KUWAIT: The Kuwait Society for Students Support has launched an initiative to help around 2,200 students from the Gaza Strip who are stranded abroad and studying in various universities around the world. The initiative’s estimated cost is KD 330,000. It was funded by charitable foundations and donors and approved by Kuwait’s ministry. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Secretary of the Society Monia Al-Nouri stressed the society’s goals are to support Palestinian students, lessen their burdens, and prevent Zionist occupation from depriving them of education.

The initiative’s objectives are to communicate with external charities and act as intermediaries between the universities and the students, to support them, especially senior students, and help with graduation to find work and support their families. Around 20 universities in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and others have Gazan students, where aid varied between tuition and living fees, not sparing any effort to support Arab education, she stressed.

Planes change routes

In another development, all Kuwaiti planes’ routes have been changed due to the instability in the region, in line with the measures to maintain the safety and security of airliners, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Some flights will arrive late in Kuwait due to changes in their routes, acting deputy director general for aviation safety and air transport affairs Abdullah Al-Rajhi said. All Kuwait’s planes are safe, and unrest is over, in accordance with the measures that ensure the planes’ arrivals, in a safe and security manner, to Kuwait or other airports, he added.

Strategic Dialogue

In another development, the United States and Bahrain held the fourth round of their annual Strategic Dialogue in Washington. The two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and the conditions in the Middle East, especially in the Gaza Strip. A joint statement was issued on Tuesday, following the conclusion of the session, stating the commitment of both countries to enhance bilateral and regional security, promote economic innovation and prosperity, strengthen cultural and public relations, as well as support fundamental rights and values.

“The dialogue is a platform to advance practical cooperation in areas like border security, counterterrorism, energy security, trusted technology, education, cultural exchange, and trade and investment,” the statement added. During the current session, the United States praised the leadership of Bahrain as the current Arab League president and the host of the 33rd Arab Summit. Both countries reaffirm their commitment to a more peaceful and stable region, including achieving a permanent end to the war in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the expanding of the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to civilians.

Both sides reiterated their call for a two-state solution “that would allow Palestinians and Zionists to live side by side in security, sovereignty, and economic opportunities.” The US government commended Bahrain’s “invaluable role as a partner in maintaining regional security, highlighting its commitment to “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” launched by the US at the end of last year amid Houthi attacks on ships allegedly linked to the occupation. Both countries condemned the ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and innocent mariners, which have harmful effects on regional and international economies.

Washington and Manama reiterated calls for the Houthis to release United Nations staff, US embassy employees, and international organization personnel unlawfully detained in Yemen. The two nations stated that the open and comprehensive discussions within the Strategic Dialogue reflect the decades-long US-Bahrain friendship and security alliance. Both governments explained that economic cooperation would continue to grow in the context of the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, signed 20 years ago in September 2004.

Joint initiatives in higher, secondary, and primary education were discussed among other areas in the dialogue, as well as opportunities to enhance media cooperation and develop skills in journalism. The joint statement noted that Bahrain and the United States look forward to holding the 2025 Strategic Dialogue again, with follow-up sessions to advance progress on specific initiatives. The 2023 dialogue took place in Washington, culminating in a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Bahraini counterpart, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. — KUNA