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The transfer of powers to Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal on 16 November was described by officials as a temporary move, but few expect Emir Sheikh Nawaf to return fully to front line duty, given his poor health. The Al-Sabahs will seek to maintain business as usual, as Mishaal’s reappointment of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah suggests little appetite for change at the cabinet level, despite the amnesty for exiled opposition leaders.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office released files on 23 November giving more detail on events surrounding British Airways flight BA149, which was caught in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait when it landed at Kuwait City of 2 August 1990.

Talks on reviving the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal are soon to restart, but key players in the region are deeply sceptical that a positive outcome can be negotiated. Hardliners in Tehran appear more confident, while GCC states are questioning the US commitment to the region and Israel is accelerating preparations for covert and overt conflict

Any progress in the National Assembly (parliament) has been put on hold by the government’s resignation on 9 November, following the amnesty. The session on 9 November was supposed to be critical, with 11 grillings of ministers scheduled, including health minister Basel Al-Sabah, commerce and industry minister Abdullah Al-Salman and defence minister Hamad Jaber Al-Sabah.

A flurry of political activity in the past two weeks has seen a much-anticipated amnesty for political figures move forward, quickly followed by the resignation of the government. However, the opposition camp appears divided and it remains to be seen if the relationship between the National Assembly (parliament) and the executive will fundamentally change.

Faisal Abdullatif Al-Hamad has resigned from the board of directors of the Kuwait Investment Authority, which oversees Kuwait’s sovereign wealth funds, only three months after his appointment.

Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah opened the new session of Kuwait’s National Assembly (parliament) on 26 October, with a potential amnesty for exiled opposition figures at the top of the political agenda.

The government is considering allowing foreigners to fully own real estate, the daily Al-Qabas reported on 29 September. This would be coupled with tax measures to create a new source of revenue and attract foreign investment as the government looks to reduce its fiscal deficit and stimulate an economy struggling with the effects of Covid-19.

Minister of state Prince Turki Bin Mohammed Bin Fahd Al-Saud has been on the move again, visiting Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE in recent weeks.

Former prime minister Jaber Al-Mubarak was found guilty on 5 October by the Court of Ministers of complicity in the Army Fund fraud case. A sentence is due to be announced in November, but Al-Mubarak is expected to appeal against the verdict in the Court of Ministers’ first major trial.

Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has left Kuwait on another trip to Germany for medical reasons. His 29 September departure came just ten weeks after the emir returned from his last visit there.

The position of opposition figures exiled in Turkey is the hottest issue being debated on social media – a reflection of the issue’s importance to many Kuwaitis and why the exiles are playing such a part in the national dialogue intended to build bridges between a government weakened by Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed’s frequent absences for treatment in Germany and a fractious parliament’s determination to block vital legislation needed to kick-start the stagnating economy.

One year into his rule, and in an atmosphere of domestic political conflict, Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah told members of parliament and his  cabinet  on 29 September to start a “national dialogue” to end a stalemate that has blocked vital new legislation – including a long-overdue debt law which would allow the government to raise funds to cover its large budget deficit.

On 18 September, the government announced the largest restructuring of the public sector in Kuwait’s history. The roadmap, published in local newspapers, outlines a plan to merge several ministries and close others, reducing a bloated bureaucracy that is often blamed for hampering economic development.

Divisions among opposition figures have come to the fore, with a surprise statement issued in mid-September by exiled former members of parliament (MPs) and other activists which openly criticised current opposition members of the National Assembly.