September 6 - The ABCK-AmCham Kuwait’s Board of Directors held its first meeting of Q3 to discuss the upcoming activities, collaborations, and initiatives for the remainder of the year. Read more...

September 21 - ABCK-AmCham Kuwait in collaboration with BNK Automotive held a conference at the Volvo Studio by inviting AmCham Kuwait Members from different industries including the energy sector, as well as different Embassies who participated in the event in order to learn more about Electric vehicles, the many benefits that come with Electric Vehicle adaptation, and they also spoke about the future of electric vehicles globally and in Kuwait for automotive brands and the end user. Read more...

September 22 - ABCK - AmCham Kuwait held its Back to Business Annual General Meeting event in attendance of Members and friends who had an interest in learning about AmCham Kuwait’s overview since the beginning of 2022. We would like to thank our event Platinum Sponsors: KGL, our Hotel Event Partner: Waldorf Astoria, and our Exclusive Event Airline Partner: KLM. We thank each and every one of you for attending and we hope that you had a great time. We'd also like to give a very special thanks to the U.S. Embassy for their incredible support and efforts throughout the past year. Read more...

September 26 - The American Chamber of Commerce in Kuwait officially signed an MOU with the National Fund for SMEs which signifies the beginning of a partnership that will support the increase of entrepreneurship in Kuwait. "We are honored to establish this strategic alliance with the National Fund for SMEs, as it will enable both entities to harbor entrepreneurship, and provide a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to grow through the connection of AmCham Kuwait Members, and National Fund Entrepreneurs. Read more...

September 27 - The AmCham Kuwait leadership attended the French Business Council in Kuwait and BDO's presentation on ' Regional & International Tax Updates'. The presentation highlighted a snapshot on the changing tax landscape in the GCC, and well as some key updates that have happened over the past year, including the discussion on VAT. Read more...

September 27 - AmCham Kuwait and several other business council representatives attended the Spanish Business Council's Official opening. We would like to wish our SBCK friends the best of luck and success on their new journey. Business Councils and Chambers are crucial as they provide access to valuable resources including knowledge transfer, advocacy, business relationships that support businesses in expanding their network, and much more. Read more...

September 28 - The U.S. Embassy's Commercial Section hosted a roundtable discussion with AmCham Kuwait's Law Firms and Leadership to discuss Kuwait's business outlook. The meeting enabled participants to brainstorm ideas on solving some of the challenges that American entities face when conducting commercial activities in Kuwait.

ABK hosts Recruitment Drive at the Public Authority for Manpower

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) recently organized a recruitment drive at the Public Authority of Manpower. ABK’s Human Resources team and relative representatives from the Bank’s departments were present to engage with job seekers to share insights and guidance on working for the banking sector and ABK in particular. Read more...

AUK Students Visit NATO HQ: First Students in Kuwait to be Hosted

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters (NATO HQ) hosted 11 American University of Kuwait (AUK) students in Brussels, Belgium, making them the first students in Kuwait to visit the organization. They were recommended to go at the suggestion of the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Center (NIRC) in Kuwait. Dr. Shareefa Al-Adwani, Assistant Professor of Political Science at AUK, accompanied them during their trip, along with two NIRC members. Read more...

U.S. Army Orders Additional Enhanced CH-47F Block II Chinooks

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 3, 2022 —The U.S. Army is continuing to modernize its heavy-lift helicopter fleet with an order for two more Boeing [NYSE: BA] CH-47F Block II Chinooks and long lead funding for additional aircraft.

“Modernizing the Chinook for our Army customer is a priority,” said Ken Eland, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager. “CH-47F Block II improves readiness, limits future sustainment costs and provides commonality across the fleet. We're dedicated to making CH-47F Block II the best option for the Army's heavy lift mission, now and well into the future." Read more...

Cigna Expands Its Medicare Advantage Plans for 2023, Giving Americans More Health Care Choices, Personalization and Social Support

NASHVILLE, TN – October 3, 2022 – For the fourth consecutive year, Cigna (NYSE: CI) will grow and diversify its Medicare portfolio to offer more customers and communities their choice of quality, affordable health care options. During this year’s Annual Election Period (AEP), which begins Oct. 15, Cigna will offer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with enhanced features and benefits in 581 counties within 28 states, growing its geographic presence by 22 percent. Read more...

Accedian, Cisco Partner to Help Zain Kuwait Automate its Network



Accedian and Cisco announced that they are helping Zain Kuwait automate its network with increased network visibility and service assurance to deliver superior B2B customer experiences.

Zain Kuwait, the leading digital service provider in the country, partnered with Accedian and Cisco to enhance visibility and insight into its network. With the integration of Accedian Skylight into Cisco's Crosswork Network Automation platform, Zain Kuwait gains a single view of its network and service performance at a per-customer granularity to help meet its B2B customers' needs proactively.  

Read more...

Dell Technologies Partners with UNICEF USA to support Giga, the Global Initiative to Connect Every School to the Internet by 2030



ROUND ROCK, Texas – October 03, 2022 — Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) is partnering with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) USA to support Giga, a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every school to the internet by 2030 and every young person to information, opportunity and choice.

1.3 billion children have no access to the internet at home and only around half of the world’s schools are online. This digital exclusion particularly affects the world’s most vulnerable children, specifically girls and those with disabilities, causing learners to miss out on the resources online, the option to learn remotely, and the opportunity to develop digital skills. Read more...

EY achieves highest growth in nearly two decades, reports record global revenue of US$45.4b



EY today announces combined global revenues of US$45.4b for the financial year ending June 2022 (FY22), an increase of 16.4% in local currency (13.7% in US dollars). This marks one of the most successful years in the history of the organization with the highest growth seen in nearly two decades attributed to the EY NextWave strategy to deliver long-term value for EY people, clients and society.

EY has today also published its Value Realized report, an expanded annual report detailing financial performance; environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts; and key areas of collaboration to drive social impact. Read more...

EQUATE CELEBRATED THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE INAUGURATION OF MEGLOBAL

On September 9, 2022, EQUATE celebrated the third anniversary of the inauguration of its MEGlobal Americas. Inc. (MEGlobal) Oyster Creek, Texas site, marking several milestones of success in safety, production and sustainability.

The site was completed ahead of schedule and below budget and has now celebrated three years of zero safety incidents. It is producing top quality ethylene glycol at record rates, already increasing its nameplate capacity from 750,000 mta to 1,000,000 mta after its first year. Read more...

Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya Appoints Martin Kipping as GM

 The Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya has appointed Martin Kipping as General Manager.

Martin, who joined the hotel in 2021 as Hotel Manager, has 25 years of hospitality industry experience, including 13 years with Four Seasons.

A gifted communicator who is fluent in German, English, Spanish and French, Martin has long been captivated by different cultures. Raised near Cologne, the cultural capital of Germany’s Rhineland, Martin spent summers exploring Europe with his family, while his love of art saw him toying with a career in architecture. Read more...

GAC named ‘Best Ship Agent’ at 16th ShipTek International Awards

GAC has been named ‘Best Ship Agent’ at the 16th ShipTek International Awards in recognition of the Group’s consistently high standards of service, as well as its environmental and safety compliance amid a challenging global environment.

The award, which was received by GAC Group Marketing Manager Maria Angelidou in Athens, Greece, on 2 September, recognizes companies that have made significant contributions to the global maritime industry. Read more...

Honeywell helps building owners and employers reinvent the post-pandemic office environment

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) has launched a suite of Occupant Experience apps to help owners and tenants in premium commercial buildings unlock the hybrid office space of today. Features analyze occupant behavior and space utilization patterns to improve the comfort, convenience and collaboration of knowledge workers, putting more control in their hands in the post-pandemic landscape. The suite identifies areas to enhance the occupant experience while improving communication between building owners, tenants and occupants. Read more....

Lockheed Martin To Deliver PrSM to The US Army For Early Fielding

DALLAS, Sept. 27, 2022 – The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a $158 million contract to produce additional Early Operational Capability (EOC) Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). This is the second production contract received to date and follows a successful Manufacturing Readiness Assessment milestone visit with the Army – a critical step in the development program advancing PrSM closer to fielding.

The U.S. Army awarded the first EOC production and Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contracts in September 2021. Read more...

L3HARRIS TO ACQUIRE VIASAT’S TACTICAL DATA LINK BUSINESS EXPANDING JADC2, RESILIENT NETWORKING FOCUS

MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Viasat, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: VSAT) Tactical Data Links (TDL) product line for approximately $1.96 billion, subject to customary adjustments.

Also known as Link 16, the TDL network is integrated on military aircraft, ground vehicles, surface vessels and operating bases, enabling warfighters across multiple domains to securely share voice and data communications. Read more...

Digital Credentials and Gender Bias Combat: The Impact of Women In The Workplace

Nowadays, businesses and workplaces are venting that they are including women furthermore in decision-making, leading positions, and other important tasks. Although we are, in fact, seeing more women in the field, the reality is far more behind than it seems. Gender inequality is still the main issue facing women in all fields, especially in business. Unfortunately, women’s efforts and efficient skills are still unrecognized and still put aside.

The “broken rung” is one of the most important factors that stand in front of women’s achievements and promotions. This term is used by McKinsey to refer to the many obstacles that women face on their way to senior leadership.

 Read more...

Raytheon (RTX) Wins Deal to Support Kuwait's AN/APG-79 Radar

Raytheon Technologies Corp. RTX recently announced a contract involving AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The award has been offered by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. Read more...

Zain kicks-off all-new Zain Great Idea 7 startup accelerator program

Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, announced the launch of Zain Great Idea 7, the all-new season of its renowned tech startup accelerator program in collaboration with Brilliant Lab. The program continues its mission to enrich the tech startup ecosystem in Kuwait and further push it forward towards expansion into the MENA region.

The announcement was made during the special ceremony held at Zain’s main headquarters in Shuwaikh, attended by Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman Al Roudhan, the company’s executive management, members of venture capital firms and startup funds, business partners, local entrepreneurs, and ZGI alumni. Read more...

Crown Prince receives former prime ministers for cabinet formation talks

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Tuesday former prime ministers His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and made a phone call with former premier His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah for regular cabinet formation consultations. His Highness the Crown Prince also received His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for Cabinet formation consultations. Read more...

Crown Prince begins traditional consultations to name premier

KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah launched on Monday customary consultations to name the prime minister by meeting former parliament speakers Marzouq Al-Ghanem and Ahmad Al-Saadoun. HH the Crown Prince is also expected to meet former prime ministers HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah as part of the consultations required by the constitution. ​Read more...

Ninth eGovernment Forum to be held from Oct 23-25 in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of Dr Rana Abdullah Al-Fares, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs, and Acting Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, the 9th eGovernment Forum will be held from 23 to 25 October under the motto “eGovernment is a Pillar of Comprehensive Development Renaissance.”

EGOV9 is organized by NoufEXPO and the Federation of Kuwait Engineering Offices and Consultants Houses in cooperation with the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) at Al-Baraka Ballroom at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Read more...

Oil producers’ decisions in Vienna meeting for market balance: Kuwait

Kuwait: OPEC+ oil producers during their meeting in Vienna Wednesday will examine crude market conditions and take decisions for ensuring oil flow to the market and its balance, the Kuwaiti oil minister said on Tuesday.

The forecast decision by the key crude producers will serve interests of both producers and consumers, said Dr. Mohammad Al-Fares, also the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and the Acting Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs. Read more...

Kuwait to hold parliamentary elections on Sept. 29Boursa Kuwait hosts seminar to discuss role of market makers

KUWAIT: Boursa Kuwait organized a seminar for listed companies in an effort to shed light on the mechanism and performance of market makers and their role in enhancing security liquidity. The seminar focused on the importance of liquidity and the overall mechanisms to enhance it as well as the requirements of market makers and key factors to consider when dealing with them. The participants also discussed the willingness of companies that qualify for upgrade into the “Premier” Market to deal with market makers and the types of agreements between the listed companies and their market makers. Read more...

MEW to install e-car chargers in ‘homes’ – 60 days time given

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 3: According to the decision issued by the Minister of Electricity and Water Eng. Ali Al-Mousa to determine the technical specifications and rules governing the use of electric vehicle chargers, and the subsequent publication of the decision and its regulations in the Official Gazette “Kuwait Al-Youm” in Sunday’s the Al-Qabas daily said 60 days separate us from the start of installing electric vehicle chargers in homes and various facilities. Read more...

20 Professions on new work visa to Kuwait face skill test

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: As a continuation of the Smart Recruitment of Skilled Labor project, for which the Public Authority for Manpower has obtained approvals to include in the development plan and to implement it in cooperation with other relevant government agencies, responsible sources in the authority said the theoretical tests for professions for which expatriate workers are recruited will take place in the labor exporting countries in cooperation with the Kuwaiti embassies in these respective countries. Read more...

Kuwait 2nd in per capita wealth; Qatar tops in Arab world

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: Qatar has the highest per capita wealth in the Arab world – an average of $183,100 per individual, reports Al-Anba daily quoting the Credit Suisse Bank’s Global Wealth Report. The report stated that Kuwait ranked second with per capita wealth of $171,300; United Arab Emirates (UAE) in third place with $122,800; Bahrain ranked fourth with $98,000; Saudi Arabia took the fifth place with $84,400; Oman ranked sixth; Jordan ranked seventh; Egypt ranked eighth; Tunisia ranked ninth and Iraq ranked 10th.  Read more...

Out of 70 economic zones in Gulf, Kuwait has only 4

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: The GCC countries have more than 70 economic zones, 47 of which are in the UAE alone, while Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman have 10 each, while Kuwait has only 4 economic zones, Bahrain 3, and Qatar 2. However, in light of the ambitious future plans of the countries of the region, the numbers are bound to rise, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. MEED magazine said in a recent report that there is a remarkable growth of special economic zones worldwide, including logistic centers, free zones and industrial clusters, as there were less than 200 economic zones around the world during the 1980s, but today there are more than 7,000 in about 140 countries. Read more...

‘Verify integrity of work visa contracts’ by recruitment agencies

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 25: The Public Authority for Manpower asked its counterpart in the Arab Republic of Egypt to verify the integrity of the contracts that precede the recruitment process to Kuwait in coordination with the concerned authorities in the country and to abide by Kuwaiti legislation and regulations to limit any violations resulting from non-compliance, which ends with the deportation of violating workers, reports Al- Qabas daily. The acting director general of the authority, Dr. Mubarak Al-Azmi, was speaking on the sidelines of heading the Kuwaiti delegation to the 48th session of the Arab Conference, which concluded recently in Cairo. Read more...

Kuwait advances 8 places in the World Financial Centers Index 2022

Kuwait advanced 8 places in the 32nd edition of the Global Financial Centers Index for the year 2022, which is annually issued by the Zyin Research Center (London) and the Chinese Development Institute, among 119 financial centers around the world.

A local Arabic daily said the index analyzes data collected from thousands of financial services specialists through an electronic questionnaire. Read more...

‘Kuwait among top 3 Arab countries that spent most on military in 2022’

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 25: An Arab country has been ranked the top ninth country in the world in terms of military spending. The volume of military spending of just three Arab countries will reach $80 billion by the end of the year 2022, reports Aljarida daily. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab country in terms of military spending. Its defense budget ranks 9th in the world, according to the statistics published by the American website “Global Firepower” for the year 2022. Read more...

Kuwait tenth largest oil producer in world, averages 2.717 million bpd

A recent report issued by the Oil & Gas Investing News stated Kuwait retained the tenth place among the largest oil producing countries in the world in 2021, with an average production of 2.717 million barrels per day.

The report added that Kuwait’s production decreased in 2021 for the third time since 2018. In 2016, production reached 3.072 million barrels per day, and then decreased in 2017 to 3.025 million barrels per day. In 2018, production recorded a slight recovery to 3.059 million barrels per day, but it soon declined again in 2019 to 3.017 million barrels per day. Read more...

‘Kuwait among top 3 Arab countries that spent most on military in 2022’

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 22: The Environment Public Authority has sounded the alarm bell again, against the danger of “random disposal” of waste in the country, especially solid waste, and said in a recent report that 6 landfills are “fully responsible for polluting Kuwait’s air with gases,” and that “96% of emissions are all over the country from 3 landfills only, reports Al-Qabas daily. Surprisingly, despite the small area of the country, it has 19 landfills spread across the country of which only 3 are active, 11 are closed and contain 56 million cubic meters of waste. Read more...

Cybersecurity competition between Kuwaiti, US armies to demonstrate technical capabilities

The US Army Central Command, in partnership with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, is organizing a ‘cybersecurity’ competition where participants can demonstrate their technical capabilities.

In a video recording on the website of the US embassy in the country, the Director of Cyberspace at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Mohammed Bouarki, said, “In the past 24 months, the world has witnessed cyber attacks that claimed more and more victims, including national facilities and chemical companies around the world.” Read more...

USDA Releases its Strategic Roadmap for Increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2022 – Today, in support of Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, (DEIA) in the Federal Workforce (EO 14035), Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh unveiled USDA’s DEIA Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022 – 2026 (PDF, 1.2 MB). This plan outlines actions USDA will take to help ensure equitable experiences and service to the American people and USDA’s global constituents and partners. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has made Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) a key priority, and at USDA we are committed to advancing and integrating equity in all we do. Read more...

Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency Awards $4.7 Million in Funding to Strengthen Business Centers Across U.S.

Additional funding from Biden Administration brings total up to $37 million to bolster services that will help minority-owned businesses expand and prosper across 34 states.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is extending an award for $4.72 million in federal funding to strengthen and expand its national network of business centers. Read more...

DLA Document Services preparing customers for NARA’s Dec. 31 deadline for digital records

New Cumberland, Pa.  –  

Defense Logistics Agency Document Services is making it easier for Defense Department components that submit records to the National Archives and Records Administration to meet a new digital-format requirement by Dec. 31, when physical records will no longer be accepted.

The DLA activity has been working with customers such as the Coast Guard, Joint Pathology Center, Army Corps of Engineers and Defense Technical Information Center to scan and convert paper records since NARA announced the change in 2019. Read more...

DOE Releases Roadmap to Achieve Carbon Neutral Aviation Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the release of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap, a comprehensive plan that outlines a government-wide strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) across the U.S. airline industry. A collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Aviation Administration, the roadmap will spur technological innovation to produce SAF, position the country as a global leader in the emerging SAF market, and enable America to meet President Biden’s clean energy goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. Read more...