House signs off on a number of international agreements, including USD 500 mn from World Bank: The House of Representatives signed off yesterday on a number of international agreements, including a USD 500 mn loan from the World Bank aimed at supporting the state’s K-12 educational reform strategy, according to Amwal Al Ghad. The House also approved a EUR 150k funding package from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and a KWD 500k from the Kuwait Development Fund. The general assembly also referred to the House Energy Committee a USD 200 mn loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which will be used to improve efficiency at the Suez Oil Processing Company, Al Shorouk reports.

The House is also preparing to go paperless, Bloomberg reports, citing the state news agency. The move, which will see Reps. use tablets in place of their pen and pads, aims to reduce the amount the legislative body spends on ink and paper, according to House Speaker Ali Abdel Aal. He made no reference to the specific cost or timeline for the transition.