Cabinet Approves Draft Decree-Law for Family Court Act

The Cabinet approved, during its meeting today chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a draft decree-law issuing the Family Court Law. A statement issued by the Cabinet said that the aforementioned draft decree-law aims to facilitate litigation procedures in family disputes, expedite their resolution, and enhance the effectiveness of enforcing their rulings, while safeguarding the best interests of the ward. The statement added that among the most prominent provisions of the draft decree-law is empowering the custodian to obtain and renew official documents for the ward and enroll him or her in schools without requiring a court order authorizing such actions. It also provides for the establishment of supervised visitation and handover centers, and authorizes the imposition of coercive fines to compel the non-compliant party to fulfill obligations related to visitation or overnight stays, in accordance with the controls set forth in the draft decree-law. The Cabinet forwarded the draft decree-law issuing the Family Court Law to His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

On another note, at the outset of its meeting, the Cabinet expressed its hopes that the routine medical examinations being undergone by His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the United States of America, would be successful, and prayed to Almighty Allah to grant His Highness complete health and well-being and to return him safely to the homeland.

In a separate development, the Cabinet heard a briefing from Minister of Finance Dr. Yaqoob Al-Sayed Yousef Al-Rafai regarding his participation in the 42nd Ministerial Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), representing Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The meeting was held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, and was opened by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, representing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who also chairs COMCEC. The meeting was attended by ministers and heads of delegations from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as well as Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulaiman Al-Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank. In his address at the meeting, Dr. Al-Rafai emphasized that the repeated attacks targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and OIC member states constitute a threat to regional security and stability, and have adversely impacted the global economy and supply chains due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting effects on countries worldwide. He reiterated Kuwait’s full solidarity with OIC member states that have been subjected to these attacks, and called for urgent measures and policies to address the economic and commercial repercussions of such attacks.

On another note, the Council of Ministers expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the continued terrorist attacks carried out by the Houthi militia on several areas in the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as its attempts to target civilian landmarks and vital facilities, the latest of which was the launch of two ballistic missiles toward the city of Riyadh, and also an attempt to target the city of Medina with a ballistic missile, in a blatant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and a flagrant breach of international law and international humanitarian law. It reaffirmed the State of Kuwait’s unequivocal rejection of these terrorist, despicable, and cowardly attacks, which constitute a serious escalation and a direct threat to civilian lives and undermine regional stability. It reiterated the State of Kuwait’s absolute solidarity with the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its steadfast support alongside it in all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, preserve its security and stability, and protect its citizens and residents on its territory. It stressed that the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of the security of the State of Kuwait and the security of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

On another front, the Council of Ministers listened to a briefing presented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Jaraah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah regarding the political and diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic missions abroad to keep pace with the latest developments in the regional and international arenas. In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Jaraah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, informed the Council of Ministers about the substance of the telephone conversation he held with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the neighboring State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, last Wednesday, as well as the telephone call he received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Egyptian Expatriates of the neighboring Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, last Friday. During these two calls, the latest regional developments were discussed, and the importance of continuing coordination and consultation between the State of Kuwait and these two sister countries was emphasized, along with supporting joint diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and reaching comprehensive solutions that contribute to ensuring the safety of maritime routes and freedom of navigation therein, and enhancing security and stability in the region. Additionally, the Minister discussed the telephone call he received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, last Thursday, during which the latest developments in the region’s situation and diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation, thereby contributing to enhancing regional security and stability, were discussed.

On another note, the Cabinet heard an explanation from Minister of Public Works Dr. Noura Mohammed Al-Mutairi regarding all the details of the general agreement to connect the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to the railway project, which was signed last Sunday under the patronage and presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the attendance of the transport and communications ministers of the GCC countries, as well as the Secretary-General of the GCC, Jassem Mohammed Al-Bedaiwi. She emphasized that this agreement represents a historic milestone in the trajectory of joint GCC work, moving it from the planning stage to the implementation commitment stage, reflecting the directives of Their Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC countries. She clarified that this agreement constitutes a strategic pillar to enhance economic integration and connectivity among the GCC states, facilitating the movement of passengers and goods, supporting intra-GCC trade, and improving the efficiency of the transport and logistics system, thereby opening broader horizons for cooperation and sustainable development among the GCC countries. She pointed out that Kuwait, as the starting point of the project, is committed to implementing its portion in coordination with the Gulf Railway Authority and member states, stressing the importance of continuing coordination and cooperation among member states and relevant authorities to ensure the integration of project implementation phases and achieve its developmental and economic objectives, thereby enhancing the trajectory of joint GCC work.

For his part, the Cabinet commended the Unified Government Application for Electronic Services (Sahl) for winning two Gulf awards at the seventh edition of the GCC Digital Government Awards, held in the Kingdom of Bahrain: the award for the best comprehensive government application and the excellence award in the category of best government digital service for the “Birth Journey” service. The Cabinet affirmed that this achievement reflects Kuwait’s leadership in the field of digital transformation and the efforts made to develop digital government services, appreciating the efforts of the executive committee of the “Sahl” application and the participating government entities, and their cooperation and integration that contributed to this distinguished Gulf achievement. It called for continuing to develop the application and expand integrated digital services and journeys to simplify government procedures and provide comprehensive and accessible digital services to citizens and residents.

The Cabinet reviewed a number of items on the agenda, as well as reports and minutes of ministerial committees, and approved them. It also decided to refer several items to the relevant ministerial committees for study and to submit appropriate recommendations to complete the procedures for their implementation.