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KUWAIT: Inauguration of the Kuwait International Property Show in Mishref yesterday. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh
KUWAIT: The Kuwait International Property
Show was inaugurated yesterday in Mishref,
under the patronage of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and was attended
by the Ministry’s Undersecretary Abdul-Aziz
Al-Khaldi. The event, which has been jointly
organized by the Top Expo Group and the
Kuwait International Fair company, will fea-
ture participation from 40 local and foreign
companies as well as display around 100
projects from 15 different countries.
After first describing the exhibition as,
“one of the most notable fairs” held annually
in Kuwait, Al-Kandari indicated while speaking
to reporters that the Ministry, “directly
supervises real estate exhibitions to make
sure that visitors’ rights are protected.”
Asked about the Ministry’s efforts to regulate
real estate prices, the official noted that
this subject was affected primarily by supply
and demand, but indicated that the
Ministry plans to set up a team featuring
representatives from different state departments
for streamlining the real estate mar-
ket of Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Top Expo’s Chairman of the
Board, Sheikh Malik Badr Al-Salman Al-
Sabah recognized the exhibitions as, “one of
the most highly awaited events in the year
for Kuwaitis, given the lack of real estate
fairs held in the country as well as the
increasing demand for real estate products,
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012
Team to be set up for regulating Kuwait’s property market: Official
KISR boosting cooperation with
IAEA on renewable energy
VIENNA: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific
Research (KISR) is keen on boosting cooperation
with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on peaceful uses of nuclear
technology, said the KISR director general yesterday.
Dr Naji Al-Mutairi was speaking
Sunday night, upon conclusion of the 56th
annual session of the IAEA General
Conference here. The KISR delegation had
attended meetings of the signatories of the
agreement of Arab States in Asia for Research,
Development, and Training related to Nuclear
Science and Technology (ARASIA).
Dr Al-Mutairi said the discussions covered
the ARASIA 2013-2014 agenda, priority projects
for the 12-member states such as projects
related to water and food security, as well
as overall cooperation between ARASIA team
and the IAEA Department of Technical
Cooperation.
“Technical cooperation programs are the
bases on which national capacities could be
built and which guarantee transfer and development
of peaceful-purpose nuclear technology
to enable achievement of development
goals. “KISR cooperation with the Asia and
Pacific technical cooperation team resulted in
execution of several projects approved for
periods up to 2013. The IAEA meanwhile
appreciates KISR contributions which benefited
experts from Kuwait and the region and its
participation in organizing workshops and
training courses in Kuwait.”
The KISR chairman pointed out there was
agreement on the need to sustain cooperation,
and Al-Mutairi stressed the institute was
ready to provide all that is needed for technical
cooperation projects. The department, he
pointed out, praised the five projects executed
in Kuwait this year at a cost of euro 1 mil-
Vienna hosts annual conference
lion, and reviewed ideas for projects which
could be executed in 2014-2015, seven in
total. The meeting discussed mechanisms to
plan such projects as of next year.
The KISR delegation and IAEA representatives
also discussed research strategy in the
field of peaceful nuclear technology and the
need to consider the national requirements
for construction of a nuclear research reactor.
With focus on improving national capabilities
in concerned bodies through proper
training and orientation programs, KISR also
expressed readiness to cooperate with state
bodies in the areas of detection of radioactive
matter and accidents, smuggling of
radio-active matter, and detection technology
and equipment available today.
Giving more detail, Dr Al-Mutairi said that
the officials discussed the project to equip
Kuwait’s eight border ports with radio-active
matter detectors, and that the IAEA noted the
importance of the project and expressed
readiness to provide whatever technical support
needed. In addition, an expert from the
IAEA is to visit the country in November to
help plan a program to track and trace radioactive
matter of doubtful or unknown origin
in cooperation with the concerned Ministry of
Health team.
Al-Mutairi added IAEA nuclear security
experts were also invited for a visit in the first
quarter of next year with the purpose of revising
and giving an assessment of the State of
Kuwait’s nuclear security plan and of planning
a program for the next three years.
He said the KISR delegation also met with
officials of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-
Ban Treaty Organization, also based in Vienna,
and discussed technical issues relating to the
organization’s detection station in Kuwait, one
of 80 around the world. The organization
praised the readings and the efforts at the station
which is crucial to the proper function of
the international network for detecting
nuclear testing activity even at high-seas.
The KISR chairman noted the delegation
held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the
IAEA sessions. He said he met with Tunisian
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific
Research Moncef Ben Salem and discussed
bolstering cooperation between the research
bodies in the two countries. The discussions
were mainly on nuclear research and reactors
and on Tunisia’s renewable energy agency
and how the expertise could be of use to KISR.
“This last point is of great interest in view
of KISR’s long-term strategies and considerable
budget allotted to this field, particularly
where solar and wind power are concerned,”
the official stressed.
There was also a meeting with the
Jordanian delegation, and talks held - in the
presence of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to
Austria and representative to international
organizations based in Vienna Mohammad Al-
Sallal - with head of the Jordanian Atomic
Energy Commission Khalid Touqan on boosting
scientific cooperation.
The Kuwaiti delegation to the 56th annual
session of the IAEA General Conference was
headed by Ambassador Mohammad Al-Sallal.
Along with Dr Naji Al-Mutairi, the delegation
included the national liaison officer to the
IAEA Dr Nader Al-Awadhi, Dr Anwar Al-Yahya
and Advisor Tala Al-Fassam of the Foreign
Ministry International Organizations
Department, Health Ministry representative
Samir Yagoub, Advisor Fawzi Al-Farh, and
embassy officials accredited to international
organizations in Vienna. — KUNA
Forum for modernizing Muslim
university education kicks off
KUWAIT: The regional forum for modernizing university education
to match labor market requirements and activating
Islamic Universities Business Network kicked off here yesterday.
“Kuwait is paying great attention to the development of
education and scientific research as they are the main pillars
for development and progress of nations and societies as well
as civilization creation,” Kuwait University President Abdullatif
Al-Bader said in the opening the speech of the forum.
The two-day forum is hosted by Kuwait University and
organized by Federation of Universities of the Islamic World
(FUIW) and the Islamic Educational, Scientific, Cultural
Organization (IESCO). “Unfortunately, the Muslim world’s contribution
to technology and scientific research is meager
despite all the economic, human and scientific potential it
has,” Al-Bader lamented, stressing that this imbalance must be
addressed soon.
For his part, Secretary General of the Kuwaiti National
Commission for Education, Science and Cultural Organization
Abdullatif Baijan hailed the forum for tackling a highly important
topic for the Muslim World. “The forum aims to modernize
university education in Muslim countries to match the contemporary
requirements of the labor market and more contribute
to the advancement, economic development of
Muslim societies,” he said.
“It seeks to benefit from the world experiences to develop
university education and research.” He also underlined the
need for activating the ambitious project of the Islamic
Universities Business Network. The Islamic Universities
Business Network was launched during the 5th session of the
General Conference of the Federation of the Universities of
the Islamic World (FUIW) held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan,
on 12-14 May, 2011. The Network aims to promote the commercialization
of technology and on developing innovationbased
businesses. It will offer training programs and help better
communicate science from university and research institutes
to interested parties in the public and private sector.
Meanwhile, Director of the General Secretariat of the
Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World Dr. Gharib
Zahir Ismail underscored that the forum comes out of the
deep belief in the importance of science for the future of the
Muslim world. He pointed out that the forum will discuss the
latest and best educational methods and techniques to better
equip university graduates with the required qualifications
and skills. “The forum will review a number of the best practiced
examples of world universities in this regard,” Ismail said.
The forum will also discuss ways of linking universities,
research institutions, civil society organizations and employers
to identify the required skills on the market and train students
on them and help provide job opportunities for graduates.
Ismail thanked the University of Kuwait for their efforts
to host this important forum. — KUNA
KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait sponsored a ‘Back to School’ festival
recently at the 360 Mall. The bank took the opportunity to introduce to people
in attendance services including ‘My First Account’ available for children up to
the age of 14.
both local and foreign.”
Al-Sabah further commented in his
speech at the fair’s inauguration that “this
year’s exhibition offers a selection of new
real estate opportunities available in safe
and stable markets, which will be in line
with the interests of investors in Kuwait and
other Gulf states.”
KUWAIT: Patrol officers blocked traffic on the Sixth Ring Road towards Al-
Miseelah yesterday following an accident involving a heavy-duty vehicle that
lost balance and overturned. No injuries were reported.
—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh
Human trafficker in
police custody
KUWAIT: Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh detectives
have freed 11 women held hostage by a
male suspect, who has admitted to human
trafficking. The operation was launched
after the police received information that
the kidnapped women were imprisoned
inside an apartment in the area by a human
trafficker. The Asian women told officers
that they had been taken hostage after
being kidnapped by taxi drivers. The
human trafficker, also an Asian, was taken
in custody and is currently being interrogated
and asked to identify his accomplices
before he is charged for his crime.
Prisoner escapes
A police officer was detained, while
another was released on bail, after a suspect
in their custody managed to escape.
The two officers had been assigned to take
an Asian woman to a court in Al-Riga’ie,
where she was undergoing a trial on
charges including forging passports and
allowing fugitives to escape from Kuwait
on the basis of forged passports. The
woman disappeared mysteriously after she
requested to go to the bathroom. The two
officers were referred to the Public
Prosecutor after reporting the incident, and
have been charged with negligence, which
led to the suspect’s escape.
Man disappears
Jahra police are looking for a man
accused of sexually assaulting his daughter.
Officers at Jahra police station were
approached by an 18-year-old girl, who
was accompanied by her mother and
brother, to report that she had been subjected
to repeated assault by her father at
their house in the area. The victim reportedly
decided to inform her mother, who
resides at another house following a
divorce from the accused, after her father
repeatedly attacked her. The girl was taken
to the forensic department and a search is
KUWAIT: An environmental organization
has demanded stricter state supervision of
the activities of international organizations
working in Kuwait, on the basis of knowledge
of “suspicious deals” having taken
place between the United Nations
Development Program’s (UNDP) office and
the Kuwait National Petroleum Company.
“The authenticity of the UNDP office in
Kuwait has been questioned earlier as well,
because of their history of aligning themselves
with and receiving money from oil
firms, which are guilty of being the largest
polluters and violators of children’s environmental
rights in Kuwait,” a statement issued
by the Green Line NGO stated yesterday.
The NGO further accused the UNDP of violating
international standards, “which state
that UN organizations must never be a part
of deals with bodies suspected of being
involved in illicit activities in that country.”
The Green Line also announced the
launch of a public awareness campaign,
aimed at raising the demand for “closing
the offices of international organizations
that provide nothing to the Kuwaiti society,”
as well demanding, “an assessment of the
on for her father, who is still missing.
Teens in custody
The Jabriya police have arrested three
teenagers, who allegedly stormed an apartment
and robbed it at knifepoint.
Investigations were initiated after the
Filipino resident of the flat reported that
three youngsters had entered his apartment
and assaulted him physically, before
stealing two cell phones, a laptop, KD500
and 300 Saudi Riyals in cash. Based on the
descriptions provided by the victim, police
detectives have identified the suspects as
three Lebanese nationals aged between 16
years and 19 years, and placed them under
arrest. They were taken to the concerned
authorities for being charged after confessing
to their crime.
Twitter hacker
An MP filed a complaint at the Al-
Dhahar police station recently, requesting
an investigation into the identity of hackers,
who breached the security of two of his
personal accounts on Twitter. The MP
resorted to police action after the second
account that he had created following the
first one getting hacked, also met with a
similar fate. Investigations are ongoing.
‘Unmarried’ couple
An Asian couple is likely to be charged
after failing to provide a marriage contract
following the woman delivering a baby at
the Mubarak Hospital. Medical staff had
called the police when the mother failed to
provide a document proving she was married,
while the man who hospitalized her
and claimed to be her husband failed to do
the same as well. The two were taken to the
nearest police station, and later put in
detention, pending an investigation into
their illegal affair.
— Al-Anbaa, Al-Rai, Al-Watan
Green Line demands closure of
UNDP office after KNPC deal
performance and transparency in dealings”
of the said offices. The group further argued
that these offices have “remained open in
Kuwait, despite the lack of political reasoning
behind their being here and especially
after the fall of the former Iraqi regime.”
The NGO also claimed that allowing
these offices to remain functional in the
country would result in huge financial
waste that will have to be borne by the
state budget. “The UNDP had prior knowledge
before they entered this deal, that
they were getting into business with an
organization that lacks environmental
integrity and has had a long history of environmental
violations,” the statement noted,
adding that Green Line “had even alerted
the UNDP earlier that the integrity of their
work in Kuwait will be damaged, should
they receive any money from oil companies
that contribute to increasing pollution levels
in the country.” The Green Line pointed
out that it holds the belief that none of the
UNDP activities have had an actual positive
effect on Kuwait, and demanded that the
government ends any representation for
the UN firm in the country.