Latest news with #SheikhMeshal
The National
10 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed meets Kuwaiti Emir on official visit
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, arrived in Kuwait on an official visit on Tuesday where he was received by Emir Sheikh Meshal. The talks centred on various aspects of co-operation between the nations, with a particular focus on economic development, reported the state news agency Wam. They also discussed other topics of common interest, with a commitment to continue building on the already solid relations between the countries. Sheikh Mansour was greeted at Kuwait International Airport by the country's Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, as well as sheikhs, ministers and senior officials. The Emirates is one of Kuwait's largest economic partners, with trade between the countries growing markedly in recently years. President Sheikh Mohamed paid a state visit to Kuwait in November last year, during which he met Sheikh Meshal. Sheikh Mansour visited Kuwait City a month later to represent the UAE at the 45th GCC Summit. In September last year, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, joined Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al Yahya to inaugurate Kuwait 's new embassy in Abu Dhabi. The building is in the Embassies District, Al Ma'arid. Sheikh Mansour has been accompanied by a delegation that includes Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs; Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment; Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education; and Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice. The UAE officials on the trip also include Mohamed Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment; Khalifa Al Marar, Minister of State; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Jassem Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Finance in Abu Dhabi; Dr Matar Al Neyadi, the UAE's ambassador to Kuwait; and Maj Gen Khalifa Al Khaili, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior.
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed to make official visit to Kuwait on Tuesday
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, will on Tuesday begin an official visit to Kuwait aimed at bolstering long-standing ties between the Gulf countries. Sheikh Mansour is to hold talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal to explore ways to enhance partnerships in various fields, state news agency Wam reported. The Emirates is one of Kuwait's largest economic partners, with trade between the countries growing markedly in recently years. President Sheikh Mohamed paid a state visit to Kuwait in November last year, during which he met Sheikh Meshal. In September last year, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, joined Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al Yahya to inaugurate Kuwait 's new embassy in Abu Dhabi. The building is in the Embassies District, Al Ma'arid. Sheikh Abdullah said at the time that the new embassy showed the strength of ties between the UAE and Kuwait. He witnessed the signing of eight agreements related to sectors including infrastructure, technology, telecoms, national funding, sport, culture, cyber security and defence.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
China ready to join Kuwait for steady development of ties: Chinese PM
BEIJING - Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang said on Monday that China is ready to join Kuwait in continuing to push for the steady development of bilateral ties. Li made the remarks during his meeting with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's Representative, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the sidelines of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council)-China Summit, reported China's Xinhua news agency. Bilateral relations between China and Kuwait have maintained steady and sound development since their establishment over half a century ago, Li said. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, China-Kuwait relations have witnessed rapid progress and fruitful results in practical cooperation, Li said. China, Li said, is ready to work with Kuwait to consolidate political mutual trust and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to continue to push for in-depth and substantive development of bilateral relations. Li pointed out that China and Kuwait enjoy strong economic complementarity and broad prospects for cooperation. China stands ready to work with Kuwait to strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Kuwait Vision 2035, expanding the scope of cooperation and accelerating the implementation of major cooperative projects, Li said. China is willing to deepen cooperation with Kuwait in such fields as energy, investment, green economy, digital economy and artificial intelligence, so as to open up new space for win-win cooperation and contribute to each other's development and revitalization, Li said. Li called on the two sides to enhance cooperation in education and tourism, further facilitate personnel exchanges and foster deeper friendship between the two peoples. Against a turbulent international landscape marked by rising unilateralism and protectionism, Li said, China is committed to strengthening communication and coordination with Kuwait through such multilateral platforms as the United Nations, China-GCC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia to push for more just and equitable global governance and promote harmony, stability and prosperity for the whole world. All KUNA right are reserved © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
'Stateless overnight': Kuwait strips tens of thousands of citizenship
Leaving her weekly workout class, Lama was shocked to discover she was no longer a Kuwaiti — one of tens of thousands of people, mostly women, suddenly stripped of citizenship. After her credit card payment for the class in Kuwait City was declined, she learnt her bank account was temporarily frozen because her nationality, acquired through marriage, had been revoked. "It was a shock," said the grandmother in her 50s, originally from Jordan, who like others interviewed asked to use a pseudonym, fearing a backlash from the authorities. "To be a law-abiding citizen for more than 20 years and then wake up one day to find out you're no longer a citizen ... that's not okay at all," she said. The mass revocations have been cast as part of a reformist agenda spearheaded by Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who dissolved parliament and suspended parts of the constitution five months after taking power in December 2023. His latest citizenship policy appears aimed at restricting nationality to those with blood ties to the tiny, oil-rich nation, reshaping Kuwaiti identity and potentially trimming its electorate after years of political crisis, analysts said. In a televised speech to the country of nearly 5 million — only a third of them Kuwaitis — the emir pledged in March to "deliver Kuwait to its original people clean and free from impurities." Lama is among more than 37,000 people, including at least 26,000 women, who have lost Kuwaiti nationality since August, according to a tally of official figures. Media reports suggest the real number could be much higher. While large-scale citizenship revocations are not unheard of in Kuwait, "the volume is definitely unprecedented," said Bader al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University. Kuwait already has a big stateless community: the Bidoon, estimated at around 100,000 people, who were denied citizenship on independence from British protectorship in 1961. 'They went after mothers' The latest campaign abolishes naturalization by marriage, which only applied to women, and revokes citizenship granted to wives since 1987. Official data shows 38,505 women were naturalized by marriage from 1993 to 2020. It also targets people with dual nationality, which Kuwait does not allow, and those who became citizens fraudulently — by using forged documents, for example. Others naturalized for their achievements, including pop singer Nawal The Kuwaiti and actor Dawood Hussain, have also lost their citizenship. "Overnight, I became stateless," said businesswoman Amal, who had been Kuwaiti for nearly two decades. Many have been left in legal limbo while they scramble to restore their previous nationality. "The right to nationality is a very basic human right, and failure to respect and ensure it can wreak havoc on people's lives, as ... the Bidoon know all too well," said Amnesty International's Mansoureh Mills. Analysts say the latest drive has the question of Kuwaiti nationhood at its core. "I trace it to the notion of identity: Who are we as a nation?" said Saif. While Kuwait's parliament is a rarity in the monarchical Gulf, its tiered citizenship system limits political rights to those born to a Kuwaiti father. After Iraq's invasion in 1990, naturalized Kuwaitis were granted voting rights after 20 years of citizenship, as were children born after their father's naturalization. It was "a token of appreciation" for standing by Kuwait, Saif said, but also a "push for national unity after liberation." But Kuwait's new leadership has "an exclusionary vision of Kuwaiti nationalism," keeping out "people who lack deep roots there," said Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics. For researcher Melissa Langworthy, who studied citizenship issues in the Gulf, naturalized women are "being told clearly that they are not the ideal reproducers of the nation." "They went after mothers, the heart of the family," lamented Lama, adding: "We are the mothers and grandmothers of the children of this country." 'Innocent women' Initially cast as a crackdown on fraudsters taking advantage of Kuwait's generous benefits, the move was welcomed in a country where many complain of corruption and mismanagement. But the mood quickly changed. A Kuwaiti man whose wife lost her citizenship said the government was equating "innocent women and fraudsters." His wife, a retired civil servant, had her pension suspended for more than six months and her bank loan frozen. "What kind of message are we conveying by inciting racism and treating them unfairly?" he said. Authorities have promised the women will be treated as Kuwaiti and keep their social benefits, but those hit by the campaign have lost any political rights. The emir cited constant standoffs between lawmakers and the royal-appointed cabinet when he dissolved the parliament, which had long delayed reforms needed to diversify the oil-reliant economy. "The Kuwaiti leadership is possibly seeking to reduce the citizen population in order to shape a smaller, more politically manageable electorate," said Cafiero.
Malay Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Nationality is a right, not a favour, say women challenging Kuwait's citizenship crackdown
DUBAI, May 26 — Leaving her weekly workout class, Lama was shocked to discover she was no longer a Kuwaiti — one of tens of thousands of people, mostly women, suddenly stripped of citizenship. After her credit card payment for the class in Kuwait City was declined, she learnt her bank account was temporarily frozen because her nationality, acquired through marriage, had been revoked. 'It was a shock,' said the grandmother in her 50s, originally from Jordan, who like others interviewed by AFP asked to use a pseudonym, fearing a backlash from the authorities. 'To be a law-abiding citizen for more than 20 years and then wake up one day to find out you're no longer a citizen... that's not okay at all,' she said. The mass revocations have been cast as part of a reformist agenda spearheaded by Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who dissolved parliament and suspended parts of the constitution five months after taking power in December 2023. His latest citizenship policy appears aimed at restricting nationality to those with blood ties to the tiny, oil-rich nation, reshaping Kuwaiti identity and potentially trimming its electorate after years of political crisis, analysts told AFP. In a televised speech to the country of nearly five million — only a third of them Kuwaitis — the emir pledged in March to 'deliver Kuwait to its original people clean and free from impurities'. Lama is among more than 37,000 people including at least 26,000 women who have lost Kuwaiti nationality since August, according to an AFP tally of official figures. Media reports suggest the real number could be much higher. While large-scale citizenship revocations are not unheard of in Kuwait, 'the volume is definitely unprecedented', said Bader al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University. Kuwait already has a big stateless community: the Bidoon, estimated at around 100,000 people, who were denied citizenship on independence from British protectorship in 1961. 'They went after mothers' The latest campaign abolishes naturalisation by marriage, which only applied to women, and revokes citizenship granted to wives since 1987. Official data shows 38,505 women were naturalised by marriage from 1993 to 2020. It also targets people with dual nationality, which Kuwait does not allow, and those who became citizens fraudulently — by using forged documents, for example. Others naturalised for their achievements, including pop singer Nawal The Kuwaiti and actor Dawood Hussain, have also lost their citizenship. 'Overnight, I became stateless,' businesswoman Amal, who had been Kuwaiti for nearly two decades, told AFP. Many have been left in legal limbo while they scramble to restore their previous nationality. 'The right to nationality is a very basic human right, and failure to respect and ensure it can wreak havoc on people's lives, as... the Bidoon know all too well,' Amnesty International's Mansoureh Mills told AFP. Analysts say the latest drive has the question of Kuwaiti nationhood at its core. 'I trace it to the notion of identity: who are we as a nation?' said Saif. While Kuwait's parliament is a rarity in the monarchical Gulf, its tiered citizenship system limits political rights to those born to a Kuwaiti father. After Iraq's invasion in 1990, naturalised Kuwaitis were granted voting rights after 20 years of citizenship, as were children born after their father's naturalisation. It was 'a token of appreciation' for standing by Kuwait, Saif said, but also a 'push for national unity after liberation'. But Kuwait's new leadership have 'an exclusionary vision of Kuwaiti nationalism', keeping out 'people who lack deep roots there', said Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics. For researcher Melissa Langworthy, who studied citizenship issues in the Gulf, naturalised women are 'being told clearly that they are not the ideal reproducers of the nation'. 'They went after mothers, the heart of the family,' lamented Lama, adding: 'We are the mothers and grandmothers of the children of this country.' 'Innocent women' Initially cast as a crackdown on fraudsters taking advantage of Kuwait's generous benefits, the move was welcomed in a country where many complain of corruption and mismanagement. But the mood quickly changed. A Kuwaiti man whose wife lost her citizenship said the government was equating 'innocent women and fraudsters'. His wife, a retired civil servant, had her pension suspended for more than six months and her bank loan frozen. 'What kind of message are we conveying by inciting racism and treating them unfairly?' he said. Authorities have promised the women will be treated as Kuwaiti and keep their social benefits, but those hit by the campaign have lost any political rights. The emir cited constant standoffs between lawmakers and the royal-appointed cabinet when he dissolved the parliament, which had long delayed reforms needed to diversify the oil-reliant economy. 'The Kuwaiti leadership is possibly seeking to reduce the citizen population in order to shape a smaller, more politically manageable electorate,' said Cafiero. — AFP
