Thursday, May 2, 2024

 Amir Returns Home After State Visit to Egypt

Kuwait to Host 3rd Strategic Dialogue

A Malaysian Delegation Meets the Director of the Endowment Funds Department

Endowments Secretariat Reveals 13th International Research Competition on Endowments

46th Islamic Book Fair Held by Social Reform Society

Amir Returns Home After State Visit to Egypt

 HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his delegation returned to Kuwait after a state visit to Egypt. The visit reflected deep and distinguished ties between the two countries and peoples, aiming to strengthen fruitful and constructive cooperation. HH the Amir sent a cable of thanks to Sisi expressing his sincere thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality during the state visit. Both sides emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement between the Zionist occupation authorities and Palestinian groups on a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ensuring unhindered delivery of relief aid to the Palestinian people under UN Security Council Resolution 2720.

Both sides stated opposition to the ongoing Zionist military operations in Gaza and plans for expanding the operations to Rafah, warning that Zionist malpractices risk expanding the scope of the conflict to other parts of the Middle East and jeopardizing the security of the region and world peace. They urged the international community to shoulder their responsibility for finding a fair settlement to the Palestine issue based on the two-state solution and establishing the State of Palestine within the borders of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital. They reaffirmed support of the legitimate right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, pursuant to UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

During the state visit, HH the Amir held summit talks with President Sisi on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of reaching an agreement between the Zionist occupation authorities and Palestinian groups on a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ensuring unhindered delivery of relief aid to the Palestinian people under UN Security Council Resolution 2720. They also expressed unequivocal rejection of Zionist attempts to liquidate the Palestine cause and serious violations of international humanitarian law through forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their own land in Gaza and the West Bank.

The Kuwaiti side applauded the unprecedented development of Egypt in all areas and commended Egyptian efforts to improve the investment atmosphere. Both sides tasked competent agencies to arrange for the 13th session of the Higher Joint Commission on Cooperation, highlighting coordination and reciprocal support in international arenas. Both sides hailed the close political coordination between them regarding regional and international issues of common concern, highlighting the importance of promoting the culture of peace, dialogue, development, and coexistence, and favoring diplomacy as a means of resolution of conflicts in the Middle East.

Kuwait to Host 3rd Strategic Dialogue

Kuwait has been invited to host the third ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asia in 2025. The declaration emphasized the historical relations, religious and cultural ties between the two sides and the prospects for economic cooperation, including enormous natural resources and promising investment opportunities in energy, mining, petrochemical industries, tourism, and others. It stressed the need to support consensual political solutions to resolve the crises faced by some Arab countries  by encouraging comprehensive dialogue and national reconciliation, rejecting interference in their internal affairs, and committing to respecting their sovereignty and independence.

The declaration condemned the continuation of Zionist crimes against the Palestinian people, the deliberate targeting of over 100,000 Palestinian civilians, and the systematic destruction of residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, and churches. It called on the Security Council to adopt a binding resolution to stop the occupation's aggression, shooting, and forced displacement against the Palestinian people and ensure the flow of relief aid to the entire Gaza Strip.

The declaration also called for convening an international peace conference as soon as possible, from which a credible peace process would be launched based on approved international references within a specific time frame and with international guarantees that would lead to an end to the Zionist occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967.

A Malaysian Delegation Meets the Director of the Endowment Funds Department

A delegation from Malaysia, represented by Dr. Ridwan Bakar, Executive Director of the Malaysian Ministry of Endowments, Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Sheikh from the Islamic Council of Malaysia, Ms. Tamara Abrahamian, translator at the Malaysian Airlines embassy in Kuwait, and Rakan Al-Yaqout, a representative of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Director of the Endowment Funds Department at the General Secretariat of Awqaf Ma'rib, Yaqoub Al-Yaqoub, on Sunday, April 28, 2024. The two sides discussed potential avenues for collaboration as well as their respective nations' experiences in endowment and humanitarian efforts. 

Endowments Secretariat Reveals 13th International Research Competition on Endowments

On Monday, the Acting Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of Endowments, Amal Hussein Al-Dalal, announced the results of the winners of the 13th Kuwait International Endowment Research Competition.

Al-Dallal said, in a press conference: This competition is an important project among the 16 important projects undertaken by the secretariat representing the State of Kuwait. The “coordinating state” for the efforts of Islamic countries in the field of endowment at the level of the Islamic world, and it is held periodically every two years, completing 12 sessions from 1999 to 2021 AD, bringing the total number of participants in it to 340 participants from inside Kuwait and the world, in addition to those who participated in our glue competition for this year.

She added that the General Secretariat of Endowments was keen to direct thinkers, researchers, specialists and those interested in endowment affairs to the methods of modern and contemporary endowment topics that need further research and study, and to propose developmental treatments for the advancement of endowment systems, and from here the topics of the Thirteenth Kuwait International Endowment Research Competition came to express this approach. , by presenting 3 topics of great importance: The first of these topics came under the title “Violating the donor’s condition due to need or necessity... rootedly and branching out.” The second topic was about “The role of the endowment in achieving food security,” and the third topic was titled “Utilizing financial technology in developing and investing in the endowment.”

Lina Faisal Al-Mutawa, Director of the Department of Studies and External Relations and Head of the Competition Supervision Committee, said: The number of those who applied to compete in the “Kuwait International Competition for Endowment Research,” in its current session, reached 87 participants, including researchers and those interested in endowments, from various countries of the world, and this number is considered The highest since the start of this international competition.

The results of the first topic, entitled “Violating the condition of the donor due to need or necessity...in root and branch” were as follows:

– First prize with a score of 93% D. Sufyan Dhabih, from Algeria, and the title of his research is “Violating the conditions of the donor due to need or necessity - in light of ancient and contemporary calamities.”

– The second prize was shared equally, with a score of 87%, between: Dr. Iqbal Abdulaziz Al-Mutawa, from the State of Kuwait, and Dr. Abdul Raqeeb Saleh Mohsen Al-Shami, from Yemen, and the title of their joint research is “The Effect of Need and Necessity on Violating the Conditions of the Endowers... Rooted and Applied.”

– Third prize with a score of 85% D. Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Zaghoul, from Jordan, and the title of his research is “Violating the condition of the donor due to need or necessity...rooting and branching.”

The results of the second topic, entitled “The Role of Waqf in Achieving Food Security,” were as follows:

– First prize: Omar Al Mahmoudi from Morocco.

– The second prize was shared, with a score of 87.5%, between Dr. Abdel Rahim Bahmou from Morocco, Dr. Saleh Al-Mahmoudi from Morocco, Dr. Muhammad Al-Filali from Morocco, and the title of their joint research is “The Impact of Waqf on Achieving Food Security.”

- The third prize, with a score of 85.5%, was Rami Eid Makki Bahbah, from Egypt, and the title of his research was “The Role of Waqf in Achieving Food Security in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries.”

As for the third topic, entitled “Utilizing financial technology in developing and investing in endowments,” its results were as follows:

- The first prize was shared equally, with a score of 91.5%, between Rachida Rahmani from Algeria and Siham Rahmani from Algeria, and the title of their joint research is “Financial Technology and the Expected Roles in Endowments between the Necessity of Development and the Danger of Application.”

The second prize was shared, with a score of 88.5%, between Dr. Sayed Hassan Abdullah Hassan, from Egypt, and the title of his research is “Utilizing financial technology tools in developing and investing in endowments in light of the texts of Sharia and its objectives,” and Dr. Sami Muhammad Al-Salahat, from Jordan, and the title of his research is “Utilizing financial technology in developing and investing in endowments,” and Dr. Nobi Muhammad Hassan Abdel Rahim, from Egypt, and the title of his research is “Utilizing financial technology in endowment development and investment” (Digital Endowment Foundation.. Case Study: FINTERRA Endowment Platform in Malaysia).

 Al-Rahma International approved financial and administrative reports at its general assembly

46th Islamic Book Fair Held by Social Reform Society

The 46th edition of the Islamic Book Fair, under the slogan "Awareness is Shaping," was held in Mushrif, Kuwait, from April 14-20, 2024 AD. The exhibition featured around 120 entities and publishing houses from government institutions, public benefit associations, and educational bodies in 11 Gulf and Arab countries, Turkey, and Britain. The Board of Directors of the Social Reform Society, Dr. Khaled Al-Madhkoor, stated that the exhibition has evolved every year in line with technical developments and printing updates, introducing modern technologies that address children's mentality.

The exhibition includes activities related to students' educational, cultural, and other activities, expressing gratitude to the participating official bodies, led by the Ministry of Information, for its sponsorship of the Islamic Book Fair and the Ministry of Interior for facilitating procedures and overcoming difficulties for the delegations participating in the exhibition.

The Assistant Secretary-General for the Administrative and Financial Affairs Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, representative of the Minister of Information, Saad Al-Anzi, confirmed that continuing to hold the exhibition throughout the 46 years is a message that translates the efforts of the Social Reform Society and an addition to the country's journey in spreading knowledge and culture locally and internationally.

Traffic Awareness Department officer in the Traffic and Operations Affairs Sector, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Abu Hassan, stated that their participation in the 46th Islamic Book Fair came to raise the level of traffic awareness among road users by linking the behavior of the vehicle driver to religious behavior. The Traffic Department is keen to deliver the correct message to road users.

The head of the Federation of Kuwaiti Charitable Societies and Organizations, Saad Al-Otaibi, said that the role played by the Social Reform Society through its establishment of the Islamic Book Fair and its keenness to continue it is a complement to the bright image of Kuwaiti charitable work. He stressed that the presence of the "Union of Associations and Enterprises" comes as an affirmation of the support of all the roles of associations and enterprises supporting the spread of science and culture in Kuwaiti society.

Namaa Charity, represented by the International Center for Charitable Work Studies, participated in the exhibition activities, displaying prominent publications of the Center for Studies in the field of the charitable sector, with the aim of developing community awareness of the importance of charitable work in the development of societies and promoting the culture of volunteer work among various segments of society.

The General Secretariat of Endowments also participated in the exhibition, with the Acting Deputy Secretary-General for Administration and Support Services, Amal Hussein Al-Dalal, stating that the participation of the General Secretariat this year in the exhibition comes to spread the culture of endowments in Kuwaiti society and introduce the achievements of the General Secretariat of Endowments.

The International Mercy Society participated in the exhibition, with the Director of the Society’s Public Relations and Media Department, Qais Al-Ali, aiming to enhance communication with the public by introducing the Society’s projects, goals, vision and mission, means of communication, methods of donation, and its various applications.