Category: News

Ministry of Communications (MOC) prepares to undergo the largest privatization process in its history after a proposal has been already made to privatize the mail sector, long distance calls and landlines and their infrastructure, Undersecretary Hameed Al-Qattan said. Qattan added that the once established, the Telecom and Information Technology Authority would be responsible for offering those services for privatization.

Once those projects see the light, the MOC would only be responsible for marine transportations, he said. [Source]

I hope this means we’ll finally have a proper mail service.

As very early adopters of consuming flowers online and in looking for something already in existence they came across Q8flowers.com. “If you look at the region, the [online flower] community is fragmented, and if you zoom in on Kuwait it’s even more so,” AlOtaibi said.

The undisclosed investors, are, according to AlOtaibi’s office, a pool of angel investors who now can add Q8flowers.com as the seventh addition to their portfolio. “Like the PayPal mafia, we’re the Talabat Mafia,” one of the investors told Wamda.

According to a spokesman for AlOtaibi the user growth of the site has been growing at 100 percent year on year, “and this was with minimal traditional [marketing] efforts,” they said.

Going forward the new owners have a 12 month plan that involves, revamping the IP infrastructures of the site, expanding into other geographies and expanding into similar services within the same vertical of online and flowers. [Source]

Great for Q8flowers.com but I have to say I’m pretty surprised, I didn’t think they were doing that well.

via Sala6a and Frankom

The National Assembly yesterday passed in the second reading the commercial agencies law, but after introducing a crucial amendment that allows more than one agent or dealer for commodities in the country, officially breaking the monopoly of agents over imports. [Source]

Does this mean what I think it means? Does this mean there can now be more than one BMW dealer or more than one Nikon dealer in Kuwait?

The recent seizure of a remote-control drone hovering above the Ministry of Interior’s (MoI) headquarters call for immediate and strict measures to prevent the threats such drones pose to national security, said security sources. The sources explained that MoI has contacted the civil aviation department, the ministry of commerce and industry and the customs demanding a ban on importing such aircraft without prior permission from MoI. The interior ministry also decided confiscating any drones that had been already imported without permission and referring importers to relevant authorities for evading taxes and importing banned items without permission.

The sources highlighted that a decision was made banning all companies and individuals from importing Phantom drones without MoI’s written approval. [Source]

It’s from the Kuwait Times so I’m not sure how accurate this is, but if you own a drone I’d keep it indoors for the next couple of weeks until this dies down.

Thanks Ray

In case you missed it, a selfie taken by a Kuwaiti couple in Dubai with The Address Hotel in the background up in flames went viral this weekend and not for good reason. Loads of people thought the photo was in bad taste and started commenting about it on social media. Personally I didn’t think it was funny, but I also didn’t find it offensive or anything of the sort. If anything I thought the Burj Khalifa fireworks show next door while The Address was still on fire was more inappropriate but I guess to each his own. The Daily Mail posted an article on the photo earlier today and you can read that [Here]

Did Kuwait Airways just scrap an entire flight service to avoid carrying Israeli passengers?

The airline has this week pulled its connection between New York’s JFK airport and London Heathrow after U.S. authorities threatened legal action over alleged discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in September warned the Kuwaiti carrier that it had “unlawfully discriminated” against a passenger using an Israeli passport by refusing to sell him a ticket.

It sent a letter giving the airline 15 days to outline how it would in the future comply with anti-discrimination laws.

Kuwait Airways response, according to the DOT, appears to have been to drop its London-New York route. [Source]

I guess that’s a quick easy fix.

Expats in Kuwait aged over 50 will be forced to leave the country under a new measure announced to reduce the number of foreign workers, Arabic daily Al Anba reported.

The age limit would apply to people working for the Kuwaiti government and in professions where vacancies can be filled by Kuwaitis.

It would be implemented from March 1 and cover all nationalities, a government source reportedly said. [Source]

Based on the wording of the article this doesn’t seem like a proposal but instead something that has already gotten an approval. Damn.

But, keep in mind Arabian Business aren’t really a reliable source and have a habit of making shit up. I mean they mention an Al Anba report in their article yet link to Arab Times…

Kuwait has revoked the licence of a Kuwait Airways pilot who had invited a porn star and her “glamorous” friend into the cockpit.

The decision announced by Transportation Minister Eisa Al Kindari in a report to the parliament was taken following an investigation he ordered in July when news about the unprecedented security breach and ethical violation broke out.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by Kuwaiti daily Al Jareeda, said that the co-captain was demoted over his role in the case that shook Kuwaitis to the core. The plane crew was not aware of what was happening inside the cockpit and no punitive action was taken against any member, Al Jareeda said on Saturday. [Source]

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised by this. I thought for sure this incident was going to be swept under the carpet. Not bad Kuwait Airways, I’m impressed.

Thanks @mentabolism

Some of you might have already seen the video above of a fight taking place on the streets of Hawalli where a person gets run down and killed by a driver of a pick-up truck. According to Arab Times the fight was over a Sony PlayStation:

The deceased was hit and killed with a pick-up driven by a Kuwaiti youth in the course of a fight between a group of Kuwaitis and Egyptian nationals at the commercial complex. The prime suspect who’s in his 20s admitted knocking the late Egyptian down with a vehicle in an attempt to free his friend during a fight over KD 19 price difference of a Play Station. [Source]

The original news report stated the fight started in Rehab Complex and that’s what I had originally heard as well but, the video shows the fight taking place in front of Al-Muhallab Mall. How did the fight end up all the way there? Also, I had originally heard the fight was over a game and not a PlayStation console, specifically the new Call of Duty: Black Ops III game.

A reader sent me the two news articles below to check out. Both covering the same story but each with their own interpretation on the nationality, airport and container the marijuana was found in:

Kuwait Times
Customs officers at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah airport foiled a Sri Lankan man’s attempt to smuggle two kilograms of marijuana inside two cans of dried chili. He was sent to the Drug Control General Directorate (DCGD) for questioning. (Sep 13)

vs

Arab Times
An Indian expatriate was arrested at Kuwait International Airport for attempting to smuggle two kilograms of marijuana into the country. According to an informed source, when customs officers were checking the luggage of the passengers who arrived in the country on Friday, they noticed that one of the passengers was nervous. They checked his details to discover he is an Indian expatriate and they checked his luggage to find marijuana hidden inside a pack of almonds. He was arrested and referred to the Directorate General for Drug Control for necessary legal action against him. (Sep 13)

Why is there so much discrepancy between the two articles? If they can’t get a simple story right how badly are they doing on more complicated ones? Last month Arabian Business was also caught making shit up related to Kuwait as well.

On top of those inaccuracies, I’m not an expert here but how the hell do you fit 2KG of marijuana in your luggage yet alone in a chili can or a pack of almonds? So much of the above doesn’t make any sense. Check this video on YouTube to see how 2KG of marijuana looks like [YouTube] (Spoiler: It’s huge)

Update: Arab Times have posted the same news story again for a second time today with a slight adjustment.

Arab Times (Try #2)
Customs officers at the Sa’ad Al-Abdullah Airport recently foiled an attempt by a Bangladeshi to smuggle 2 kilos of marijuana in to the country, reports Al-Anba daily. According to security sources, the suspect arrived at the Kuwait International Airport from a neighboring country. The drugs were reportedly hidden between chili powder packs.

Note they don’t mention its a correction, they just treat it as a new news story. So they basically could be copying pasting old news as new news to fill up their pages and no one will be any the wiser.

According to a Zain press release, Zain and Uber have partnered up to offer Zain customers discounted and preferential services when using the Uber platform. The service is already active in Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia but according the press release, Kuwait is next. If this isn’t definitive proof that Uber is coming to Kuwait I’m not sure what is. [Link]

Thanks Musaed

The popular kids show Iftah Ya Simsim which first aired back in 1979 is coming back on air for the first time since it stopped 25 years ago. But, the show that was originally produced and filmed in Kuwait is now instead being filmed in Abu Dhabi. We lost Iftah Ya Simsim to Abu Dhabi and that sucks. First episode is expected to air on Kuwait TV tomorrow (Friday, September 4th) at 5PM. [Link]

Kuwait has announced a six-day break for Eid Al Adha. Businesses will be closed from Tuesday, September 22 until Sunday, September 27, a government statement said. [Source]

Where will you be traveling this coming Eid?

Kuwait’s government said it had awarded a contract to build a new terminal at Kuwait International Airport to the same consortium that had an earlier more-expensive bid dismissed.

Turkey’s Limak Holding and local construction firm Kharafi National won the deal after bidding 1.312 billion dinars ($4.34 billion) for the work – 74 million dinars cheaper than the offer it submitted in November. [Source]

Bring out the non-alcoholic champagne!

A 16-year-old Kuwaiti boy died after he received a fatal stab wound during a fight at 360 Mall on Thursday night. The teenager succumbed to his injuries – a stab wound in his chest and lung as soon as he arrived at the Mubarak Hospital. Another 16-year-old Kuwaiti boy was injured in the fight and has been admitted to the hospital.

He is in stable condition. Meanwhile, police reportedly identified the suspect; a Kuwaiti teenager with history of criminal activity, and a security source expects the Interior Ministry to announce his arrest ‘within hours.’ Security had been tightened at the local malls following the killing of a Kuwaiti youngster in Marina Mall in 2013, and a similar incident in which a dentist was stabbed to death during a fight in The Avenues in 2012. [Source]

Originally I had read he was in his 20s so I’m surprised to find out he was actually just 16. Thats so young…