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2010 Kuwait archive
2008-2009 Kuwait archive
2007 Kuwait archive
2006 Kuwait archive
2004-2005 Kuwait archive
2003 and earlier Kuwait archives
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KPC will decide on Project Kuwait in 2008, consolidates Dow link, chairman says
KPC has just signed up for a major plastics venture and is looking for more deals. Its chairman told GSN that, after delays to parliamentary approval, the group may decide that Kuwait should continue to develop northern fields itself, rather than bringing in foreign majors.
Issue 820, 21 December 2007. more
Democracy is Kuwait’s plus point, PM tells EU investors
Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has placed Kuwait’s democratic credentials and constitutional order at the heart of a new drive to attract investors. Addressing an audience of European businessmen and policy-makers at a first Kuwait Global Forum conference in Brussels on 18 December, Sheikh Nasser emphasised the role played by his country’s lively parliament and independent media, audit bureau and legal system.
Issue 820, 21 December 2007. more
Kuwait Airways set for a privatised life
Kuwaiti parliamentarians have agreed with the government on a plan to privatise Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) through a direct offer to potential investors.
Issue 819, 7 December 2007. more
Al-Humaidhi driven out in Kuwaiti power struggle
Crude political reality finally caught up with Kuwait’s beleaguered former finance minister Bader Mishari Al-Humaidhi this week, when he was forced to step down from the Ministry of Oil (MOO) portfolio – to which he had been moved in a sweeping government reshuffle only one week earlier. A liberal technocrat respected for his long stint as head of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Al-Humaidhi had been under sustained pressure from Islamist parliamentarians for the best part of a year.
Issue 817, 9 November 2007. more
Islamist politicians block mosque for Bohra sect
Islamists are resisting government plans to permit the construction of a new mosque for the Bohra community – a mainly Indian offshoot of Shiism. The episode comes as a sharp reminder of the residual hurdles still faced by religious minorities in a country normally notable for the relaxed and friendly nature of inter-faith relations.
Issue 816, 26 October 2007. more
Kuwait: A pause for pragmatism in the face of election rumours
There are good reasons for Sheikh Sabah not to rush summon voters to the polls again, despite the challenges of living with a feisty National Assembly that includes members who just don’t like reform – or at least the Al-Sabahs’ version of it.
Issue 815, 12 October 2007. more
Stasis in Kuwait: mobile telecoms no longer a national flagship
Impatient with the sluggish pace of reform, and keen to raise its international profile, one of Kuwait’s most successful businesses is determined to relocate: Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC)’s decision to move to Amsterdam, Bahrain or Dubai points to the wider problems faced by the emirate in persuading business that Kuwait is the right place to operate.
Issue 812, 14 September 2007. more
Off/on airline sale plan a test for Kuwaiti self-confidence
Once again, concerns about transparency have come back to haunt Kuwait’s economic reformers, just as they attempt to move the country a further step down the path towards a more liberal market system.
The management of Kuwait Airways has promised to fully co-operate with a parliamentary probe into alleged financial irregularities, but this has failed to persuade National Assembly members to go ahead with the 11 July vote that would finally have authorised the government to begin preparatory moves to privatise KAC.
Issue 810, 20 July 2007. more
Al-Sabah rifts at the heart of transparency battle
Rivalries within Kuwait’s ruling family have burst into the political struggle over efforts to promote transparency and finally bring justice in a KD150m ($520m) corruption case dating back to the early 1990s, in which former oil minister Sheikh Ali Al-Khalifa Al-Athbi Al-Sabah has been accused of involvement.
Issue 809, 6 July 2007. more
Al-Sabah rifts at the heart of transparency battle
Rivalries within Kuwait’s ruling family have burst into the political struggle over efforts to promote transparency and finally bring justice in a KD150m ($520m) corruption case dating back to the early 1990s, in which former oil minister Sheikh Ali Al-Khalifa Al-Athbi Al-Sabah has been accused of involvement.
Issue 809, 6 July 2007. more
Kuwait steers course away from failing GCC monetary union
Exasperation with sluggish progress towards a single currency, and a lack of political commitment to the GCC project, has persuaded Kuwait to concentrate on its on national interests. While its GCC partners complain about Kuwait’s move, it argues that the regional boom has undermined integration – so why bother pretending about a single currency?
Issue 806, 25 May 2007. more
Public opinion bars the route to Iraqi debt relief
Seventeen years after the Iraqi invasion Kuwaitis are still in no mood to forget – or to forgive debt, no matter what their government says.
Issue 805, 11 May 2007. more
Emir acts to end Al-Sabah in-fighting, calm Constitution talk
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has acted swiftly to end growing media speculation and rumours of plans to amend the Constitution and dissolve the National Assembly.
Issue 804, 27 April 2007. more
Government fine-tuned as Emir looks for compromise
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has approved the formation of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah’s government, calling for co-operation and an end to “political battles.”
Issue 802, 30 March 2007. more
Recriminations as Kuwait slides back to stalemate
Arguably the Gulf’s most advanced political system, Kuwait’s democratic structures may need further overhaul if the country is to break out of its current stalemate.
Issue 800, 2 March 2007. more
Kuwait takes delivery of Apaches as new threats to helicopters proliferate in Gulf
The KAF has upgraded its helicopter fleet, but the challenges of airborne security remain daunting, as jihadists and insurgents in Iraq refine their targetting of Coalition helicopters. So-called complex attacks are on the increase, posing significant problems for defence planners across the region, as well as in Washington.
Issue 800, 2 March 2007. more
Disillusioned reformists hope women can revive Kuwaiti politics
Observers could be forgiven for thinking that Kuwait was in a perpetual state of crisis. Each week brings fresh talk of government reshuffles and parliamentary dissolutions. Public disenchantment is growing, with the seemingly endless stream of threatened ministerial grillings increasingly viewed as time-wasting by MPs wanting to pursue personal agendas.
Issue 799, 16 February 2007. more
Delinquent Al-Sabah takes the rap for drugs trade
In a move that has shocked observers, a ruling family member, 48-year-old Sheikh Talal Nasser Al-Sabah, has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking. Judge Humoud Al-Mutawah said Sheikh Talal’s crimes “threatened society… especially the young people”, who bought cocaine and hashish from him. The judge added in a verdict delivered in mid-January that Talal had “willingly walked the path of evil” and “deserved no mercy”.
Issue 798, 2 February 2007. more
TOP
Campaigns and conflicts
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah seems increasingly isolated, with more political battles to come in 2007 as his ‘clean-up’ campaign takes on vested interests. Critics say these battles are linked to ruling family rivalries.
Issue 796, 22 December 2006. more
French push defence partnerships as Sabah flies into Paris
The traditionally close relations between France and Kuwait have not been at their best in recent years, but old friendships appear to be flourishing once more, helping Paris to push the attractions of its defence industry.
Issue 795, 8 December 2006. more
Populist loans write-off campaign crosses political divides in Kuwait
Momentum is gathering behind a revived political campaign for the government to use a slice of Kuwait’s windfall oil revenue to fund the cancellation of KD2.3bn ($8bn) in largely personal debt. Liberal opposition MPs find themselves in the uncomfortable position of supporting the government on an issue that has wide resonance among the public and offers Islamists a popular non-religious rallying cry.
Issue 794, 24 November 2006. more
Ties that bind might also draw Kuwait closer to the Iraqi contagion
Through history Kuwait has energetically asserted its independence, while Iraqi nationalists have jealously eyed what Saddam Hussein called his ‘Nineteenth Province’. Cross-border connections run deep, and these are impacting on business today.
Issue 794, 24 November 2006. more
Genuine palace intrigue or hot air? Would senior Al-Sabahs really risk suspending parliament?
The Kuwaiti media is alive with reports of palace talk about shutting down parliament, as scrutiny of the executive grows more acute. The stakes are high, and the timing delicate, with a former senior minister criticised by the National Assembly’s enquiry into the Altanmia-Halliburton oil affair.
Issue 793, 10 November 2006. more
Kuwaitis consider the pros and cons of action against money laundering
Kuwait is a land of contradictions, and what better way to express that than a private sector renowned for its love of cash and discreet foreign bank accounts demanding greater regulatory pressures and governmental intervention to control the flow of funds.
Issue 793, 10 November 2006. more
BITs for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
US officials are looking towards the signing of a bilateral investment treaty with Saudi Arabia as a forerunner to a full free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia – even though they seem unsure that the Saudis understand the BIT commitments.
In his recent interventions, Assistant Commerce Secretary Israel Hernandez has been seeking to stress the rich commercial opportunities on offer, despite lingering Saudi resentment over the way the Kingdom was criticised after 9/11 – a factor that still has some impact on US corporations operating in the Kingdom.
Issue 792, 27 October 2006. more
Kuwait catches Gulf jitters, issues Ramadan alert
Concern about the ‘terrorist’ threat ran high in the Gulf this summer, heightening sensitivity to small incidents that in happier times might not receive so much notice . Accidents from unexploded ordinance and carnage on the roads account for very many more deaths, but Kuwaitis are still concerned about terrorism – and the spill-over from conflict in Iraq is adding to jitters about the potential for local jihadists to strike.
Issue 791, 13 October 2006. more
Look on the bright side, as latest Project Kuwait delays open up opportunities in gas-hungry world
So often has Project Kuwait been held up that it is legitimate to question whether IOCs will ever get a chance to revamp the northern fields. At least the latest hold-up may help to bring gas development into the equation.
Issue 791, 13 October 2006. more (Also see issue 750, 28 January 2005: National Assembly scrutiny 'within three months' for Project Kuwait)
New constituency system approved by Kuwaiti parliament
The new electoral structure has been voted through by MPs in a special session and constituency boundaries have already been set, but this is only the start of the political challenge facing the reformist camp.
Issue 786, 21 July 2006. more
Kuwait moves to next stage of Longbow fielding
Iraq now has an elected government and is occupied by US forces, but Kuwait still doesn’t feel easy about its northern neighbour or the stability of the wider region. This unease is reflected in the pattern of its defence spending, recently highlighted by upgrades to the KAF’s Apache Longbow.
Issue 786, 21 July 2006. more
Islamists centre stage as Kuwait plunges into post-election politics
While the opposition’s triumph in Kuwait’s general election has opened the way for Al-Saadoon to stage a comeback bid to recapture the speakers’ chair, the government is trying to adjust to an election result that represented a clear rebuff to several of its most prominent figures.
Issue 785, 7 July 2006. more
Kuwait: the electoral match of the summer
The Gulf Co-operation Council’s longest established democracy is gearing up for potentially the most important election in its modern political history.
Issue 784, 23 June 2006. more
Kuwait’s northern saga fuelled by oil billions, regional ambitions
Plans for the development of northern Kuwait get ever more grandiose, but much depends on improved regional relations if Bubiyan island is to be developed as its backers would like.
Issue 783, 9 June 2006. more
Sabah’s big gamble: new Emir faces the new shape of politics
Capable and efficient, but possibly over-reliant on traditional manoeuvres to maintain his hold on the political arena, Kuwait’s new Emir may have failed to read the mood of a country where exasperation at corruption has become widespread and campaigning is being reinvigorated by a more politicised youth.
Issue 782, 26 May 2006.
more
Kuwait compensation issues remain unresolved
Leading Arab creditors, led by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, have long made plain their readiness to grant comparable levels of write-off for loans made to the Saddam regime as that negotiated by the Paris Club. However, the question of compensation for the invasion of Kuwait is a different matter and issues surrounding this deal remain to be resolved.
Issue 782, 26 May 2006. more
Constituency battle lines drawn
The ministerial committee tasked with investigating options for a proposed reduction in electoral constituencies has delivered its report to the cabinet (GSN 779/1). Local sources indicate that the ministerial report will propose a reduction in the number of constituencies from 25 to ten or five,
Issue 780, 28 April 2006. more
The oil boom: new data from Kuwait show what it really means
The IMF’s new Article IV report offers a range of policy advice – promoting better regulation, labour market flexibility, more public investment et al – which should not pose insurmountable challenges to one of the Middle East’s most richly endowed governments
Issue 780, 28 April 2006 more
GSN View:
Yes to rights for Kuwait’s bidoun, but citizenship is still far off
Under pressure from the National Assembly, the Kuwaiti government has just taken a large step to enhance the rights of stateless bidoun (bedoon) residents, promising annual or six-monthly renewal of proper identity cards for at least 13,000 individuals. The cards will give these non-citizen Arab residents of Kuwait, many of whom have lived in the country for generations, access to health care, education and driving licences.
Issue 780, 28 April 2006. more
Tribe .v. national interest battle looms for Kuwaiti constituencies
Little noticed abroad – unlike the totemic struggle over women’s political emancipation – the fight to rebuild Kuwait’s election system could have a major impact on the evolution of politics. It begs the question: will traditional, tribal influences remain dominant in shaping decisions?
Issue 779, 14 April 2006. more
New premier surprises critics with early modernising signals
Announcing that reform of the electoral system will be one of his priorities, new Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Bin Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has pressured recalcitrant ministers into backing plans for merger of the present 25 parliamentary constituencies into five or ten larger areas, in a bid to cut the scope for corrupt local influence buying.
Issue 776, 24 February 2006. more (Also see Nasser Sabah’s new role)
After the fall
Noisy public protests by around 300 furious investors outside the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) made for colourful scenes, but the market has rebounded well after a fall which came as a shock to Kuwaitis but was not large in absolute terms.
Issue 778, 24 March 2006. more
Gas find gives Kuwait new options, but imports from Iraq and Iran are still likely
Energy planners’ delight and relief is all too evident following Kuwait’s first substantial find of non-associated gas. But plenty of questions remain to be answered.
Issue 777, 10 March 2006. more
New premier surprises critics with early modernising signals
Announcing that reform of the electoral system will be one of his priorities, new Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Bin Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has pressured recalcitrant ministers into backing plans for merger of the present 25 parliamentary constituencies into five or ten larger areas, in a bid to cut the scope for corrupt local influence buying.
Issue 776, 24 February 2006. more
Kuwaiti succession gets clearer, but disappoints next generation
The Jaber/Salem alternating succession has apparently been consigned to history by the new head of state, but GSN’s soundings of informed opinion in Kuwait suggest it is Sheikh Sabah’s choice of prime minister, sticking with an older generation, that is provoking the most criticism.
Issue 775, 10 February 2006. more
Sabah takes over as Kuwaiti parliament shows its muscle
A forced abdication at the behest of parliament, factional battles over the dynastic line openly covered in the local press and by the official Kuwait News Agency (Kuna),virtuoso displays of political brinkmanship and negotiation conducted – the Gulf has never seen anything like Kuwait’s succession crisis.
Issue 774, 27 January 2006. more
2010 Kuwait archive
2008-2009 Kuwait archive
2007 Kuwait archive
2006 Kuwait archive
2004-2005 Kuwait archive
2003 and earlier Kuwait archives
Return to main GSN's World Kuwait page
Select another country
