Kuwait has delayed the part-privatisation of its national carrier in favour of a restructuring of the airline. Kuwait Airways had been offering a 35 per cent strategic stake to potential buyers as it seeks to reinvent itself in the face of stiff competition from rivals in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have signed an accord allowing citizens travelling between the two to do so without a passport. Following an agreement signed in Bahrain immigration officials will now accept local nationals’ personal identity cards.