Kuwait Parliament Kicks off New Sessions by Debriefing Defense, Commerce Ministers

An aerial view shows Kuwait City and the National Assembly building. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows Kuwait City and the National Assembly building. (Reuters)
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Kuwait Parliament Kicks off New Sessions by Debriefing Defense, Commerce Ministers

An aerial view shows Kuwait City and the National Assembly building. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows Kuwait City and the National Assembly building. (Reuters)

Kuwait's National Assembly Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim said Monday that he has officially received motions to grill Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah and Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Al-Salman.

Ghanim announced that according to the bylaws, he had informed the "Prime Minister and the concerned MPs of the grilling motions, and they will be scheduled on the next ordinary session."

The Defense Minister's grilling paper includes questioning about allowing women to join the military, "unjust officer promotions," and "waste of public money and the loss of rights of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) employees."

Meanwhile, the Commerce Minister's grilling motion included "damaging Kuwait's reputation by intimidating several leaderships and harming the public interest," reported the state news agency (KUNA).

On October 12, the Minister of Defense announced it was allowing Kuwaiti women to enlist in the military for the first time after they were restricted to civilian roles.

The Minister issued a ministerial decree to open the registration for women to join the National Military Service.

"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 KUNA.

At the current stage, their role would be restricted to medical supportive military services

"Kuwaiti women have proven their achievements in several fields, and accordingly, the approval was given for women to enter the military corps along with men," he said.



Saudi Arabia Stresses Need for Peaceful Cooperation, Coexistence between Nations

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Need for Peaceful Cooperation, Coexistence between Nations

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the importance of bolstering the international system so that it can repel chaos and conflict.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting in Jeddah.

The government also underlined the need to provide the framework for peaceful cooperation and coexistence between countries given the challenges and crises the world is facing.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international political developments and the talks held between Saudi Arabia and various countries.

The ministers reviewed the outcomes of the Kingdom’s participation at regional and international meetings, as part of its efforts to support collective work and build bridges of coordination and solidarity to establish a world where prosperity, growth, security and stability prevail.

Moreover, the cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s commitment to boosting international cooperation to ban weapons of mass destruction and prevent their proliferation.

It made that position during the meetings of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The cabinet emphasized the organization’s role in maintaining international peace and security and the full and effective implementation of all provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The cabinet “strongly condemned the continuation of genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people, reiterating the demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and the protection of unarmed civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

It stressed the need to “activate international accountability mechanisms for the continuous Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and international legitimacy resolutions.”

Domestically, the cabinet reviewed performance reports of several key sectors and their continued leaps in competitiveness and international indicators. It praised the Kingdom’s achievement of second place among the Group of Twenty (G20) countries for the second consecutive time in the 2024 ICT Development Index issued by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).