KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: Since some expatriates from certain nationalities need special approval from the security authorities to enter the country on new visas, this trend is linked to the ‘sale’ of visas by residence traders.

The sources said the more strict measures adopted on some nationalities, the higher the ‘sale price’ of visas.

According to the visa traders charge

Egyptian between KD 1,500 and KD 1,800;

Jordanians KD 1,000 and KD 1,200;

Lebanese KD 2,000 to KD 2,500

Iraqis KD 4,000 and KD 5,500.

In the case of Asians

Indians are charged between KD 500 and KD 700;

Bangladeshis KD 1,600 and KD 2,200;

Filipinos KD 400 a n d KD 600;

Afghans KD 3,000 and KD 5,000;

Pakistanis KD 2,500 and KD 3,500.

Among the Africans

Eritreans pay between 800 and KD 1,100

Madagascans KD 400 and KD 500.

Some sources say the black market is very big for visa traders in Kuwait. The business is brisk worth millions of dinars to an extent there are companies which make an annual profit of not less than 100,000 dinars a year using fake offices.

By Munaif Nayef
Al-Seyassah / Arab Times Staff

Source: Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: Parallel to ambiguity hovering over the constitutionality and legality of the recent amendment to traffic laws regarding penalties for not using safety belt, using mobile phone by hand while, driving and parking on pavement, Director of the General Public Relations and Security Media Department Brigadier Adel Al-Hashash disclosed that the ministry will deport any expatriate who repeats the violation of driving without safety belt and use mobile by hand while driving.

In a televised interview concerning the new traffic law and controversial penalties introduced for the above-mentioned violations to impound the vehicle for two months, Al-Hashash pointed out that an expatriate who repeats the violation of not using safety belt and uses mobile phone while driving will be sent packing.

The traffic law permits impounding of vehicle, while existing articles give the Minister of Interior the right to deport those who violate general order and laws of the country. He called on the public to adhere to traffic rules and cooperate with the traffic officers for the safety of motorists and other road users.

By Local affairs analyst

Source: Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 21: A recent study published by RT Today News Channel indicates Kuwaitis are the second most intelligent people among their Arab counterparts, reports Al-Kuwaitiya daily. The study was co-authored by an English psychologist Professor Emeritus Richard Lynn and Finnish Professor Tatu Vanhanen who believe there is a link between the level of intelligence (IQ) and the rate of economic development and national resources.

The study places Iraq on top of other Arab countries, showing Iraqis are the most intelligent, followed by Kuwaitis, Yemenis and Jordanians in that order. Moroccans occupied the fifth place, followed by Saudis, Emirates and Algerians in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively. Bahrainis were rated ninth and Libyans tenth, while Syrians, Egyptians and other Arab nationals came behind the above stated nationalities

Source: Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY: The Ministry of Interior has given its Social Affairs counterpart the go signal to approve the proposal to amend the status of expatriate children under Article 22 visa to Article 18 (private sector) once they reach 21 years old without obtaining a letter of initial approval from the Residency Affairs General Department.

In its letter to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior explained that this move aims to facilitate procedures and eliminate obstacles in amending the status of these children and transferring to work visa.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
Arab Times Staff

Dr. Ahmed Al Saleh
CEO, Kuwait Health Assurance

UWAIT CITY, Nov 21: Chief Executive Officer of the Health Assurance Hospitals Company — Dhaman, Dr Ahmed Al-Saleh denied rumors circulated on social media alleging health insurance fee will be increased to KD 130 from early next year. Dr Al-Saleh noted it is impossible to increase insurance fee before inaugurating the Dhaman hospitals in 2020.

He stressed the company will organize a press conference in a couple of days to correct the wrong information passed to the public, while shedding light on the entire project. He reiterated the fees remain KD 50 for private sector employees, KD 40 for family residence, and KD 30 for children.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is looking into the possibility of offering family insurance package to expatriates at competitive prices, reports Al-Anba daily quoting official spokesperson of the ministry Dr Ahmad Al-Shatti. Al-Shatti disclosed that with a budget of about KD 3 billion, the ministry has many plans such as providing first aid kits and emergency evacuation plan for each clinic.

He affirmed the ministry allowed competitors without local agents to participate in the bidding for renewal of ‘Afiya’ contract; hinting that the winning company might come from Europe, Singapore or Britain and it has the ability to provide services at affordable prices rather than profiteering which is common among local agents.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi Al-Seyassah / Arab Times Staff and Agencies

Sorce: Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 18: The Criminal Court of Menia, Egypt has sentenced to death by hanging the Egyptian who is suspected of murdering a Kuwaiti woman and her Saudi mother, reports Al- Anba daily. The court will look into the case of other accused in the case in January 2018 – the wife and brother of the accused.

Earlier it was reported the ‘murder’ of the victims remained a mystery for some time when they went missing for more than a month until the day their bodies were fished out from a deep well from a desert in Upper Egypt. The suspect was arrested after strenuous efforts by the Egyptian authorities.

The suspect allegedly owns a farm in a village in Minya and he allegedly killed the two women, dumped them in an abandoned well and escaped from the scene. The elder victim is 55-year-old Saudi mother of the 27-year-old Kuwaiti victim, identified only as H.A., who is believed to be a divorcee.

In the meantime the killer was identified as AbdulTawab from Al- Qusiya center in the Assiut governorate. According to investigations, when the victims arrived at the Cairo International Airport, they were received by the suspect’s brother-in- law. He took their baggage to the house of the suspect, AbdulTawab who allegedly drove them to his farm where they were allegedly killed. AbdulTawab reportedly lured the Saudi woman to visit Egypt to invest in real estate.

At the time of the arrest of the 49-year-old AbdulTawab, his 32-year-old wife Hana’a Abdul- Fattah Hashim and her three brothers — Sayed 47, Ali 31 and Mohammad 30 were taken into custody and charged with for complicity in the murder. According to judicial sources AbdulTawab and his wife Hana’a during investigations had admitted to committing the crime.

They confessed that they knew the Saudi victim when AbdulTawab was working in Saudi Arabia under the sponsorship of the former. The main suspect said he convinced the Saudi woman to visit Cairo to purchase a piece of land and a house in Cairo after he saw a lot of money with the two women. He reportedly hosted the two women in his home and received about 200,000 Egyptian pounds to buy a house for them and instead bought six acres of farm from his brothers-in- law in the mountainous region of Al-Khareejin village No 4 in the Samalot Center.

The suspect said he killed the two victims with the help of his wife and after dumping their corpses in the 20-meter-deep well, he filled the well with sand to hide his crime. He also said he bought the land where the well is situated to prevent anyone from entering his private property.

The murder was discovered when the brothers were involved in a fight with their sister (the suspect’s wife) to know how her husband had become rich overnight. It is then she told her brothers the truth and that the women lay buried under the sand in the well.

The brothers also kept mum and did not inform the police. According to investigations, the wife of the suspect re-enacted the crime and guided police to where the 400,000 Egyptian pounds were hidden. She also said she helped her husband commit the crime.