GCC IN REVIEW: 4-8 march

GCC IN REVIEW

4 - 8 March 2018

BY ANTONINO OCCHIUTO AND FRAUKE GREIFFENHAGEN

Kingdom of Bahrain

TUESDAY, 6 MARCH—The Commanderin-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, received a Pakistani military delegation led by, Rear Admiral Yusef Ahmed Malallah. The meeting took place within the framework of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and paves the way for closer Bahrain-Pakistan military cooperation.

WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH—Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, was the first Foreign Minister to sign the Statute of the Arab Court for Human Rights along with Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The establishment of an Arab court for human rights stemmed from the initiative of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. Bahrain then submitted such proposal to the Arab League.

State of Kuwait

SUNDAY, 4 MARCH—Kuwait’s Red Crescent Society (KRCS) denounced Syria’s government forces which confiscated food parcels and medical aid destined to besieged Syrians in Eastern Ghouta. Kuwait’s delegation to the UN vehemently protested against such actions. THURSDAY, 8 MARCH—Kuwait requested Lebanon to provide extradition for the Lebanese man and his Syrian wife accused of murdering their Filipina housemaid, Joanna Demafelis, in the Gulf state. The murder triggered a major diplomatic crisis between Kuwait and the Philippines.

Sultanate of Oman

TUESDAY, 6 MARCH—Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, received a written message from Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabir AlSabah, Emir of Kuwait. The message hailed the good bilateral relations between the two Gulf countries. Oman and Kuwait are both attempting to mediate the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Qatar on one side and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE on the other.

WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH—Majid Al-Amri, founder of Thawani Technologies, announced the launch of Oman’s first comprehensive e-payment platform which expected to revolutionise the way Oman’s banking and financial sectors work.