The city with MP calls for Kyrgios stuns three walls; monitoring Djokovic again; Kut ‘nucleus expat money Federer races of Kuwait’7 transfers9 past43 Nadal Min 14º Max 24º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 17170- Friday, MARCH 17, 2017 (Inset) Sign reads in Arabic: This shop is closed today (Thursday) in protest against the rental increase from the new manage- ment company from KD 2,280 for February 2017 to KD 10,850 for March 2017. — Photos by Athoob Al-Shuaibi Mubarakiya reopens as PM intervenes SEE PAGES 4 & 5 Local FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 PHOTO OF THE DAY Local Spotlight Republic of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh By Muna Al-Fuzai [email protected] epublic of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh - I don’t know who made up this name, but they probably Rhave their reasons. Let’s see why. Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh is an area near Kuwait International Airport mostly inhabited by Asian expatriate workers, with some Arabs and a few Kuwaiti fami- lies. Kuwait has a population of about 4 million, including 2.8 million expatriates from many differ- ent countries. The population of Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh was 265,000 according to the 2010 cen- sus. We are in 2017, so this figure has surely increased over the years. Wikipedia describes this area, and I quote: “The US State Department’s travel advisory for Kuwait Vintage cars and trucks in Kuwait City. — Photo by Ghazi Qaffaf describes Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh as a ‘high-crime area’ and advises US citizens to avoid the area, especially at night.” Well, they said the truth! Why is this area considered dangerous, especial- kaffeeklatsch ly at night? In Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, everyone seems to live in accordance to their own system that has Ignore nationalists at your own peril! been adopted for years, aimed at providing for This poses a threat to the security of a small By Shakir Reshamwala country like Kuwait [email protected] their needs as they wish and not according to the n this new era of alternative facts and fake news, selectively published at the discretion of the media laws and regulations of the country. This encour- ages outlaws to hide in this crowded area, and they traditional media are forced to walk a thin line. outlet, the Internet provides instant feedback. How a continue with their illegal and unethical activities IFaced with declining circulations, low viewership particular story is trending can be immediately until they get caught by the police. and falling revenues, they can ill-afford to avoid giv- gauged by the number of ‘likes’, comments and ‘Bachelor’ residents often seek to rent small ing a platform to nationalists. Social media have no shares it elicits. rooms in old houses, so it is natural to see 10 peo- problem lapping up every word these rightwing lead- Call it the democratization of the media landscape. ple live in one room! The area has seen several ers say, and have become the main sources of news For better or worse, the stranglehold of traditional blazes due to a lack of security and safety condi- for most people who eschew mainstream newspa- media outlets over the dissemination of news has been tions, and the crowded streets usually delay the pers and TV channels. These online sites are not con- weakened. Apart from a host of independent and sane arrival of firefighters. Overcrowding is the main rea- strained by fact-checking what they publish, and are voices, this liberalization of the media has resulted in a son for the crimes there. content to shoot first and ask questions later, if any. free-for-all, allowing those with racist, sexist, xenopho- So, I guess this makes this area a republic, Their only concern is to drive traffic to their websites bic and other deviant views to get equal billing with because it lives on its own terms. This is not accept- and monetize the clicks. mainstream media on social networks. Traditional able at all and makes no sense. The area has This has put traditional mainstream media in a media are now straining to make their voices heard by become a threat to families because it has turned bind, and they have to devote time, money and effort people who are in their own social and search bubbles into a nest of residency violators. This poses a to also pursue such stories. This can be seen in the US, and echo chambers, where news outlets of all stripes threat to the security of a small country like Kuwait. where despite being labeled as ‘fake’ and ‘failing’ by are mostly preaching to the choir. In recent months, the interior ministry has been the president, most respectable news outlets still So it is no surprise that many politicians and per- strict in applying residency laws and searching for report his every outrageous utterance and tweet lest sonalities have figured it out that the only way to pro- violators through continuous inspection cam- paigns. Excellent job, but MoI still needs the help of they are viewed as leftwing elitists, or worse, become mote their brand is by making offensive and shocking other government bodies. There must be a role for irrelevant. There is a fear of being left out and statements that the mainstream media cannot ignore them in cooperation with the MoI to clean up this ignored, or falling behind in this age where clickbait to avoid being seen as haughty. These comments area, and the municipality comes first. stories and silly listicles are viewed as legitimate jour- then go viral, bringing publicity to these people, and There have been calls to fix and organize this nalism by many millenials. ironically, monetary gains for the media outlets too. area, but so far, solutions are few. There is a need to In Kuwait too, statements by MPs against expats This is a vicious circle that cannot be easily broken. address the problems of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh with a make the headlines on a daily basis. Most of what Historically, it has been seen that boycotters only hurt collective effort and effective radical solutions. they say is inapplicable, irrational or wildly inaccurate, themselves. Politicians who boycott elections - even Setting up decent labor zones is a must and the but is wholeheartedly consumed by citizens and though they may have a valid reason to do so - very MoI should never slow down or ease its hunt for expats alike, who then dissect these comments by often find they are ignored by the regime and voters violators in this area. cheering or dissing them in online forums. Unlike the and risk being sidelined or forgotten. The media too Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh is just another area in Kuwait, ‘letters to the editor’ of yore that provided a glimpse faces this dilemma. It seems in today’s world, the and we should not let it become more than this. into reactions to various stories, and which were moral high ground can be a very lonely place. Local FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 Mubarakiah reopens; PM intervenes By Nawara Fattahova , Athoob Al-Shuaibi, Azzgencies interests in a fashion that would safeguard the traditional fea- protest against the high rental cost that increased to 500 per- tures of the market,” the Prime Minister said. The govern- cent. Senior Kuwaitis like to visit Mubarakiya every day. For KUWAIT: Al-Mubarakiah market reopened yesterday evening ment’s statement added that the Deputy Prime Minister and them, it is more than a heritage place. It is their childhood and after it was shut down by protesting shop owners and mer- Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh, the Minister of Commerce a place that was defined by their ancestors. chants over a rent increase. The merchants reopened their and Industry and the Acting Minister of Youth Affairs Khaled The Kuwait Commercial Markets Complex Company ran the shops after His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Al-Roudhan have met with the shopkeepers at the market. market for twenty years with a BOT contract. In 2016, the com- Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah intervened - promising to They assured them on the government’s keenness on preserv- pany raised the rents 150%. Mubarakiya is like the Speaker’s resolve the issue. The Minister of Commerce and Industry ing the rights of all those working at the market in a manner corner at the Hyde Park of London. In each corner, you will see Khaled Al-Rodhan visited the market yesterday to address the that would not be at expense of its traditional features. a mob around someone who desires to be heard. A number of shop owners. “The decision (to increase the rent) won’t be traders, media and political figures came to show their sup- applied until we solve the issue. Also the Speaker of the House Feeling upset? go to Mubarakiya port and send a message to the competent authorities - Marzouq Al Ghanim has agreed to correct any legislative mis- There’s a local saying in Kuwait, “Whenever you feel upset, demanding solutions to the crisis. Media veteran Aisha Al- takes in order to resolve the problem,” he stated during his go to Mubarakiya”. But on reaching Mubarakiya yesterday Yahya stated “I was there yesterday and I saw elderly women tour yesterday. He promised to resolve the issue and apolo- morning, anger and sadness overtook the cheerful soul of that crying inside the mosque after they heard about the rent gized to the people of Kuwait for any mistakes in the con- place. At Souq Al-Gharabally in Mubarakiya, all the shops were increase. Millions of tourists from the Gulf region do visit tracts.