SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017 RAJAB 15, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Interior Ministry Trump military Online fury as Dybala stars as opens service strikes in Syria man dragged Juventus outclass center at complicated off overbooked Barcelona in CL Avenues3 mall by Iran’s8 role United12 flight q-final20 first leg Assembly rejects crucial Min 22º Max 36º citizenship law revision High Tide 00:46 & 12:52 Low Tide Opposition MPs announce two grillings against premier 07:03 & 19:25 40 PAGES NO: 17196 150 FILS By B Izzak trigger heated confrontations between conspiracy theories Amir meets Sudan president the government and opposition lawmak- KUWAIT: The National Assembly yester- ers as the entire country awaits a crucial day rejected an opposition-sponsored ruling by the constitutional court on May Beyond justification amendment stipulating to allow the judi- 3 that could prematurely end the short ciary to look into the cases of Kuwaitis life of the Assembly. who had their citizenships revoked by At the start of the debate, the govern- the government. Following a seven-hour ment bluntly said it opposes any interference debate, the Assembly voted by 36 - in the issue of citizenship, with State Minister including 14 Cabinet members led by for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al- By Badrya Darwish the prime minister himself - against 27 to Abdullah stating that allowing the courts to reject the proposed crucial amendment. hear citizenship cases is against the constitu- Under the current law, the administra- tion and breaches the concept of sovereign- tive court is not competent to handle cit- ty. Lawmakers expressed contradictory views izenship cases because nationality is a on the sensitive issue that has for decades [email protected] sovereign matter. Immediately after the been handled only by the government with- vote, opposition MPs separately out any challenge. announced they would file two grillings Continued on Page 13 against Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber ow fair is the airline business? The whole Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. world was shocked and horrified to see a Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said Miraj off on Apr 27 Hpassenger pulled by force from his seat on he and MPs Mohammad Al-Mutair and KUWAIT: Kuwait will observe April 27 a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville, Marzouq Al-Khalifa will file to grill the as the official holiday marking the Kentucky. The guy was humiliated and dragged prime minister today, while MPs Riyadh annual religious occasion of Israa and from his seat as if he was a criminal. Even criminals Al-Adasani and Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said Miraj, the Civil Service Commission are protected by laws and cannot be humiliated, they will file another grilling on Sunday. said yesterday. Israa and Miraj falls on beaten or physically assaulted. There is a basic KUWAIT: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- The lawmakers said the two grillings are April 24 but the country will observe it respect for a human being. Sabah (left) receives Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir at Bayan Palace coordinated by the opposition MPs. on April 27. — KUNA I felt sorry for the man because his wife was yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 2) Yesterday’s events are highly expected to also next to him on the flight. The problem is that this took place not in a dictatorship or uncivilized, remote and lawless land which every day sees coup d’états, military rule, death and no rules. It happened, guys, in the USA, which all of us con- Zain 2nd most powerful brand in region sider the policeman of the world. So if the police- man of the world can shamelessly do this to his KUWAIT/LONDON: Every year, leading valu- Brand Finance’s Middle East Managing own citizens, what protections do we expect for ation and strategy consultancy Brand Director Andrew Campbell comments, “Zain the rest of us? Finance based in London, values the brands flies the flag for Kuwait, firmly placing the The mind does not accept any justification of thousands of the world’s biggest compa- country not only on the world telecom map, from the airline. The justification was worse than nies. The Middle East’s 50 most valuable but also across its footprint as one of the the crime and the repulsion the world felt in see- brands, classified by both their industry and most powerful brands in the region.” ing such an act. I watched many TV reports and their nation, are featured in the Brand The company’s marketing campaigns spoke with many people, and they all voiced the Finance Middle East 50 ranking. across the region on various media chan- same analysis: Shock, outrage and disgust at the As part of its overall assessment of brand nels have captured the hearts and minds of airline. And my friends asked: How would I feel value, Brand Finance looks at two key factors. millions of people across the Arab World traveling to the United States, and suppose my The first is revenues (both historic and fore- and further afield. Zain’s Ramadan 2016 son or daughter is with me, and the random casted) and second is the strength and famil- TVC had a remarkable 12.5 million views on choice of bumping falls on him or her? What iarity of each brand. On this latter factor, YouTube, with the company’s Ramadan EID would happen to us? We are a family together - Brand Finance looks at aspects such as mar- 2016 TVC also attaining 22 million views to we cannot be apart. keting investment, preference, sustainability date, both relevant and indicative factors of It’s not justified to randomly pull someone. and margins. By stripping out the effect of the brand power of Zain! Today, Zain Group Maybe you will harm his life. You never know what revenues, it is possible to get an even clearer and its eight mobile operations now boast are his circumstances - maybe he had a court date picture of what the brand power brings to more than 8.3 million friends on Facebook, that needed to be attended or a deadline or the overall business and the effective it has 5.7 million followers on Twitter, and 1.1 mil- on the success of its team’s customer- lion followers on Instagram. Over the past patients to see. So your random choice, my dear focused efforts. four years, Zain Group’s and all mobile airline, can harm people’s lives for your profit. No Excluding financial indicators, Zain was Bader Nasser Al Kharafi, Zain Group operations’ numerous YouTube channels matter what laws or rules you give me, that the ranked the second most powerful home- Vice-Chairman and Group CEO across the region have had more than 200 captain is in charge - this was unjust. Clearly and grown brand in the region behind Emirates, campaigns have captured the imagination million views. grossly unjust. I asked my American friend if the the UAE based airliner. The valuation of Zain’s Sustainability, transparency and thought- guy could at least sue for his rights - as suing is a of the whole region. brand for 2017 was calculated at $2.34 billion, Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Zain Group Vice- leadership are at the very core of Zain’s busi- good business in the US - but she said it is unlike- a 9 percent increase on its 2016 valuation. Chairman and Group CEO, said, “This acco- ness and this is reflected in every aspect of ly, as the law is in favor of the airline. Zain has been a recipient of numerous lade of being the second most powerful the company’s day-to-day operational activi- The most annoying thing was the shabby regional and global awards since the intro- home-brand in the Middle East is a credit to ties. Zain’s annual Sustainability Report high- response of the airline’s CEO. Would he like to duction of its inspiring brand in 2007. This the enthusiasm of all our employees, who lights the company’s regional leadership in have this happen to him or a member of his fami- year’s high ranking and increase in valua- we fondly refer to as Zainers, and our loyal pursuing its sustainability agenda and sup- ly? I love the people of the United States and I find tion has been driven by the tangible devel- customers, who are part and parcel of the porting its communities through outreach it a democratic country, where you know how to opments occurring within the company, brand and our greatest ambassadors. We val- activities such as capacity-building, educa- fight for your rights. But this law that protects an where talent development and customer- ue our brand dearly, and all that it represents tion, socio-economic development, and airline in such circumstances is far away from centric programs, heavy investment in net- with respect to empowering and improving environmental stewardship. In addition, with democracy. It’s disgusting. work upgrades, and technology innovation the lives of customers and communities we a focus on supporting the entrepreneurial Careful guys when you travel in the United is impacting customer experience positive- serve. We shall continue to work hard start-up ecosystem, Zain has partnered with States - make sure that you don’t choose an over- ly. Additionally, Zain’s Corporate together with all our various stakeholders to the MIT Pan Arab Start Up Competition for booked flight. Sustainability programs and eye-catching ensure this acknowledgment is reflected the past three years and the global MIT marketing and widespread social media across all our activities.” Innovate for Refugees competition.