Kuwait

Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment

Exclusive: Trade unions and human rights organisations fear environment and human rights being pushed asideThe UK is on the brink of signing a £1.6bn trade agreement with Gulf states, amid warnings from rights groups that the deal makes no concrete provisions on human rights, modern slavery or the environment.The deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council – […]

The Brazilian photographer has died at 81, leaving behind a career filled with striking images taken around the world. ‘Through the lens of his camera, Sebastião tirelessly fought for a more just, humane and ecological world,’ a statement from his family read.Sebastião Salgado, photographer known for Amazon rainforest images, dies aged 81 Continue […]

Thousands go to hospital with respiratory problems after massive dust cloud blows in from Saudi ArabiaIraq was hit by its most severe sandstorm of 2025 this week, turning skies from blue to an orange haze. Visibility dropped to less than half a mile, causing travel disruptions, with two major airports halting flights, and streets in Basra, the largest city […]

Exclusive: records show evacuees with pending applications to enter US ‘forced to remain in limbo’ in at least 36 countries, some in ‘untenable conditions’Afghan citizens who fled the country with American assistance after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remain stranded in third countries, new documents shared exclusively with the […]

As King Charles and Prince William roll out the red carpet, human rights campaigners say they must press for reformsThe royal family is being deployed by the UK government to roll out the red carpet for the autocratic leaders of Gulf states, amid hopes of a trade deal with the oil-rich countries.This week will see King Charles welcome the emir of Qatar, […]

Amira Al Shammari says they have no other options as she describes horror of 21-year-old Dina’s deathA mother from a stateless Arab minority say she and her family have no choice but to try to cross the Channel again despite the death last month of her eldest daughter on a previous attempt.Dina Al Shammari, 21, was travelling with her parents and three […]

Claimants who were onboard BA149 claim airline and Thatcher’s government knew of risk before they landed in 1990British Airways (BA) passengers and crew taken hostage in Kuwait and used as human shields during Saddam Hussein’s invasion are suing the airline and the UK government.The claimants, who were subjected to torture, including mock executions, […]

More than 50 people also injured in fire, which broke out in a six-storey building housing foreign workersAt least 49 people, all Indian nationals, have been killed in a fire which swept through a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait.More than 50 others were injured in the blaze, which broke out in the six-storey building south of Kuwait City at dawn […]

Denounced as giving a ‘veneer of legality to slaveholding’ and despite claims of reform, kafala laws persist, allowing bosses to abuse women, who vanish from society. This is their testimony, gathered over two years in a Guardian investigationCondemned as dangerous and abusive, the kafala labour system not only disregards migrant workers’ rights but […]

Tit-for-tat attacks present Sunni monarchies with complicated choices over region’s futureIran’s missile and drone attack on Israel had, by the end of this week, become one of the most interpreted events in recent modern history. Then, in the early hours of Friday, came reports of Israel’s riposte. As in June 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and […]

My friend and former colleague Richard Muir, who has died aged 81, was a diplomat central to the process of sustaining and nurturing the skein of relationships between Britain and the Sultanate of Oman.These go back centuries but have grown exponentially since the renaissance of Oman from 1970 onwards under Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Richard and I were both […]

Death of Sheikh Nawaf, who had been emir of oil-rich Gulf state since 2020, announced on state TV Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has died aged 86, according to the royal court.The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Workers contracted to work for western brands in Saudi Arabia have described conditions as ‘like jail’Revealed: Amazon linked to trafficking of workers in Saudi ArabiaCorporations are paying for worker abuse audits that are ‘designed to fail’, say insidersOver the years the world’s most powerful fast-food chain, McDonald’s, has twice […]

Terakes, who plays a character whose gender is never mentioned in the film, called the decision ‘targeted and dehumanising’The hit Australian horror film Talk To Me has been banned from screening in Kuwait, reportedly solely over the casting of non-binary trans actor Zoe Terakes, who plays a character whose gender identity is never mentioned in the […]

Country with rich football history was at 1982 World Cup but has seen Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar leave it behindMoney flowing out of the Gulf region has changed the face of football. Fans in the United Arab Emirates have seen Manchester City become the best team in the world, supporters in Qatar have had the World Cup and counterparts in Saudi Arabia […]

They may be cheaper and less trouble, but they’ll never have the gravitas, the engagement or the raised eyebrow of reporters like me“The news is … there is no news.” With those words, outside St Mary’s Hospital in London awaiting the birth of Prince George in July 2013, my reporting for the BBC went viral on the internet. My somewhat testy […]

Kuwait News introduced Fedha, promising that it could read online news in the futureA Kuwaiti media outlet has unveiled a virtual news presenter generated using artificial intelligence, with plans for it to read online bulletins.“Fedha” appeared on the Twitter account of the Kuwait News website on Saturday as an image of a woman, hair uncovered, wearing […]

Arab teams’ performances have changed the mood among Doha’s recent foes who had refused to share in its excitement Before the biggest event the Middle East has ever hosted, few regional states seemed to share in its neighbour’s excitement.As the host country, Qatar, frantically completed its plans, there were even hints of glee as finishing touches […]

The monarchies are hopeful of stronger UK ties under King Charles, but plans for the ceremony have not gone down wellDeath of the Queen and King Charles’s accession - latest updatesFrom Oman in the east to Morocco in the west, Middle East and north African royalty have been closely monitoring plans for the Queen’s funeral, but with days to go until the […]