Thurs Dec 9, 2021
News Summary Report ETERNAL AFFAIRS
Kuwaiti people looking forward to Saudi Crown Prince’s visit: Foreign Minister
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr
Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said the planned important visit to
Kuwait by Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense
Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud would be an addition to the
strong bilateral relations. The Saudi Crown Prince will hold talks with His
Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His
Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the
minister told reporters on the sidelines of his participation in a function held
Tuesday by the Qatari embassy in Kuwait to celebrate their National Day. He
added that Kuwaiti people are looking forward to this important visit by Prince
Mohamad bin Salman. Sheikh Dr. Ahmad congratulated the Qatari Amir,
government and people on their National Day, wished Qatar further progress
and stability. He hailed the strong and steadily progressing Kuwaiti-Qatari
relations. The top diplomat said high hopes are pinned on the upcoming summit
of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council for boosting joint action and
cementing unity among member states. Key visit Prince Mohammad bin
Salman is expected in Kuwait later this week to discuss a host of issues of
interest to both countries and Gulf Cooperation Council in general before the
GCC summit, due in the Kingdom this month. “The visit comes at an important
time and before the GCC Summit in Riyadh this month, which indicates that the
visit is to further unify positions for the best interest of the two countries and the
GCC countries in general,” Kuwait’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ali
Khaled Al-Sabah said in a statement to the press yesterday. Prince Mohammad
bin Salman, also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, will also discuss investment and facilitating investing procedures, as well as increasing trade exchange, said Sheikh Ali. The two sides, he added, would also discuss boosting security cooperation and exchange of information to strengthen security and stability of the two countries in particular in the region in general.
Energy and renewable energy issues will feature high on the agenda as well, he said. The Saudi Crown Prince will be accompanied by a delegation of government officials and businessmen who will meet their Kuwaiti counterparts with ultimate goal of achieving objectives of Kuwait’s 2035 Vision and Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision, said Sheikh Ali. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia has always shared a special bond, which was built on friendship and unity for decades, and the Crown Prince’s visit reflects on the relationship the two countries have.
Political Science Professor at Kuwait University, Dr. Massouma Al-Mubarak stressed yesterday the importance of the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Kuwait and its role in strengthening the relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia has come a long way in advancing cooperation with the region and showed a positive outcome which “we will witness its significance in the near future,” she noted. Meanwhile, Political Science Professor at Kuwait University Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hadban said that with the GCC Summit approaching, several point of views and opinions were exchanged between the leaders, and that the official visit reflects on the strong ties Kuwait and Saudi Arabia share. Dr.
Hadban also added that the Saudi diplomacy recently intensified their activity in
the region, pointing out that the visits the crown prince is making around the
GCC revives the cooperation between the countries. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
signed in 2018 the establishment of the Saudi-Kuwait Coordination Council,
which is considered a new start in developing cooperation between the two
Kuwait Times
FM, Jordanian counterpart discussed regional updates
Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheik Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad and the Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Al-Safadi discussed yesterday the measures to be taken by both brotherly countries to expand cooperation in all fields.
Both ministers confirmed in a phone call, according to the Jordanian news agency, resumption of the systematic institutional work to boost the historic brotherly ties that link both countries and to deepen the cooperation, according to the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheik Nawaf Al-Ahmad and King of Jordan Abdullah the Second.
Both sides demonstrated the latest regional updates and the exerted efforts to solve regional crisis, prevail security and boost Arab mutual cooperation to meet the interest of Arab causes.
Al-Seyassah
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Kuwait oil price edged 65 cents higher Wed. to USD 76 pb- KPC
Kuwait crude prices edged 65 cents higher during Wednesday’s sessions to reach USD 76 per barrel compared with USD 75.35 pb the day before, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said Thursday.
Brent futures rose 38 to USD 75.82 pb and West Texas Intermediate gained 31 cents to USD 72.31 pb.
KUNA
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
Kuwait reports 33 new COVID-19 cases, single death
Kuwait’s Ministry of Health on Wed said that 33 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in 24 hours, taking the total to 413,555.
The recoveries rose by 18 to 410,786 while death toll from the pandemic became 2,466 after a single death was reported earlier today, the Ministry’s Spokesman Dr.
Abdullah Al-Sanad told KUNA.
There 336 patients receiving treatment at hospitals, in addition to 12 others at COVID- 19 wards, he noted. He affirmed that there are two cases at COVID-19 ICUs.
Medical swabs conducted over the same period reached 18,488 increased the total tests to 5,494,872, he stated.
KUNA Al-Qabas
Kuwait detects first Omicron variant case in European man
The health ministry announced yesterday that it has detected the first case of the
new COVID-19 variant Omicron in a European man who arrived in Kuwait
from an African country where Omicron cases had been reported. Health
Ministry Spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said the discovery came after
authorities conducted sequencing tests that found the European man was
infected with the Omicron variant. He said the man has been placed in
institutional quarantine since his arrival at Kuwait airport. The ministry did not
say when the man arrived in the country and from which African nation he had
come from. It did not also reveal his age or health condition. The pandemic
situation in Kuwait has improved dramatically, as health authorities have
recorded fewer than 40 cases a day since Oct 11 with a few deaths. Meanwhile,
two doses of the BioNTech and Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may not be enough
to protect against the Omicron variant, the companies warned yesterday, but
stressed it was “still effective” after a third jab. Omicron has caused global
concern over signs that it can transmit faster than previous strains and fears that
its multiple mutations could help it evade immune defenses provided by vaccines. No deaths have yet been associated with the variant.
Kuwait Times
8 Omicron cases in Kuwait
In confirmation of Al-Seyassah’s Thursday news, Ministry of Health yesterday announced first Omicron variant case after conducting sequencing tests.
Meanwhile, medical sources hinted that there are other cases that were not revealed by MoH. Sources informed Al-Seyassah that there are 8 Omicron variant cases, not one as the ministry stated, source added, “the 8 cases were confirmed through conducting PCR tests, noting that the infected are citizens and expats who came from African countries and other GCC countries.”
Sources revealed that Corona Emergency Committee decided to hold an urgent meeting on Saturday to discuss the latest updates and measures that will be taken in order to halt spread of the variant.
Al-Seyassah
15 MPs boycott Al-Khaled’s consultations
Both parliamentary 6 and 9 blocs have complicated the situation in front of the government and are obstructing the course of the ministerial formation. As expected, both blocs’ members have boycotted the consultations of the assigned Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled who received yesterday a limited number of MPs. This position was considered by other independent MPs as persistence on escalation and rejection of Al-Khaled’s call to cooperate with everyone in order to overcome the past conflicts.
Sources hinted that the two blocs’ boycott is a response to not fulfilling Al-Khaled’s promise to finalize the report of the second amnesty decree before the oath session and suspending the three authorities’ committee.
Sources added to Al-Seyassah that this boycott increases the doubts in Al-Khaled’s ability to form a government that is capable of comprehending the next stage’s requirements, and to create a political harmony between the 15 MPs who boycotted his meetings and didn’t cooperate with him, whereas the number is expected to increase according to the updates which makes both authorities cooperation and political situation’s future unclear.
Soon, bloc 31 members will meet with former MPs in order to draw a roadmap to unify their efforts. Sources stressed that if the aforementioned agreed, the chances of holding the National Assembly sessions will be low, because disagreement will lead to a collusion with both the government and the prime minister, therefore, will interrupt the sessions and delay legislations.
Al-Seyassah
Defense Minister, “Ministry’s expenses halved”
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Al-Jaber announced opening military admission for Kuwaiti women starting from December 19.
Moreover, he announced that the expenses of the Ministry of Defense were reduced from KD 1.6 billion to KD 700 million within 7 months.
Al-Jaber confirmed yesterday in a press conference where achievements of Ministry of Defense Affiliated officials throughout the year were mentioned, that he took the oath to abide by the Constitution’s Articles. He added that reform path and combating corruption is not easy and will have risks and consequences.
He said that decision No. 657/2021 of regulating admission of Kuwaiti women to serve in the military army would supplement and strengthen the previous decisions issued in 1988. He further stressed that history is a witness of the Kuwaiti woman’s roles that was performed with exceptional eligibility throughout all of the crisis that Kuwait went through such as the Iraqi occupation and COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that women’s roles in the military service will be limited to specific professions of medical and support services, noting that admitting women in the military army won’t include using arms or chasing enemies.
Al-Jareeda
Al-Barrak, former MPs: “Amnesty is the threshold for political stability”
Former MPs who returned from the exile of Turkey released a mutual statement and invited all opposition MPs to attend a meeting to be decided later at Al-Barrak’s Diwan, in order to reach a “mutual rectifying vision.” They stressed that the generous amnesty is the threshold for political stability based on respecting the Constitution’s Articles and fighting corruption.
They further confirmed that the national reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility and should prioritize it without any delay. They stressed that “their positions were and still declared and clear, where we announced them in the exile.” He elaborated, “this statement that we are declaring today confirms that they won’t settle or abdicate over the Constitution’s Articles or Kuwaiti citizens’ rights.
They resumed, “in continuation to our political position that was announced in the exile, dated October 23, 2021, we confirm that the generous amnesty and national reconciliation is the threshold to political stability that is based on respecting the Constitution’s Articles and fighting corruption an amending laws that increase the numbers of imprisoned individuals with charges of opinion expression.
Al-Jareeda
New Pfizer batches for third booster shot and children vaccination
By the time that Pfizer company confirmed the effectivity of its covid-19 vaccine against Omicron variant after receiving three shots, Kuwait Vaccination Center at Mishref is still receiving citizens, expats and stateless without a previous registration on the platform from Saturday to Thursday in hall 5 and 6.
Health sources confirmed in a statement to Al-Anbaa that MoH has approved Pfizer vaccine for all individuals who received ‘Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca Oxford’, and has been more than 6 months since they’ve received the second shot.
Sources said that there are additional Pfizer batches that will arrive in Kuwait during the upcoming period to support the third shot after the company’s announcement of its effectivity against Omicron variant.
Regarding children aged 5-12 years’ vaccination, sources confirmed that it will be during the upcoming 2 months, whereas MoH has sorted out name lists of children registered for COVID-19 vaccination.
Al-Anbaa
Sources:
KUNA: http://www.kuna.net.kw/Default.aspx?language=en
Al Rai: http://www.alraimedia.com/
Kuwait Times: http:/36Y5/www.news.kuwaittimes.net/website/
Arab Times: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/
MEED: http://www.meed.com/
Al Anbaa: http://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper
Al-Seyassa : http://al-seyassah.com/
Al-Anbaa: https://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper/
Al-Jareeda: http://www.aljarida.com/
