KUWAIT: Minister
of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel said the total number of citizens
registered with the Civil Service Commission's (CSC) employment system since
1999 is 278,403, of whom 42,743 withdrew to seek jobs elsewhere. Responding to
a parliamentary inquiry by MP Adel Al-Damkhi, Aqeel explained that 91.5 percent
of citizens registered with the system have been employed, while a further
11,628 nominees are waiting for employment. She added that 6,739 jobs are
vacant in various ministries, namely the education and interior ministries,
according to those ministries' assessment of their needs for the year
2019-2020. Aqeel also noted that only 3.6 percent of citizens registered with the
CSC system had not been nominated for any jobs, as many of them rejected the
jobs they had been offered.

Renewable energy

In collaboration
with relevant government bodies, the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) is
currently working on executing a number of renewable energy projects to meet
the instructions of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to
produce 15 percent of electricity from clean resources by 2030, said informed
sources. The sources added that the Kabd project to turn waste into electricity
is one of the leading projects to be executed in collaboration with the Kuwait
Authority for Partnership Projects and Kuwait Municipality to produce 80
megawatts. The sources said the project would resolve the problems of 21 landfill
sites and scientifically help get rid of the waste they contain. In addition,
the sources said MEW will execute the Subbiya water reservoirs
project and install photoelectric panels on them to generate 25-30 megawatts of
electricity.

Kuwait Hospital

Upon direct
instructions from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Vice President and
Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, UAE's health and
community protection ministry renamed Al-Barahah Hospital in Dubai as Kuwait Hospital.
UAE Health Minister Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al-Owais said renaming the
hospital is in appreciation of the historic role played by the hospital since
it was established in 1966 by the late Dubai ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed
Al-Maktoum in the presence of the late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah.

13 projects

The finance
ministry approved financial requests by the education ministry to execute a
number of construction projects in various educational areas, said informed
sources, noting that the ministry approved 13 projects with a total cost of KD
36.5 million to be used in rehabilitating schools, build new ones and build 50
gyms in five educational areas.

Supreme committee

Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation's (KPC) Deputy Chairman and CEO Hashem Hashem recently issued a
decision to reform KPC and its subsidiaries' supreme purchasing committee under
the chairmanship of Saad Abdul Wahab Al-Saad. The committee will include Mazen
Dawood Al-Sardi, Ali Abdullah Mohammed, Yousif Ahmed Ali, Adel Mohammed
Al-Zamel, Abdul Rasoul Hussein Jaafar and a representative from the oil
ministry. The decision will be effective on Feb 27 with the aim of giving a new
push to the oil sector, said informed sources, adding that the committee is
responsible for reviewing and approving various tenders prior to submitting
them to the Central Agency for Public Tenders.

Water balloon

An army officer
from the ruling family chased another vehicle along Gulf Road and rammed it
deliberately after one of the passengers threw a water balloon at his vehicle.
Case papers indicate that both the 'sheikh' captain and the other vehicle's
driver argued after water from the balloon spoiled the interior of the
officer's vehicle. Things then developed into a chase, during which they both
rammed each other's vehicles, until both vehicles broke down and stopped. A
case was filed and both drivers were referred to relevant authorities pending
further procedures.

By A Saleh