KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah assured a team of MPs he met on Tuesday that the government plans to build five new public hospitals, construct 80,000 houses on allocated lands, and transform the Failaka Island into a national touristic site, several local newspapers reported yesterday. MP Tahir Al-Failakawi briefed the media about the meeting which was attended by MPs Abdullah Al- Ma'youf, Khalid Al-Shulaimi, Badr Al- Bathali, Hammad Al-Dousari, Mohammad Al-Jabri, Saad Al-Bous, Nasser Al-Shemmari and Mubarak Al-Urf. "HH the Amir urged [the parliament to ensure] top focus on achievements, law enforcement and meeting the ambitions of the Kuwaiti people," MP Al-Ma'youf told Al-Rai.
The reports came even as the cabinet submitted to the parliament yesterday a list containing issues it wished to give priority in discussion during future sessions. In other news, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah, revealed in exclusive statements to Al-Rai that priority for naturalization of stateless residents this year is going to be given to servicemen. The government had submitted a draft law setting a maximum limit of 2000 for stateless residents to be naturalized annually.
Minister Al-Sabah also indicated that the ministry is currently studying the recommendations passed following a session last week that was allocated to discuss the security situation in the country, adding that the ministry is committed to "work effortlessly to implement as many recommendations as we possibly can." Al-Sabah also indicated that the ministry was preparing to submit "its vision to resolve the traffic crisis" during a parliamentary session next March allocated to discuss this topic. Moving to another subject, Military Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah told Al-Rai on Tuesday that joint maneuvers featuring the Gulf Shield troops as well as troops of other countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and France, are set to take place near Kuwait's Northern borders starting from February 10, 2013. Lt. Gen. Al-Sabah insisted at the same time that the maneuvers were not related to any regional developments. "The training is aimed to improve the Gulf Shield troops in order to boost the joint defense of the Gulf Cooperation Council states," he added.
© Kuwait Times 2013
