LOCAL THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Speaker of Iraqi Parliament Dr Salim Al-Jabouri and his accompanying delegation. —Amiri Diwan and KUNA photos His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with Speaker of the Iraqi par- liament Dr Salim Al-Jabouri. KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received the visiting Speaker of Iraqi Parliament Dr Salim Al-Jabouri and his accompanying delegation, at Seif Palace yesterday. Acting National Assembly Speaker Adel Al-Kharafi and Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah attend- ed the meeting. Later, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al- Sabah received Jabouri, in attendance of Kharafi and Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Ghassan Al- Zawawi. Jabouri and his delegation arrived in Kuwait yesterday starting a day-long visit. They were received at the airport by Kharafi and Zawawi, as well as the Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Hussein Bahr Al-Oloum and the National Assembly’s General Secretary, Allam Al-Kanderi. Earlier, His Highness the Amir received His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the PM Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak and First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince received His Highness the PM Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah. — KUNA Amir receives visiting top Iraq legislator KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al- Sabah chaired a meeting yesterday with a global consultative firm, to examine the prospect of privatizing the sports scene in the country. The meeting with leading global strategic management and consulting firm McKinsey and Company, represents genuine efforts on the part of the gov- ernment to privatize the sport industry as it seeks to propel Kuwait to the upper echelons of the sporting world, a state- ment by Public Authority for Sports (PAS) noted. Moreover, the global company pre- sented a survey of the sporting land- scape in the country, which included the best possible ways to bring privatization plans to fruition. The meeting was attended by PAS Director General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Sabah, alongside other senior sports officials. McKinsey and Company, formed in 1926, has been instrumental to the suc- cess of past Olympic events, in addition to developing the sports scene all across the globe. More than 2,000 companies and institutions have relied on the com- pany’s studies and analyses as a spring- board for further prosperity. GCC Championship In other news, Sheikh Salman has vowed support to the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) for hosting the 8th GCC Sports Championship for universities and high- er education Institutions. The PAAET will be offered full logistic and media backing to guarantee success for the tournament that authority hosts in November, Sheikh Salman told a PAAET delegation, the Ministry of Information said in a statement yester- day. The minister stressed the signifi- cance of the event for the GCC youth. The delegation, led by Director General Dr Ahmad Al-Athari, expressed gratitude to Sheikh Salman for his unlim- ited support to the Kuwaiti people, espe- cially youth, in sports, social and cultural activities to enhance the constructive and effective national thinking. The meeting also addressed the pro- grams the PAAET can offer for training and qualifying Kuwaitis within the devel- opment program backed by the Ministry of Information and the State Ministry for Youth Affairs. Meanwhile, the statement said that Minister Sheikh Salman had also received the new board of the Ministry of Information workers’ syndicate. Congratulating the board members, the minister underlined the importance of holding the values of national unity and interests above all other considerations. The syndicate board thanked Sheikh Salman for his unrelenting efforts to pro- mote the Kuwaiti media. — KUNA Sheikh Salman, global firm examine ways to privatize sports scene KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah attends a meeting with a global consultative firm to examine the prospect of privatizing sports in Kuwait. — KUNA By Meshaal Al-Enezi KUWAIT: The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed yesterday announced that the Yemeni peace talks would embark on a new phase for the next two weeks. The Special Envoy said: “after con- vening extensive discussions with the participants we have established the main principles that will guide the next phase of Yemeni talks. These principles are based on the working papers submit- ted by the two delegations and the rec- ommendations of the specialized com- mittees. The two delegations will use the com- ing two weeks to meet their respective leaderships and will then return to Kuwait on July 15th with practical recom- mendations on how to implement the necessary mechanisms that will enable them to sign a peace accord and thus end the conflict in Yemen.” The Special Envoy will utilize the two- week period to meet with key Yemeni and regional political stakeholders to press for a comprehensive solution that will address the mechanisms discussed in the talks and which will ensure the security and stability of Yemen. Yemeni talks embark on new phase in two weeks Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed KUWAIT: On June 30, 1946, late Amir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah turned a silver wheel to begin the process of Kuwait’s first crude oil export aboard the tanker ‘British Fusilier.’ Today marks the 70th anniversary of exporting the first Kuwaiti oil shipment. This enabled the State of Kuwait to join the ranks of the world’s major oil producers. At seven o’clock in the morning of the 30th of June, 1946, a grand celebration was occasioned by exporting the first Kuwaiti oil shipment. The celebration, held under the auspices of the late Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber A-Sabah, the then Amir of Kuwait, was attended by the country’s senior officials, the Political Resident in the Gulf area, the Political Agent in Kuwait and a distinguished audience of guests. Southwell, Director of Kuwait Oil Company Ltd, London, started the event by receiving Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber A-Sabah and his com- panions and escorting them to the ceremony site, where the silver wheel had been placed to herald the occasion. Sheikh Ahmad turned the wheel to start the first Kuwaiti crude oil shipment flowing smoothly through an off-shore pipeline to the British tanker Fusilier. A total of 10,567 tons of crude oil were loaded in 11 hours and 13 minutes, an average of 950 tons per hour. In response, Sheikh Ahmad Al- Jaber A-Sabah said: “Every one of my people and my friends will rejoice with me in this happy event, which by the Grace of God is for our future and welfare. I thank God for such an opportunity as this which will help us carry on with the various improvement which we desire for the happiness and welfare of the Kuwaiti people. “I would like to further mention the assis- tance offered by the Company during their oper- ations in our country. My thanks are also due to Her Majesty’s Government for their help in mak- ing such operations a success, and to my person- al friends the British and American members of the Board as well as to all the Company’s staff for their valuable assistance. I am sure the friend- ship relation existing between us and the Company will continue to exist in a spirit of cor- diality and good will,” he added. Following the event was a ceremonial war dance (Al-Ardha) held in Kuwait city. At night, fireworks ended the activities of the occasion. Nationalization A new era of historic importance began on December 6, 1975 with the nationalization of Kuwait’s oil industry. In line with all the other Arab oil producing states, Kuwait began negoti- ations in the early 1970s to restore control over its own natural oil resources. By mutual agreements with the Company’s two original partners, the State’s shareholding in Kuwait Oil Company was increased progressively until full control was achieved. On March 5, 1975, an agreement was signed by the State of Kuwait and the two oil companies (British Petroleum and Gulf) giving Kuwait complete control of its oil resources. The development of Kuwait’s early oil indus- try to its prominence in the world of oil today is of course due to the abundance of the God-giv- en gift; however, much of it depended on the wise direction of Kuwait’s rulers and the busi- ness acumen of the Kuwaiti people. On the 50th anniversary of the first shipment of crude oil from Kuwait, the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah unveiled a memorial monument in Ahmadi on June 30, 1996. The late Amir also turned a symbolic gold- en wheel in memory of the original ceremony. KOC has dedicated a memorial monument on the 50th anniversary of exporting Kuwait’s first crude oil shipment. The monument highlights the importance of the event in bringing togeth- er Kuwait’s glorious past with its bright and promising future. — KUNA KUWAIT: The late Amir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah turns the sil- ver wheel to officially begin exporting the first Kuwaiti oil shipment, during a ceremony on 30th of June 1946. The late Amir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrives to attend a cer- emony held to officially begin exporting the first Kuwaiti oil shipment on 30th of June, 1946. 70th anniversary of exporting 1st Kuwaiti oil shipment: Challenges and accomplishments