and travel restrictions.
“Currently valid e-Tourist Visa issued for five years, which was suspended since March 2020, shall stand restored to nationals of 156 eligible countries with immediate effect. Nationals of these 156 counties will also be eligible for issuance of fresh e-Tourist visa,” it said.
The order said that valid Regular (Paper) Tourist visa with validity of 5 Years, issued to foreign nationals of all countries shall also be restored. “Fresh Regular (Paper) Tourist visa up to 5 years validity may also be issued to the nationals of the eligible countries subject to the restrictions imposed from time to time,” it said.
The Long duration (10 years) regular tourist visa for the citizens of the U.S. and Japan, issued before March 2020 has also been restored. “Fresh Long duration (10 years) tourist visa can also be issued to the nationals of the U.S. and Japan,” it said.
The Ministry said that foreign nationals who have tourist/ e-tourist visas may enter India only through designated sea immigration check posts (ICPs) or international airports
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Kuwait has no plans to administer the fourth dosage of the Covid vaccination, according to Kuwait's Health Minister. In response to reports that some European countries had begun administering the fourth dosage of the Covid vaccination, the health minister stated that "we are not considering the fourth dose at this time."
To protect themselves and society, he recommended every one to take the third dose.
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The CEO of the Quorum Center for Strategic Studies and Economic Research Tariq Al-Rifai says the impacts of the current war between Russia and Ukraine on the Kuwaiti economy are significantly negative, reports Al-Anba daily. In an exclusive press statement, he indicated that it is certain that inflation will rise and a severe recession will occur with a decline in the purchasing power. Al-Rifai stressed that the crisis will result in an increase in the demand for food and medical supplies due to the high prices that most products will witness in Kuwait, considering that Kuwait imports most of its needs from abroad.
He explained that the rise in oil prices, which reached nearly $140 per barrel for the first time since 2008, is a positive factor on the local economy, especially the state’s general budget, as the government sector constitutes more than 75 percent of the state’s total economy. The rise in oil prices will contribute to reducing the growth rate of the global economy and the Kuwaiti economy in particular. The coming period will witness a sharp rise in food prices, accompanied by scarcity and a lack of products, as was the situation before the war. This threatens to increase inflation to record levels, similar to what happened during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Chairman of the board of the National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (CAN) Dr Khalid Al-Saleh said the incidence of cancer in children is less than that in adults, adding the number of cases in children reached 120 cases – 4.3 percent of total cases of all types of cancer. Saleh said during a press conference in cooperation with I Want to Learn Society held earlier in the week to spread awareness about cancer in children that 52.1 percent of cancer patients are male, and about 53.8 percent are younger than 10 years old.
Dr Saleh said 40.3 percent of cancers are diagnosed in the blood, while more than 55.5 percent are tissue tumors, with surgery recommended for 29.4 percent of cases. He said most cases (74.8 percent) received chemotherapy and 14.3 percent received radiation, adding 89.1 percent of affected children are still living.
Dr Saleh said the strategy that is more effective to reduce the burden of children’s cancer and improve health results is to focus on speedy and accurate diagnoses, then allowing for successful treatment, in addition to supporting care designed for this purpose. He said early detection is not effective in children’s cancer, so the ideal solution is early diagnosis so that treatment can be done quickly to result in full recovery. He added that children who complete their treatment need continued care to monitor their condition in order to make sure that they do not get cancer again.
Meanwhile, media personality Aneesa Mohammad Jaafar aka Mama Aneesa said this humanitarian action for children with cancer aims at supporting them until they recover. She called on all citizens and residents to help children at all stages, because they are the beacons of the future.
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The number of expatriates in the country has decreased to 2,520,301 in 2021 from around 2,891,255 in 2018, reports Al-Qabas daily. According to an official statistics issued by the Central Statistical Bureau recently, the number of expatriates who obtained work permits in the government decreased during the aforementioned period by about 11,000. It was 107,657 in 2018, and decreased to 96,800 in 2021. This decrease can be attributed to the implementation of the Kuwaitization policy, which was initiated by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in 2017, amid expectations that the number will decrease to less than that as the policy continues.
The number of domestic workers decreased by about 115,700 workers to reach about 591,368 in 2021 from more than 707,000 in 2018. The decline in the numbers is due to the crisis related to shortage of domestic workers that the country witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the obstacles in the policy of recruitment.
The decline also affected the number of expatriates working in the private sector, as it declined to about 1,249,000 in 2021 from 1,531,000 in 2018. Regarding the residency violators, the statistics revealed that the total number of these violators increased by about 51,000 during the period from 2018 to 2021. It reached 151,690 violators in 2021 from up to 100,560 violators in 2018.
The statistics showed that the largest percentage of residency violators is the holders of the domestic worker residency at a rate of approximately 48.5 percent of the total number of residency violators in 2021, followed by workers in the private sector at approximately 23.5 percent, then the temporary residency holders at approximately 21 percent.
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A 4th dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be needed, Pfizer’s CEO told CBS on Sunday, and that the company is working on a shot to handle all variants, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting CNN sources. “Many variants are coming, and Omicron was the first one that was able to evade — in a skillful way — the immune protection that we’re giving,” Bourla told ‘Face the Nation’. “The protection we are getting from the third (dose) it is good enough — actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” Bourla added.
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The Municipal Council has approved the draft amendments to regulations on car shades, reports Al-Jarida daily. Earlier, Kuwait Municipality amended several stipulations; most notably banning the setting up of car shades opposite the public squares and canceling the requirement to obtain a license for car shades within the premises of private houses.
As per the regulations, the height of the car shades should not exceed four meters, private houses are exempted from the fees for licensing these shades, one-time fee of KD1 per square meter for government agencies, and KD5 per year for investment and commercial use.
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Tens of millions of people were under lockdown across China yesterday, as surging virus cases prompted the return of mass tests and hazmat-suited health officials to streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic. China reported 5,280 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day’s tally, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread across a country that has stuck tightly to a zero-COVID strategy. That approach, which pivots on hard localized lockdowns and has left China virtually cut off from the outside world for two years, appears stretched to the limit as Omicron finds its way into communities.
At least 13 cities nationwide were fully locked down as of yesterday, and several others had partial lockdowns, with some 15,000 infections reported nationwide in March. Health officials urged people over 60 to get vaccinated-including the third booster jab-as soon as possible. Around 80 percent of people in that age group are double-vaccinated, according to official data-but Beijing is anxiously watching the situation in Hong Kong, which now has the world’s highest virus death rates due to low inoculation among its oldest residents. Official Jiao Yahui said at a press briefing Tuesday that “the risk of severe illness is very high” for people in that age group.
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The National Assembly yesterday approved an amendment to a law governing domestic workers, changing the word “servant” to “domestic worker” in all Kuwaiti laws to ensure they are in sync with international laws, especially those related to human rights. According to an explanatory note, the amendment was attributed to avoid reservations by international human rights organizations and agencies concerned with labor affairs regarding the use of the term “maidservant” in laws regulating the domestic labor sector or in other laws. The amendment also replaced the term “private maid” with “private domestic worker”, wherever it is mentioned in any law. The second and final round of voting on the amendment will take place after two weeks.
Meanwhile, the court of appeals yesterday overturned a decision allowing expats aged over 60 without university degrees to renew or transfer their work permits within the private sector for one year by paying a fee of KD 250 and KD 500 in comprehensive private health insurance.
The Assembly yesterday also rejected the resignation of MP Yousef Al-Fadhalah, which he submitted around 11 months ago. Only 19 MPs voted to accept the resignation, while the government abstained. Opposition MPs criticized the government for abstaining and charged that the resignation is being rejected due to political motives.
The Assembly agreed to assign the parliamentary public funds protection committee to probe reports about accounts held by the former head of the pension agency in Swiss banks. The former official is currently living abroad and has been convicted of stealing tens of millions of dinars of the agency’s funds. Law enforcement authorities in the country have been trying to repatriate the former head of the pension agency without success.
The National Assembly also discussed a report on resolving the housing problem in the country, in which the housing authority is demanding that its projects be exempted from the prior supervision of the Audit Bureau to accelerate their implementation. The debate on the issue will continue today. The Assembly also decided to delay the debate of a grilling against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah for two weeks at the premier’s request.
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The decor is almost anachronistic. The flex poster of the Ajanta apsara in defiant contrast to the pop colours of the cafe. But there is something strangely comforting about India’s first post office cafe. Siuli, the parcel cafe, housed in the spectacular General Post Office of Kolkata, doesn’t need much to charm its patrons. It’s a success simply because it exists. Outside, the cobbled streets of Kolkata’s made-for-instagram-reels Dalhousie Square is buzzing with activity. This was once the white town of British Calcutta, where us natives had restricted access.
Who wouldn’t want to sit here, sipping coffee, pretending to study an important spreadsheet while actually watching viral reels on Instagram?
“It is important for us that people come to the post office. Which is why we thought a place dedicated to parcel-booking, packaging, gift–packing, booking for same–day delivery in selected locations and also have a café there, so that the younger generation feels like coming to the post office,” says Niraj Kumar, Postmaster-General of Kolkata Region.
Indeed, Siuli the parcel cafe, has a well-appointed panel counter that customers can make use of which also houses a gift and curio shop. “We have everything from philately (stamp collecting) albums to silver trinkets. We also sell packaged Ganga water from Gangotri here. They sell like hot cakes,” says an attendant of the cafe named Kumar.
Interestingly, all the furniture used in the cafe have been repurposed. “We repainted old tables and chairs for the cafe,” informs Kumar.
So, an old sorting table with attached shelves from the 1850s finds a pride-place in the cafe. It is paired with a high chair where the sorter would sit while dividing the letters into zones. Old spears used by runners are mounted on the walls. During the British era, dad runners would deliver letters. The runners would literally run from town to town, village-to-village carrying bags full of letters and parcels. “Since they also carried coin bags with them and valuables, they would often be targeted by thugs and robbers. That’s why they would carry these spears to protect themselves,” says an attendant of the cafe.
According to the India Post official website, India has the largest postal network in the world with 154,965 Post Offices (as on 31.03.2017) of which 139,067 are in the rural areas. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.56 Sq. Km and population of 7753 people. However, even the annual report of the India Post shows that there has been a decline in the mail volume in the past few years.
Is this cafe one of the ways forward? “If India Post has to maintain its hold in not only the market but also in conversation, in people’s mindscapes, then something more has to be done — that’s why this café,” says Kumar.
Will there be more such cafes around the country? “This cafe is like a roadmap. We will have to see how it fares,” sums up Kumar.
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The Council of Ministers has voted to remove the necessity for non-vaccinated teachers and children under the age of 16 to have a PCR negative certificate.
Currently, non-vaccinated teachers and students above the age of 16 must have a PCR negative certificate in order to physically attend classes.
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Dr. Faisal Al Awadi, Director of the Kuwait Municipality's Funerals Department, stated that anyone seen destroying graves or photographing funerals in the cemetery may be fined up to 5,000 KD.
Families of the departed and mourners are unhappy, according to an Al-Rai article, with the big crowds that arrive at the cemetery for the burials of politicians, athletes, celebrities, and others. According to the research, this type of phenomenon shows a lack of respect for the dead and graves.
A circular has already been issued to take legal action against anyone who takes images in graves with whatever type of camera. The graves may not be utilized for anything other than the purpose for which they were created, according to Article 3. Article 8 specifies that sanctity must be protected during transportation, washing, shrouding, and burial and that anyone who violates these two articles would be fined between 2,000 and 5,000 dinars.
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Kuwait's cabinet approved exchanging vacation days for cash for employees across all state bodies, according to spokesman Tareq Al-Merzem, citing a draft law.
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General Surgery and Obesity Consultant at Sabah Hospital Dr Mohammad Al-Sulaimi said a operation on the diaphragm was conducted using advanced technology. He said the procedure was 100 percent successful, adding it was a rare case of Morgagni hernia, which is not widespread and affects only one percent of cases. He said the procedure involved a 52-year-old Kuwaiti who complained of weight loss, difficulty breathing and loss of appetite.
Dr Sulaimi said following an examination and CT scan, a hernia was detected in the diaphragm that required surgical intervention. He said the surgery took 90 minutes. The patient returned to hospital two weeks later and is in excellent condition. He said hernia in the diaphragm occurs when the upper part of the stomach opens through the large muscle that separates the abdomen from the diaphragm, which has a small opening from which the esophagus goes through before reaching the stomach. Dr Sulaimi warned that hernias can be life threatening if not treated and symptoms must not be ignored, adding they may cause other complications.
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One of the most vital goals of the ministry is to start the first step to manufacture important medicines in Kuwait to meet local and possibly regional needs in the near future, Dr Saeed stressed. This stage is being started with the US company Abbott, which has initiated cooperation with KSP to accomplish this project, while there is more partnership with other companies to achieve the desired goal that will be announced soon, he added. The success of localizing the manufacture of pharmaceutical products from a leading international company reflects the capabilities of local private companies operating in this sector, as it gives Kuwait a guaranteed stock of these products, Dr Saeed said.
In the meantime, Minister of Commerce and Industry Fahad Al-Shuraian said in his speech during the ceremony that this is the first foreign investment in Kuwait of this size in the health sector, and it is also the first time that an international company in this sector has localized manufacturing in Kuwait. It will also be the first time that products that are used around the world bear the “Made in Kuwait” label, he pointed out, noting that it is an achievement for the Kuwaiti economy as it pushes its industry and local capabilities internationally.
Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy James Holtsnider highlighted in his speech the importance of this investment in the context of bilateral economic ties between both sides, explaining the role of the US Chamber of Commerce in facilitating this partnership and strengthening economic ties between them. In the meantime, Chairman and Managing Director at KSP Dr Rashed Khazal said that they have worked hard during the past eight months to prepare for this day and launch the manufacturing line of Abbott Laboratories products bearing the “Made in Kuwait” label.
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The Environment Public Authority summoned the persons who appeared in a video clip hunting pigeons and issued environmental violations according to article 100 of the EPA.
The Environment Public Authority thanked citizens and expats for their keenness on preserving the environment.
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According to local Arabic media Al-Qabas, the Ministry of Interior plans to grant all residency violators a grace period to update their status.
The new grace period will incorporate streamlined controls and terms that are more streamlined than the previous deadlines and will meet the intended goals, according to Al-Qabas.
All violators wanting to leave the country would be exempted from the fine, and they would be allowed to return again within the framework of the law with a new visa, according to the report. In order to adjust one's status and stay in the country, one must pay a fine.
It is hoped that the new proposal will limit the number of violators in the country if it were implemented. At present, roughly 130,000 people are estimated to be in violation of residency laws.
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Compared to a net loss of KD 78,683 for the corresponding period in 2020, Kuwait Hotels Company has reported a net profit of KD 595,575 for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.
The company reported $10.56 per share in earnings during 2021 compared to a $1.36 loss that was reported at the end of 2020, reported a local Arabic newspaper.
According to the Kuwait Hotels Company's Board of Directors, cash dividends will be distributed at a rate of 5% (5 fils per share) subject to shareholder approval and approval by regulatory authorities.
Fawzi Al-Musallam, CEO of Kuwait Hotels Company and Vice President of the company, stated that the company's move into profitability by 874% was due to the strategic decisions taken by its Board of Directors regarding food and beverage as well as the notably better performance of the hotels during the second year following the illness and the company's hedging strategy since the outbreak of the disease in 2020.
Additionally, the mentioned strategy should have a positive effect on the company in the years to come, especially through the expansion of hotels that will be operated in the next stage.
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