Kuwait's Defence Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al Ali Al Sabah will face a vote of no confidence in parliament on Wednesday over a number of decisions, including one to allow women to enlist in the country’s military.
Women were formally allowed to join Kuwait’s police forces in 2007. In October, the country approved a new decision allowing them to join the military.
It will allow Kuwaiti women to enlist in combat roles for the first time after years of being restricted to civilian positions, the army said in October.
Sheikh Hamad said the door had been opened for women to join various combat ranks, including as officers.
“The time has come for Kuwaiti women to be given the opportunity to enter the Kuwaiti military side by side with their brothers,” the minister said in remarks carried by state news agency Kuna at the time.
However, women who have applied to enlist in the armed forces will not be able to start their basic training until an official fatwa, or religious edict, is issued.
Following his decision to allow women to join the military in October, several members of parliament debated the policy, forcing the defence minister to submit himself to questioning.
Grilling from MPs
Last week, a group of 10 MPs led by Hamdan Al Azmi formally submitted a motion of no-confidence, which Sheikh Hamad will face on Wednesday. The motion needs 24 votes to pass in parliament.
He was grilled by MPs last week on a number of issues, including women enlisting in the army as well as him ignoring the recommendations of the State Audit Bureau regarding the Eurofighter deal and his failure to address violations in the suspicious deal in which two senior military officers were charged with corruption this week.
To appease conservative voices within parliament and from the public, Sheikh Hamad met with a group of religious scholars and sheikhs at the defence ministry on January 15.
Defending his decision in front of parliament, Sheikh Hamad said his decision “did not bring anything new,” as women joining the army “will be limited to working in the medical, administrative and support services units, which are the specialities that women currently work in the Ministry of Defence.”
The minister said he “never said that woman will take up arms”.
“There are currently 34 Islamic countries were women are allowed to join and serve in their military, including countries in which women worked are out on the field, including some countries from within the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Sheikh Hamad told parliament.
“At the forefront of countries that allow women to join the honour of military service is the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the country where Muslims pray toward every day. So is it reasonable that all these countries are in violation of the Sharia?" he asked parliament.
Kuwaiti woman in Iraqi War
Female Kuwaiti activists were quick to react in defence of the minister, reminding opposition MPs that Kuwaiti women had served and protected the country during Iraq’s invasion in 1990.
“It is worth noting that the Kuwaiti woman participated in the Iraqi War on Kuwait in 1990, as she played a considerable military role, where she took part in the Kuwaiti resistance and she was either a prisoner or a martyr,” Kuwaiti lawyer Areej Hamadah told The National.
“There are military women officers who also serve at the National Assembly, whose job is to maintain the safety and protection of MPs," Ms Hamadah said.
"Therefore, it does not make sense that the MP Hamdan Al Azmi accepts to have military female officers who serve in the National Guard at the National Assembly to protect him, while depriving other females who aspire to work in the army to defend the homeland."
Some Kuwaitis described last week’s parliament session and this Wednesday’s no-confidence vote as a symbolic show of democracy, especially since the questioning of a sitting defence minister who also happens to be a member of the ruling Al Sabah family.
The General Federation of Kuwait Workers weighed in, saying members of parliament were delaying discussion on key issues that need to be prioritised over the armed forces debate.
“Representatives should reconsider their priorities, because the draft vote of confidence in Minister of Defence Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al Ali Al Sabah constitutes a deviation from national priorities and current entitlements, which require purifying the political atmosphere and following up on the needs of citizens,” Ahmad Al Anezi, chairman of the General Federation of Kuwait Workers, wrote on Twitter.
Kuwaiti women earned the right to vote in 2005 and have been active both in Cabinet and parliament, although they did not gain any seats in the current parliament.
Unlike other Gulf countries, Kuwait's parliament enjoys legislative power and lawmakers have been known to challenge the government and royals.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
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Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Company%C2%A0profile
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
