Kuwait Cabinet prioritizes upgrading electronic systems, enhancing cybersecurity

• Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, briefed the Cabinet on the Baghdad Conference on Combating Drugs and his side meetings, discussing how to strengthen bilateral relations with Iraq to benefit both the nations.

• Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi, the Minister of Health, informed the council that the ministry has signed 63 contracts for medicines and supplies worth 47 million dinars to boost health system and drug security.

• A deficit of 1.561 billion dinars requires all government agencies to work with the Ministry of Finance to address waste and boost non-oil revenues.

The Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday morning at Bayan Palace, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, according to Al Anba newspaper.

Following the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sherida Al-Muasherji provided the following statement:

Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, briefed the Cabinet on the results of the Second Baghdad International Conference on Combating Drugs, which was held on Monday in Baghdad.

The conference covered topics such as enhancing security cooperation, combating drug smuggling and promotion, and exchanging information between regional and international security agencies.

Al-Yousef also updated the Cabinet on his meetings with Mohammed Al-Sudani, Iraqi Prime Minister and other senior officials in Iraq. These discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in various fields to serve the mutual interests of both countries.

On the other hand, the Cabinet listened to Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Communications Affairs Omar Al-Omar explain Kuwait’s response to the crisis caused by the CrowdStrike system update glitch last Friday, which affected multiple services worldwide.

Al-Omar detailed how Kuwait addressed the issue promptly, with relevant government agencies taking several measures, including establishing an operations room, setting up a hotline, opening direct channels with international companies, and monitoring the entities using CrowdStrike systems. Additionally, media actions were taken through official statements by the relevant authorities to reassure the public.

Al-Omar confirmed that government devices and applications were unaffected by this global glitch, thanks to the government’s continuous efforts to enhance and secure its systems and electronic infrastructure.

He stressed that information security and the protection of digital infrastructure are top priorities for the government. The precautionary measures and advanced security systems implemented have proven effective in handling such challenges and emergencies.

The Cabinet directed the relevant government agencies to further develop their electronic systems to improve work efficiency and enhance protection for systems and digital infrastructure.

For its part, the Council of Ministers praised the significant efforts of Omar Al-Omar, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Communications Affairs, as well as the leaders and employees of the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority, the Central Agency for Information Technology, the National CybersecurityCenter, and other government agencies that contributed to mitigating the impact of the crisis on the country’s digital infrastructure.

Additionally, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi, the Minister of Health, informed the council that the Ministry of Health has signed 63 contracts related to medicines, medical, and laboratory supplies, totaling 47 million Kuwaiti dinars, since the formation of the current Board of Directors of the Central Agency for Public Tenders.

These contracts are part of the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the health system and drug security in Kuwait and ensuring the provision of necessary medicines and medical supplies to enhance health services in the country.

On the other hand, the Council of Ministers reviewed the recommendation from the Economic Affairs Committee meeting concerning a draft decree-law to approve the final account of the state’s financial administration for the fiscal year 2023/2024.

In this context, the Council examined a visual presentation submitted by Dr. Anwar Al-Mudhaf, Minister of Finance, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment, and Acting Minister of Oil, along with several leaders from the Ministry of Finance.

The presentation summarized the final account of the state’s financial administration for the fiscal year 2023/2024, which revealed a deficit estimated at approximately one billion and 561 million Kuwaiti dinars. This deficit underscores the need for all government agencies to collaborate with the Ministry of Finance to address areas of waste and develop non-oil revenues.

The Council of Ministers also reviewed draft decree-laws concerning the approval of the final accounts for bodies with attached budgets and institutions with independent budgets for the fiscal year 2023/2024. The Council decided to approve these draft decree-laws and submit them to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect and preserve him.

As part of the government’s commitment to overseeing the development of all projects in Kuwait, especially those related to entertainment and tourism, the Council of Ministers reviewed the visual presentation submitted by the Tourism Projects Company. This presentation detailed the status of the company’s projects for 2024, which include the completion of the waterfront, the operation of Messila Beach, the development of Al-Shaab Marine Club, the operation of Ras Al-Ard Club, and the development of Al-Khiran Park.

The council expressed its deep thanks and appreciation to the leaders and employees of the Tourism Projects Company for their dedicated efforts to develop and implement entertainment projects and enhance Kuwait’s tourism sector. It emphasized the importance of cooperation between relevant government agencies to expedite the completion of these projects.