Kuwait’s Court of Cassation has sentenced former Minister Mubarak Al-Aro, former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs Abdulaziz Shuaib, and the former head of the Federation of Associations, along with a Gulf merchant, to seven years in prison. The ruling is linked to their involvement in the misuse of a tender for artificial intelligence (AI) systems related to goods in cooperative societies.
In November of last year, Kuwait’s Court of Ministers found Al-Aro, Shuaib, Abdulaziz Asad, and a company owner guilty for exploiting a contract with the company. They were sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor, and each was dismissed from their respective positions.
On May 2, 2025, Kuwait’s Court of Cassation rejected Al-Aro’s appeal and denied his request for release, ordering his arrest. Additionally, former MP Mubarak Zaid Al-Aro Al-Mutairi was arrested upon returning to Kuwait.
Earlier, on April 28, 2025, the Court of Appeals overturned a previous two-year sentence against Al-Aro and his brother for vote-buying during the 2022 parliamentary elections. Al-Aro was initially sentenced to two years, while two of his campaign workers received one-year sentences.
In a separate case, former MP Hamad Al-Alayan was arrested on state security charges for criticizing the Emir’s authority, while former MP Abdullah Fahad was sentenced to six months for insulting the judiciary and fined 500 dinars.
Furthermore, Kuwait’s Court of Cassation has postponed the verdict in the “Malaysian Fund” money-laundering case, one of the largest in the country’s history. The case, which involves the return of $1 billion and a fine of approximately $500 million, will be ruled upon in June 2025.
