Expats with valid residency visas will be allowed to return to Kuwait likely in late August with the completion of the fifth stage of the return to normalcy plan, reported Al Rai daily. The Gulf ministerial meeting was held within the framework of coordination and joint cooperation to determine the latest developments during the coronavirus pandemic with the main items on the agenda is the issue of creating a unified mechanism in the Gulf, at least in the beginning stages.
Once the airports open, and flights resume, there needs to be a way for dealing and examining the expats returning to the Gulf countries from abroad. Kuwait will put into place a procedure based on the broad outlines of the Gulf-supported processes, while continuing to evaluate the health conditions and various developments related to the coronavirus, and to establish controls to ensure the preservation of public health.
Kuwait airport witnessed the largest departure movement since the start of the coronavirus crisis, with 27 flights carrying 5416 passengers, with 17 flights to Egypt, 4 to India, two flights to Ethiopia, and one trip to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia and Bangladesh.
Airport Passport Director Colonel Badr Al-Shaya stated that there are instructions to facilitate the procedures for departing expatriates who wish to return to their country, who have valid residency and were unable to obtain their civil IDs because of the suspension of government ministries. 47,000 expats have left Kuwait from the beginning of the closure of the airport until yesterday including 19,000 residency visa violators.