Advisor 'Ghanim' to 'Al-Rai': Ask me one question... and I will answer everything concerning you

- I speak in simplified Modern Standard Arabic and also in English, and I can understand the Kuwaiti dialect and colloquial questions.

- The objective of my launch is to provide a digital advisor that explains your data, records, and transactions with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

- When you ask a question in your own wording, I compile all relevant information regarding your companies, licenses, supply, alerts, and transactions into a clear answer.

- I provide a free service for submitting financial statements of personal companies.

- My active role includes assisting in company establishment, obtaining licenses, and inquiring about violations.

The digital advisor “Ghanem,” the smart assistant at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, offers a practical model for leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to develop government services. It allows users to inquire about services and commercial procedures, and to receive interactive answers and guidance in simplified language, in addition to executing certain services.

In its first press interview, Al-Rai discussed with “Ghanem” its practical capabilities, its ability to understand user inquiries and interact with them, and to provide detailed answers and guidance, within the framework of the unified digital portal that aggregates 99% of the services of the ministry’s sectors and departments. This step enhances ease of access to services and elevates the beneficiaries’ experience.

“Ghanem” is linked to the ministry’s automated system through the “Huwiyati” (My Identity) application, after user identity verification in cooperation with the Public Authority for Civil Information, thereby enabling secure access to user data and commercial services.

“Ghanem” enables users to inquire about their companies, licenses, and transactions, learn about applicable fees, required documents, and procedures, and receive step-by-step guidance on services related to company establishment, license issuance, complaints, and violations.

• What is the nature of the role you play within the digital “Commerce” system?

- I am Ghanem, your digital advisor for ministry services. My role is to explain, in simple language, everything related to your data, records, and transactions registered with the Ministry of Commerce, such as companies, licenses, supply, transactions, and alerts. I answer your questions about them exactly as they are recorded, without adding or interpreting, and guide you to consult the ministry when necessary for information not available in this data.

• What objectives does the Ministry of Commerce seek to achieve through your launch?

- The added value you receive compared to traditional electronic services is that you ask a single question in your own wording, and I compile all relevant information regarding your companies, licenses, supply, alerts, transactions, and others into one clear answer, instead of navigating between multiple services or screens to get a complete picture of your status with the ministry.

1 - Explaining your data and records with the Ministry of Commerce, and clarifying any registered companies, licenses, supply, transactions, alerts, complaints, violations, trademarks, etc.

5 - Right to access information service: I inform you of the fees (5 Kuwaiti Dinars per document not exceeding 10 pages, plus 0.5 Dinar for each additional page), the expected duration (3 months), the review location (Ministries Complex), the website, the required documents for each of the interested party, partner, shareholder, and agent, as well as instructions, conditions, and the legal basis.

7 - “Submitting notice for the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Assembly meeting” service: I inform you of the fees (none, except 100 Dinars if requesting a ministry representative’s attendance), the expected duration (10 minutes), the review location, the website, required documents, instructions, conditions, and relevant entities.

8 - Regarding the actual completion of transactions, my role is limited to displaying your data as it is registered and providing you with the official information and guidelines published about the services (such as fees, timeframes, documents, conditions, and application methods). I cannot execute or finalize any actual transaction on your behalf; to complete the transaction itself, you need to submit the application through the channels specified by the Ministry for each service.

13 - These services allow users to access procedures for establishing companies, obtaining commercial registers, and renewing licenses, as well as to learn about the requirements for each service through the Ministry’s electronic guide.

If you wish to know the details of a specific service, mention its name exactly as registered, such as “Obtaining a Commercial Register – Individual Companies” or “Registering a Trade Name (ONLINE),” and I will provide you with its fees, timeframe, and application method as published by the Ministry.

- Yes, I can understand the Kuwaiti dialect and colloquial questions, and I can link consecutive questions in the conversation to continue discussing the same topic, provided you are asking about your data or about the services of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as they are officially registered.

• What languages do you support, and can users benefit from your services in both Arabic and English?

- First: Step-by-step guidance (example: licensing a sole proprietorship “natural person”). The closest published service suitable for your question about an individual starting a business is: “Request for Issuing a License (Natural Person)” (Sector: Sole Proprietorships). Its summary is as follows:

- The beneficial owner’s authentication can be re-sent through the “Inquiry about Issuance Requests” service, and the authentication can be completed via the “Huwiti” application.

- The applicant can follow up on approvals through the “Inquiry about Issuance Requests” service until all approvals are completed.

- After obtaining all approvals, the fees are paid electronically.

- The fees for this service, as published by the Ministry, are 40 Kuwaiti Dinars, with an expected completion time of 1 to 3 days. The application is electronic, and review takes place at “External Work Centers.”

* What types of companies and commercial entities can users inquire about regarding their establishment procedures? And what options are available for those wishing to establish their businesses individually?

- The types of entities appearing in the displayed services guide include, but are not limited to:

• Sole proprietorship (through the “Request for Issuing a License (Natural Person)” service in the Sole Proprietorships sector).

• Public joint-stock company (through the “Establishment of a Public Joint-Stock Company” service in the Electronic Services for Joint-Stock Companies sector).

• Closed joint-stock company (through the “Establishment of a Closed Joint-Stock Company” service in the Electronic Services for Joint-Stock Companies sector).

• There are other services for establishing individual companies and others, but they are mentioned by name only in this context.

• Regarding public and closed joint-stock companies, the published conditions for the establishment services state that the number of founders must not be less than five persons, with the exception of companies established by the state or public authorities and institutions.

• How do you help company and establishment owners identify registered commercial violations against them and inquire about their details?

- The Ministry publishes a service named “Inquiry about Violations” (Commercial Control and Consumer Protection Administration). Its procedure is briefly as follows:

- Consumers can submit commercial complaints to the Ministry and handle them electronically through two published services:

• After submitting the complaint electronically, review – if necessary – takes place at centers affiliated with the governorate inspection offices under the Commercial Control Administration.

• The progress of the complaint can be followed within this service; part of the instructions is “Follow up on the progress of the transaction or complaint.”

• How do you contribute to raising awareness among consumers and business owners about commercial fraud and price manipulation? And what channels do you guide them to for reporting these practices?

- A complaint or report can be submitted through the “Participate in Oversight (Submit a Complaint or Report)” service on the Ministry’s website. This is a free service managed by the Commercial Control and Consumer Protection Department, enabling users to file a complaint or report regarding commercial practices they wish to report.