SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 SAFAR 2, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Alghanim Palestinian Mel Gibson: World Cup Industries lawyer fights for ‘It’s time top-scorer sponsors women, one Hollywood Klose retires Tmkeen3 divorce14 at a time forgave38 me’ at20 38 47 candidates disbarred Min 21º from contesting election Max 38º High Tide 00:29 & 14:03 Hopefuls to challenge decisions in court Low Tide 07:40 & 19:29 40 PAGES NO: 17038 150 FILS By B Izzak Bader Al-Kharafi spearheads innovation at Zain KUWAIT: The legal committee reviewing applications filed by candidates to contest the National Assembly Zain invests in digital frontier as part of strategic future polls later this month decided yesterday to bar 47 can- didates from the race due to a variety of reasons. A KUWAIT: Telecom providers across the Zain: The digital frontier number of candidates said they were informed by the globe are under pressure from a bevy of Zain, Kuwait’s biggest telecom opera- committee of its decision and vowed they will chal- today’s disruptive technologies, espe- tor by subscribers, is at the forefront of lenge the decision today at the administrative court. cially emerging over the top (OTT) serv- this strategic mind shift. Tacking with the The list includes former opposition MPs Bader Al- ices like WhatsApp, Viber and others. The winds of change is never easy, especially Dahoum and Safa Al-Hashem, the only member of the result has become an inflection point for for a multibillion-dollar multinational ruling family to contest, Sheikh Malek Al-Humoud Al- multinational telecom operators. Some with operations in eight countries across Sabah, and controversial former MP Abdulhameed are shifting toward becoming, in effect, the region. But as one of the only private- Dashti, who has been sentenced to 31 years and six local utilities providing digital services, ly-held telecom providers in the region, months in jail. but meanwhile hold- Zain is more agile and flex- Dahoum said on his Twitter account the election ing fast to a diminish- ible when it comes to SPECIAL REPORT authority decided to ban him from contesting the Nov ing population of tradi- responding to challenges. 26 polls without stating any reason. He said he will tional customers. Kuwait Times sat down immediately challenge the decision. Dahoum’s lawyer Others are forging a new path, estab- with Emre Gurkan, Chief Strategy and Adel Abdulhadi said his client was barred over an lishing themselves as the digital lifestyle Business Development Officer at Zain, to apparently minor reason and he plans to fight it in provider of choice, and more important- learn more about the telecom’s strategy court. ly reinventing the concept of telecom and vision for the future. Zain’s strategy Hashem, a member of the dissolved house before operator to include a much broader, for the future rests on six pillars, said she resigned over a year ago, said she received a letter more diversified portfolio that offers Gurkan: “Customer experience, opera- informing her that she cannot run due to a court verdict technology solutions, smart city part- tional effectiveness, value management, against her. She said she will fight the ban. Hashem was nerships and a vision of an all-encom- business-to-business (enterprise), talent KUWAIT: Emre Gurkan, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer at Zain, previously convicted of slander against former Islamist passing digital future. Continued on Page 13 speaks to Kuwait Times. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 News PAGE PAGE in brief Kuwait working to free China’s secretive stealth student detained in US fighter unveiled in flyby Saudi chief of major Islamic body resigns JEDDAH: The world’s largest pan-Islamic body, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said its Saudi chief Iraqi forces battle IS inside Mosul resigned Monday, days after infuriating Egypt over a remark BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces fought their way into Mosul yesterday, the mili- that mocked President Abdel tary said, as a top commander declared the “true liberation” of the city Fattah Al-Sisi. OIC Secretary- from the Islamic State group had begun. Just over two weeks into the General Iyad Madani “has massive offensive to retake Mosul - IS’ last major stronghold in Iraq - resigned for health reasons”, the the army said its forces had managed to push within city limits. Troops Jeddah-based organization said had “entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti area, within the left bank of the city in a statement, two days after of Mosul,” the Joint Operations Command said in a statement. Mosul is Cairo condemned the comment Iyad Madani split by the Tigris River, with the eastern half of the city known as the that provoked outrage among left bank. Judaidat al-Mufti is on the southeastern side of the city. Egyptians. Saudi Arabia has nominated its former minis- Artillery and air strikes pounded the city, still home to 1.5 million ter of social affairs, Youssef Al-Othaymeen, to replace people, and residents of the eastern neighborhood of Al-Quds said the Madani, the statement said. Egypt’s foreign ministry ultra-hardline militants had resorted to street fighting to try to hold the said it supported the nominee, “appreciating the impor- army back. Residents speaking to Reuters by telephone said they heard tant role Saudi is doing in the support of the activities the sounds of heavy clashes since dawn. One inhabitant of Al-Quds and goals of OIC”. said bullets were fizzing past and hitting the walls of houses, describ- ing the explosions as “deafening and frightening”. Many people in the area have stayed indoors for the last two days. “We can see Daesh Internet to be affected due (Islamic State) fighters firing towards the Iraqi forces and moving in to maintenance of cable cars between the alleys of the neighborhood. It’s street fighting.” KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communications yester- One witness said he saw nine cars, laden with families and furniture, day said Gulf Bridge International (GBI) would be heading from the eastern half of the city to the west bank of the Tigris carrying out maintenance to the underwater River to escape the encroaching frontline. Away from the eastern fringe Internet cable in the Arabian Sea from Nov 2-6, of the city, however, traffic was relatively normal, markets were open, which would affect Internet services in Kuwait and and Islamic State fighters were patrolling as usual. GCC countries. The ministry, in a brief statement, Elite Iraqi forces had also recaptured the key village of Gogjali and urged local Internet providers in Kuwait to seek taken control of a television station building belonging to a local affili- alternative international cables during the mainte- ate of Iraqiya state TV on the eastern edge of the city. QAYARA, Iraq: Displaced people stand on the back of a truck at a checkpoint near this town nance period to prevent slow service. Continued on Page 13 south of Mosul yesterday. — AP Saudi finance minister Shock poll puts Trump ahead Emir: Qatar must replaced by royal decree RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday replaced its veteran WASHINGTON: An explosive new poll showed Donald Clinton is still the overwhelming favorite, thanks to the tackle ‘culture finance minister as the kingdom undergoes a major Trump leading the race for the White House yesterday, quirks of the US electoral system, which tallies the winner economic restructuring because of lower oil revenues. amid an avalanche of revelations and allegations a week based on weighted state-by-state races. The New York of consumption’ before Election Day. An ABC News/Washington Post track- Times’ statistical model gives Clinton an 88 percent Ibrahim Al-Assaf “has been removed from his position”, DOHA: Qatar’s emir yesterday said that the super- said a royal decree, one of a series of orders from King ing poll showed the Republican leading his rival Hillary chance of winning, while respected website Clinton 46-45 percent, with news of a renewed FBI probe FiveThirtyEight says 74 percent. But the shock ABC poll rich Gulf state must tackle its “culture of consump- Salman, published by the official SPA news agency. tion” as it deals with the sharp decline in world ener- Assaf, who held the post for 20 years, was replaced by apparently devouring the Democrat’s long-held lead. caps a series of surveys that point to a race which is nar- Experts caution not to put too much stock in any one poll, rowing in the final sprint. gy prices. In a speech to mark the opening session Mohammed Al-Jadaan, head of the Capital Market of Qatar’s Advisory Council, Sheikh Tamim bin Authority which regulates the stock market. Assaf, who especially one well within the statistical margin of error. Continued on Page 13 Hamad Al-Thani also called for the elimination of has a doctorate in economics, was reassigned as a min- “extravagance and waste” as the emirate faces its ister of state and will remain in the cabinet. Jadaan, a first budget deficit in 15 years. lawyer, had led the CMA since January last year. No replacement for him at the market regulator was imme- Sheikh Tamim said that Qatar would complete all diately named. infrastructure projects connected with the 2022 football World Cup but would strive for greater effi- ciency in government spending in a new five-year Qatar to grow 16,000 plan to be launched next year. This new approach would incorporate the development of a “culture of trees for World Cup planning, work and achievement”, as well as cultural DOHA: Desert state Qatar is to grow 16,000 trees changes, especially aimed at the country’s young.