Kuwait Approves 7-Day Transit Visas For GCC Residents And Europeans
The move, directed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al Yousef, aims to facilitate smoother transit for Gulf citizens, GCC residents, European nationals, and diplomatic personnel, particularly those arriving from Iraq or transiting through Iran.
Colonel Waleed Al Azmi, Director of the Abdali Border Crossing Administration, announced the decision during an interview with Al Akhbar on Kuwait TV, where he outlined new measures to improve the experience for overland travelers entering Kuwait via the Abdali border.
According to Al Azmi, the newly approved transit visa allows eligible travelers to remain in Kuwait for up to seven days, enabling them to transit between Abdali Port and Kuwait International Airport, or the reverse, while organizing travel arrangements or securing onward connections. The visa is available to non-residents of Kuwait under specific exceptions coordinated between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
'This step is part of a coordinated effort to provide flexibility and facilitate cross-border movement while ensuring national security and compliance with entry protocols,' Colonel Al Azmi said. 'The directives also enable diplomatic personnel and embassy representatives to be present at the crossing to assist their nationals during entry and exit procedures.'
He noted that Interior Ministry teams stationed at the Abdali crossing have been tasked with implementing the new measures and applying the approved exemptions swiftly and professionally, particularly for those who qualify under humanitarian or diplomatic considerations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
17 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
UEFA Waits on Lyon Appeal Before Ruling on Palace
TDT | Manama Europa League spot in question amid multi-club ownership review UEFA will delay its decision on whether Crystal Palace can compete in next season's Europa League until Olympique Lyonnais' relegation appeal is resolved, the governing body confirmed on Monday. Under UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, two clubs with shared ownership cannot play in the same European competition. American businessman John Textor holds stakes in both Palace and Lyon. Palace earned their Europa League place by winning the FA Cup, while Lyon qualified by finishing sixth in Ligue 1. However, Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 by French football's financial watchdog (DNCG) due to financial irregularities. The club is appealing the decision. UEFA's Club Financial Control Body will wait for the outcome of Lyon's appeal before making a final ruling. As part of a prior settlement with UEFA over financial breaches, Lyon agreed to be excluded from European competition if their relegation is upheld. A recent case involving Ireland's Drogheda United, who lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a similar ownership issue, has highlighted UEFA's strict stance on the matter.
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Omanis Citizens Earning RO600 Or Less Can Now Apply For Marriage Aid
Citizens of Muscat Governorate with monthly incomes of RO 600 or less are now eligible to apply for marriage support under a new government initiative. The activation of the Marriage Fund Support Request Service comes as part of royal directives to roll out marriage assistance across all governorates in Oman. The initiative, launched by Muscat Governorate, is intended to ease the financial burden of marriage for eligible Omani citizens and is accessible through the governorate's official website. To qualify, applicants must meet specific criteria: they must be Omani nationals between the ages of 22 and 45, have never been married, reside in Muscat Governorate, and be marrying another Omani citizen. In addition, their monthly income must not exceed RO 600. Required documentation includes copies of the applicant's ID card, a certified marriage contract, and an employer-endorsed salary certificate. Applications can be submitted online or via email and are subject to a verification process. Once reviewed, eligible applicants will be notified by phone. The service is free of charge, and the review process typically takes up to 30 working days. The rollout in Muscat follows a directive by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to establish a national marriage support fund. Each of the Sultanate's 11 governorates has been allocated RO 1 million to implement the program, with full activation expected by the end of June. The initiative was a key agenda item in the year's first governors' meeting, chaired by Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidi, Minister of Interior. The meeting emphasized aligning local development priorities with the Sultan's vision of decentralization and strengthening community participation in governance. Further details regarding application procedures and eligibility in other governorates are expected to be announced soon by the Ministry of Interior.
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Europe's LNG Gamble Exposed By Middle East War
The Israel-Iran conflict has driven up diesel, jet fuel, and gas prices. With 20% of global LNG flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, even threats of disruption have raised EU gas prices by 20%. Europe's refusal to sign long-term LNG deals or develop local hydrocarbon resources is backfiring. Oil and the security of its supply have stolen the media spotlight in the context of the new Middle East war, and with good reason. Ever since Israel first bombed Iran, diesel prices have soared, jet fuel prices have soared, and importers have been troubled. For Europe, the situation is even worse due to natural gas. Europe has been hurt more than others by the diesel price surge because it has boosted its imports considerably over the past years. About 20% of the diesel Europe consumes comes from imports, and a lot of these imports come from the Middle East. The situation is not much different in jet fuel. Europe depends on imports and a solid chunk of these imports comes from the Middle East. What's true of these essential fuels is doubly true of natural gas—even though direct imports of gas from the Middle East constitute a modest 10% of total imports. Yet they constitute a substantial portion of global gas exports, so any suggestion of disrupted supply affects gas prices in exactly the same way it has affected oil prices—and makes a vital commodity less affordable for Europeans. The latest import figures from the European Commission, for 2024, show that Norway was the EU's biggest supplier of natural gas via pipeline, and the United States was its biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Other large suppliers of LNG included—awkwardly—Russia, with 17.5% of the total inflows of LNG, and Algeria, with 10.7%. Qatar's share in EU LNG imports stood at 10.4%, largely because Qatar prefers to deal in long-term contracts, and European Union planners don't. Yet it is not these 10.4% that matter. It is the fact that around 20% of global LNG trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz and Iran threatened to close the waterway in response to Israeli and U.S. attacks. This prompted a jump in European natural gas prices by a fitting 20% per the Financial Times, which highlighted the dangers of import dependence in energy commodities. To be fair, the European leadership is aware of these dangers. They are one reason for many European leaders' near-obsession with the energy transition, on the assumption that wind and solar would be able to provide local energy—which is true—and that this energy can replace that provided by gas—which is not true. The latter was proven rather conclusively by the April 28 events in Spain, although it will be a while before the facts become accepted. In the meantime, Europe is in for more suffering, even if Iran doesn't close the Strait of Hormuz, which for the time being seems to have been taken off the table amid ceasefire efforts. The reason is that Europe needs to refill its gas storage caverns for next winter. Even if it cancels the 90% refill rate requirement, it still needs to buy a lot of gas, most of it on the spot market because of that aversion to long-term gas commitments it believes is part and parcel of the transition effort. And geopolitics has made LNG costlier—which will add billions to the refill bill. Earlier this year, it became clear that Europe's bill for natural gas would be higher this year than last because the winter of 2024-25 was colder and storage levels fell lower than in the previous two years. So, this year, Europe needs to buy more gas, adding some $11.2 billion to its total tab. But that was before the latest Middle Eastern war broke out. Now, the tab has gone further up—and Europe is already struggling with high energy costs, not least because of its dependence on LNG imports. Once again, then, Europe would need to rely on luck. If it is lucky, demand for liquefied natural gas from Asia will remain tepid, as it has been over the first half of the year. If it is lucky, the war between Israel and Iran will be over within the month, removing the supply disruption premium from LNG prices. If it is lucky, finally, winter 2025-26 will be as mild as winter 2023-24 and gas demand will be lower. Even if Europe gets lucky on all three, however, the cost of its energy will remain elevated compared to places such as China and the United States—its main business rivals. The reason is as simple as it is unpalatable for European political decision-makers: local supply. Both the U.S. and China are putting their local natural gas resources to good use. Europe isn't, although in all fairness, it doesn't have as much of an easily accessible gas resource abundance as either the U.S. or even China. The staunch refusal to develop any hydrocarbon resources locally, however, is as counterproductive as the refusal to make long-term LNG supply commitments. It is a refusal to acknowledge the reality of energy demand and supply. The sooner Europe gets over this, the better for energy supply security.
