ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 3

Weather Expected weather for the next with light to moderate north west- Bubyan - - Prayer Timings 24 hours: erly wind to light variable wind Jahra 40 23 Fajr ...... 03:53 Asr ...... 15:22 By Day: Hot and partly cloudy with speeds of 06-24 km/h. Salmiyah 35 28 Sunrise .. 05:16 Maghrib .. 18:17 with light variable wind to light Station Max Exp Min Rec Ahmadi 37 27 Zohr ...... 11:48 Isha ...... 19:38 to moderate north westerly wind Kuwait City 38 28 Nuwaisib 41 21 with speeds of 08-30 km/h. Kuwait Airport 39 21 Wafra 40 20 By Night: Fair and partly cloudy Abdaly 40 21 Salmy 39 21

VACCINE REGISTRATION WEBSITE: https://cov19vaccine.moh.gov.kw/SPCMS/CVD_19_Vaccine_Registration.aspx KFH rallies 7 fils, Humansoft Holding retreats Kuwait’s All Shares Index breaches 6,000 mark, volume soars By John Mathews fi ls. National Investment Co rose 4 fi ls to 189 fi ls ing in some of the heavyweights and mid-caps fi ls and International Financial Advisors re- and KIPCO paced 3 fi ls with a volume of 5.6 and closed with hefty gains. treated 3 fi ls. Coast Investment ticked 1.6 fi ls ▼ UUS$/KDS$/KD 0.30105/150.30105/15 Arab Times Staff million to end at 165 fi ls. Tamdeen Investment Top gainer of the day, Kuwait Reinsurance up and KMEFIC climbed 5 fi ls to 144 fi ls. KUWAIT CITY, April 20: Kuwait stocks climbed 8 fi ls to 224 fi ls and Kuwait Reinsurance Co spiked 9.84 percent to 424 fi ls and Mubarrad First Investment gave up 2.1 fi ls after trading ▲ Euro/KD 0.3634 breached the 6,000 pts benchmark on Tues- Co soared 38 fi ls with thin trading. scaled 9.24 pct to stand close behind. Marakez 18.2 million shares whereas Arzan Financial day after registering an uptick in the previous Zain rose 5 fi ls to 610 fi ls after pushing skidded 12.79 percent, the steepest decliner of stood pat at 106 fi ls. ■ Yen/KD 0.0027 session. The All Shares Index gained mo- over 3 million shares whereas Ooredoo stood the day and Gulf Petroleum Investment topped Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) rose mentum with a 43 points jump to 6,021.20 pat at 647 fi ls. stc eased 1 fi l to 898 fi ls and the volume with 60.6 million shares. 3.3 fi ls to 91 fi ls with heavy trading whereas ▲ British £/KD 0.4214 points driven mostly by blue chips. logistics major Agility sprinted 10 fi ls to 779 Mirroring the day’s upswing, the winners KFIC dialed down 2 fi ls. Al Deera Holding The Premier Market soared 52.7 points to fi ls taking the month’s gains to 53 fi ls. Hu- outnumbered the losers. 78 stocks advanced dipped 10 fi ls to 200 fi ls whereas Noor Finan- ■ Indian Rs/KD 0.0040 6,594.71 pts lifted the month’s gains to 270 mansoft Holding dialed down 2 fi ls whereas whereas 50 closed lower. Of the 142 coun- cial Investment closed 3 fi ls in red. KAMCO points while Main Market scaled 21.80 pts. Boursa Kuwait Securities was up 5 fi ls at KD ters active on Tuesday, 14 closed fl at. 13,946 tripped 1.8 fi ls and Unicap added 2.4 fi ls. ■ Philippines Peso/KD 0.0062 The BK Main 50 was up 26.88 points at 1.111. Integrated Holding darted 11 fi ls to deals worth over KD 55 million were trans- Gulf Insurance Group and Warba Insurance 5,060.56 pts. The volume turnover meanwhile 423 fi ls. Mabanee slipped 5 fi ls. acted during the session. paced 4 fi ls each whereas Al Ahleia Insur- ▼ FTSE -57.62 pts at 13:05 hr, April 20 continued to swell to hit the month’s highest National Industries Group climbed 5 fi ls to In the banking sector, National Bank of Ku- ance took in 2 fi ls. United Real Estate closed level. Over 453 million shares changed hands 210 fi ls and Gulf Cable followed suit. Boubyan wait took in 1 fi l on back of 3.6 million shares 2.4 fi ls in green and NREC sprinted 7 fi ls to – a 16 pct surge from the day before. Petrochemical extended Monday’s robust gains whereas Gulf Bank gave up 3 fi ls before ending 106 fi ls. Salhia Real Estate clipped 2 fi ls and ▼ Nikkei -584.99 pts at closing April 20 The sectors however closed mixed. Insurance with a 26 fi ls sprint to 950 fi ls and Al Qurain at 207 fi ls and the counter saw 23.4 million Tamdeen Real Estate added 2 fi ls. outperformed the rest with 2.32 pct gain whereas Petrochemical added 3 fi ls. Jazeera Airways shares change hands. Kuwait International Bank Kuwait Cement Co fell 3 fi ls to 232 fi ls ▲ Gold Technology shed 0.82 pct, the biggest loser of gave up 2 fi ls whereas ALAFCO took in 2 fi ls. and Burgan Bank gained 3 fi ls each to close at whereas Kuwait Portland Cement and Kuwait 1774.50 per oz (London) the day. Volume wise, Financial Services topped Aznour paused at 267 fi ls and United Projects 208 fi ls and 227 fi ls respectively. Foundry Co took in 1 fi ls each. Educational with 141.8 million shares while Banking sector Co paced 10 fi ls to close at 228 fi ls. Combined Ahli United Bank BSC added 3 fi ls with Holding shed 22 fi ls and Automated Systems ▲ NYMEX crude $64.02 per barrel was ahead in value with KD 22.9 million. Group Contracting Co gained 11 fi ls. brisk trading and Warba Bank was up 4 fi ls at Co paused at 97 fi ls. Among the prime movers, Kuwait Finance The market opened fi rm and moved side- 250 fi ls. Commercial Bank continued to stag- The market has been largely upbeat so far ▲ Brent crude $67.69 per barrel House rallied 7 fi ls on back of 10.9 million shares ways briefl y before heading higher. The main nate at 500 fi ls and Al Ahli Bank tripped 1 fi l. during the week gaining 67 pts in last three to close at 730 fi ls and Boubyan Bank extended index stalled again ahead of the mid-session Ahli United Bank Kuwait dialed down 2 fi ls. sessions. It has rallied 244 points from start of LIBOR rate 0.18825% last session’s gains with a 10 fi ls jump to 645 before resuming its ascent amid strong buy- Kuwait Investment Co slipped 5 fi ls to 162 the month and is up 474 points year-to-date. Of visa trade victims in time of pandemic Sold out ... for jobs that aren’t

KUWAIT CITY, April 20: The families of the victims are very up- set because of their bad image promoted in More than a year has passed Kuwait, and feel distressed. One of them since the visa-trading scandal lost everything, as he was deported, after was exposed by the COVID-19 he became one among the illegal and mar- pandemic. However, its reper- ginal workers who had decided to travel to Kuwait in order to work in a profession le- cussions still create more prob- gally and in an honorable manner. lems and reveal thousands of Hussein Numan, one of the victims from victims who lost their savings Sohag, said he fi led a report at Al-Ballina Police Station in Sohag against the afore- and became victims of the traf- mentioned human traffi cker, after he and fi ckers trading on the sweat dozens of other people became victims of of the poor, reports Al-Qabas fake visas. daily. He explained that he traveled to Kuwait According to official sources within with 80 people in 2018, and was given a fake residency related to small projects. the Egyptian government, conflicts re- After each person paid an amount of about cently erupted between tribes in Up- KD 2,000, they discovered that they were per Egypt and a visa agent working for deceived as they were accused of having some companies in Kuwait because he come to Kuwait with a free visa. When sold thousands of visas to the residents they went back to him, he ignored them. of Sohag Governorate who came to Ku- Then their sponsor fi led absconding re- KUNA photo wait only to discover that these compa- ports against them, which led to their re- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace on Tuesday His Highness Sheikh nies were fake. turn to Egypt either voluntarily or through Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah. Various issues were discussed. Visa agent deportation. Numan admitted that he had helped the HH Crown Prince receives HH Sheikh Nasser This broker collected about 100 million accused by advertising about provision of pounds from thousands of people look- visas to Kuwait, but he was quick to add ing for work opportunities in Kuwait. The that he did not know that it was a fake visa. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Al-Sabah. Council Osama Al-Otaibi, where he pre- victims left Kuwait when residencies were Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah re- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh sented the reports of the council’s sec- He stressed that he was only trying to arranged for them, and they demanded help the people of his region to travel to ceived at Bayan Palace on Tuesday His Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also ond session for the twelfth legislative term the return of the money they paid to him. Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad received Chairman of Kuwait Municipal 2019/2020. (KUNA) Kuwait for work, but later discovered that However, he has since disappeared. the accused deceived him and used it to re- The families of the victims are now up in cruit more victims. arms against the visa agent who used to bring workers from the governorates of Upper Campaign State bodies have ignored us: residents Egypt to Kuwait but the victims discovered Kamel Ahmed, one of the victims who that they bought fake residencies from com- launched a campaign on social media to panies that do not carry out any real activity. hold the visa broker accountable, said, ‘Projects lagging’ During the period from 2018 to 2020, the “This quorum has a network of agents in visa trader sold 2,000 fake visas in Sohag Kuwait and deals with Kuwaiti small busi- Governorate at about KD 2,000 per visa. This ness owners. Each company has dozens of By Najeh Bilal adds up to about KD 4 million, which is more workers in its fi le. The visa broker recruits than 100 million Egyptian pounds, for fake manpower from Egypt, especially from the Al-Seyassah Staff visas related to small projects, farms and oth- governorates of Upper Egypt, in return for KUWAIT CITY, April 20: The head of the ers. very large sums of money. The visa trader, whose headquarters is in The culprit used to sell entry visas to Sabah Al-Ahmad City Residents Voluntary the Al-Balina Center in Sohag, is wealthy Kuwait with fake work contracts for tens Committee, Turki Al-Osaimi, regrets that and possesses houses, real estate and other of people every month, by virtue of his officials in various government institutions properties which he acquired through the relationships, infl uence, and possession of have ignored the problems and disasters that fi ctitious visa trading in Kuwait. He also power of attorney and other relevant rela- has “wasta” (infl uence) and relations with tionships that helped him work in trading afflict the residents of Sabah Al-Ahmad area. agents in Kuwait who facilitate all pro- fake residency”. In an exclusive interview Al-Osaimi told the Al- cedures for him. He also has infl uence in In addition, Ali Anwar, another victim, Seyassah daily, that it is necessary to implement the Egypt through which his activities are fa- revealed a clear intention from the security road project -- the Wafra Road, which is called the cilitated. authorities in Sohag to take care of this is- ‘Road of Death’ due to the accumulation of sand dunes During the past weeks, hundreds of sue and provide justice to the victims. and add to this the collection of construction waste victims of the visa-trade gathered and He said he had informed the Kuwait MoI photo spread all over the area which adds insult to injury. launched a campaign on social media to embassy and was preparing to submit a re- Delivering ‘iftar’ meals at one of the correctional institutions. He mentioned the Sabah Al-Ahmad region will be trans- expose his activities. A number of them quest to the public funds investigation to formed into a seventh governorate in the event the university fi led cases against him, and others lodged look into the infl ation of the suspect’s bank Minister pays for inmates meals project is implemented, as the offi cials have promised to do so. complaints at the Embassy of Kuwait in balances, and to prove the existence of He went on to say, the committee has called on the Public Cairo. bank transactions related to the visa trade. The Directorate General of Public Rela- reports Al-Seyassah daily. Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) on the necessity of tions and Security Media Department of The administration added this step the investment projects in the region completing on time, the Interior Ministry stated in the spirit of comes within the framework of the but unfortunately, on an average it takes about fi ve years to social solidarity in the security establish- strategy of the Minister Thamer Al-Ali complete one project. ment and humanitarian initiative Minis- to promote human values with the pris- Speaking of the projects, he said the most important projects ter of Interior Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali has ons inmates, the consolidation of social that are needed are residential buildings, markets, malls, parks given instructions that the iftar meals for relations and building trust with them and restaurants for the development of the area. He went on to inmates at correctional institutions will to achieve their integration into society say, “We demand the expansion of restaurants in the area, espe- be at his personal expense on the oc- and returning them as good citizens who cially since the Sabah Al-Ahmad area has six residential areas, casion of the holy month of Ramadan, contribute to building society. and each area is equivalent to 1,700 plots of land. Speaking of the roads project, he spoke of linking Al- Fasting duration varies Wafra Road with the Seventh Ring Road ‘Al-Maqwa’ and branch out from Al-Wafra, crossing the oil-prohibited zone through the Burgan fi eld and the oil fi elds, reaching Al- Maqwa, the G-Ring intersection with the airport. This road N. Pole longest, Comoros shortest will also connect the south to the governorates of Kuwait. Speaking of this road network, he referred to the Council KUWAIT CITY, April 20: Although the holy of fasting hours in its capital -- Moroni -- of Ministers and said the former oil minister was very coop- month of Ramadan unites Muslims and Arabs was about 13 hours and 12 minutes on the erative. Moreover, he said this road network will eliminate in various parts of the world, the number of fi rst day of Ramadan; while it will be 12 traffi c congestion, as the Sabah Al-Ahmad area and the sur- fasting hours remains a characteristic that dis- hours and 59 minutes on the last day. rounding new areas are all somehow connected to the Wafra tinguishes each country from the other; as the In Kuwait, the fasting period lasted 14 Road, and for this “we ask for more than one road in the area. fasting hours differ from one country to anoth- hours and 17 minutes on the fi rst day; while For example when the rains hit the area in 2018, the people er according to geographical location, such that it will be 15 hours and 19 minutes on the of the area were cut off from the rest of Kuwait and people the closer a country to the North Pole is, the last day. were unable to go to work 3 days.” longer it takes to fast compared to those near In the Sultanate of Oman, the number of He said the Sabah Al-Ahmad area has a population of about the South Pole, reports Al-Rai daily. fasting hours reached 14 hours and one min- 45 thousand people, and the vast majority of them are citizens, Algerians and Tunisians are fasting the ute on the fi rst day and it will be 14 hours and due to the increasing number of the region, more than one longest among Arabs this year -- num- and 41 minutes on the last day. The King- ‘mercy’ road must be built for students and employees. ber of hours of abstinence from food and dom of Bahrain recorded 14 hours and nine The regional road, consisting of 3 contracts, connects 3 drink. On the first day of Ramadan, their minutes of fasting on the fi rst day, compared roads to each other, of which one contract has been executed fasting period lasted 14 hours and 39 min- to 14 hours and 45 minutes on the last day. and the rest have yet to see the light of day. It exits Nu- utes; while it will be 15 hours and 50 min- In Saudi Arabia, the fasting period on waiseeb and connects the south with the north and west of utes on the last day. the fi rst day was 14 hours and two minutes; Kuwait. The problem is that the Ministry of Public Works On the other hand, Muslims in Comoros while it will be 14 hours and 44 minutes on and the Roads Authority has put this project on the shelves have the shortest fasting hours. The number the last day. and pretends that there is no budget.