KUWAIT: Expats working on government projects will be allowed to transfer their residencies from Nov 3 at the end of their contracts and will not be forced to leave the country, according to a decision by Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah issued on Monday. Workers on government projects recruited specifically for the project were forced to leave Kuwait at the end of the project and were prevented from moving to other jobs in the private sector. 

The decision however attached five preconditions for workers to benefit from the transfer window. Workers must have stayed in the country for at least one year and that their existing contract had expired. They must submit a letter from their companies to prove that their contracts had expired. They must also obtain the approval of their employers to be able to transfer and finally they must pay a KD 350 fee, according to the decision. 

Meanwhile, the court of appeals on Monday freed former parliamentary elections candidate Musaed Al-Qraifa on bail and set Oct 21 to issue its verdict. Qraifa was sentenced to four years in jail by the criminal court on charges of criticizing the decisions of HH the Amir and challenging his powers. He has been in jail since May, immediately after HH the Amir dissolved the National Assembly and suspended parts of the constitution.

The court also refrained from issuing any sentence against former MP Hamad Al-Alyan and asked him to pay a KD 2,000 bail to keep good conduct. The court also scrapped a two-year jail term passed against him by the criminal court for challenging HH the Amir’s powers. Alyan was set free in May after a brief detention. 

Separately, the public prosecution referred members of the resigned board of directors of Kuwait Football Association to the criminal court, which set Oct 6 to deliberate the case. The suspects face state security charges related to the events during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Kuwait and Iraq.

The board members had quit after an inquiry into ticketing and logistical problems that marred the match at the 60,000-capacity Jaber Stadium. Fans fainted in temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius as they pleaded with staff for water. Some fans without tickets were meanwhile allowed in, while others who had purchased tickets were refused entry.