Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled has issued a decree pertaining to the residency affairs sector. This directive mandates the processing of residency holders’ transactions in alignment with Article 24 (self-sponsorship) at residency departments across the six governorates, effective from next week.
Reliable sources informed Al-Jarida that the transactions for residency holders under Article 24, where the sponsor is the applicant himself, was initially carried out at the office of the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Residence Affairs.
However, these processes were protracted due to the Ministry’s revocation of numerous residencies previously registered under this article. These had been predominantly limited to spouses of citizens, investors, and specific private cases, while others were exempted.
In a separate development, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled issued Ministerial Resolution No. 1062/2023 regarding maritime safety regulations for small ships.
This resolution mandates the installation of automatic identification devices (AIS) on wooden boats and cruisers registered with the Maritime Transport Administration.
The primary objective is to determine the location, whereabouts, and speed of small ships in case of emergencies. The resolution also empowers the Coast Guard to ascertain the identity of ships registered with the MTA, as well as any vessels trespassing Kuwaiti territorial waters.
It’s worth noting that the MTA, formerly under the Ministry of Communication, has been transferred to the Ministry of Interior, specifically under the General Administration of the Coast Guard, to enhance the organization of maritime operations.