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Kuwaiti sources believe it is likely the government will resort to another unconstitutional resignation and cabinet reshuffle to avoid facing members of parliament (MP)’s calls for debt relief and other populist measures.

Gulf countries have despatched search and rescue teams, medical equipment, temporary housing and other relief supplies to Turkey and Syria in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit in the early hours of 6 February. Qatar and the UAE were among the first to respond; flights left from Kuwait the following day. Aid has also been forthcoming from Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Turkey’s Baykar Technology is to supply an unspecified number of its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Kuwait's Ministry of Defence, in a $370m deal announced in January. The deal means 28 countries have now signed contracts for the Bayraktar TB2, including Qatar.

Two defendants accused by Kuwait's Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) of paying its former director general Fahad Al-Rajaan millions of dollars in illegal commissions have failed to have the case moved from London to Switzerland.

Kuwait's ambassador to the United States Jasem Al-Budaiwi took over as secretary general of the Gulf Co-operation Council on 1 February, replacing his compatriot Nayef Al-Hajraf who had been in the post since February 2020.

Overshadowed by the events in Kuwait's parliament was a new set of amnesties for 34 critics announced by the Diwan Amiri on 19 January. The majority of those affected were either jailed or convicted in absentia for voicing criticisms of the government. Leading figures in the ruling family appear to have decided they need to do all they can to remain coherent, so they can respond to the opposition from parliament.

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited Kuwait in January for what official Kuwaiti media described as a private visit but which the Bhutanese side called a royal visit. King Jigme Khesar previously visited Kuwait in February 2011. Bhutan has far more extensive links with Kuwait than with any other Gulf country.

A summit of regional leaders, held in Abu Dhabi on 18 January, appeared to be hastily arranged and did not include representatives from Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. It has nevertheless prompted widespread speculation about what may have been discussed and the meeting’s wider meaning. Such interest reflects its host’s apparently ever increasing prominence in international affairs.

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah has tendered his government's resignation, following a dispute over proposals to pay off the debts of locals and a brief boycott of the National Assembly by cabinet ministers. The country is once again facing a period of uncertainty, with no clear sign of how the structural tensions between an unelected government and a popularly-elected parliament might be resolved.

Mixed outlook but oil buoys economy: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said economic growth was likely to slow down in 2023, after growing by more than 8% in 2022, thanks to higher than expected oil prices.  

Kuwait Projects Company (Kipco) subsidiary Burgan Bank said on 10 January that it had gained approval from Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) to sell its 51.8% stake in Bank of Baghdad to Amman-based Jordan Kuwait Bank (JKB). The value of the transaction was not revealed, but Burgan said it would help it to avoid a rise in its non-performing loans ratio.

Oman's state energy company OQ signed an agreement with Saudi giant Sabic and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) in late December to develop a jointly-owned petrochemicals complex in the special economic zone at Duqm (Sezad).

The United Kingdom government said in December that it was hosting some 21 military personnel from the Gulf for liaison and engagement purposes.

Kuwaiti diplomat Abdullah Abdulsamad Dashti was appointed United Nations Co-ordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The initiative was launched by Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and the UN to enable exports of grain, foodstuffs and fertiliser from Ukraine via a safe maritime corridor.

Kuwait's parliament speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun has adjourned proceedings until 24 January, after two cabinet ministers walked out of the chamber and refused to return. The walkout came after MPs pushed to hold a debate on a draft law which would require the government to repay bank loans owed by citizens.