KPA recommends to form private teams to boost GCC maritime transportation ties
Top Dutch university to open Al-Babtain Centre for Arabic Culture
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 10, (KUNA): The 26th meeting of the Gulf ports and maritime authorities’ officials recommended on Wednesday forming four private teams to strengthen GCC maritime transportation ties. KPA General Manager Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah said in a statement for KUNA after the meeting that was held in Kuwait, the first team would be assigned to safety and security of the ships and port facilities.
Sheikh Yousef said the second team would be specialized in revision of rules and regulations of the academies that provide training for issuing naval authorizations. The third team would be assigned to check marine safety and harbors.
As for the fourth team, Sheikh Yousef said it would be assigned to set the rules and regulations of the ports.
“This meeting witnessed exceptional attendance by all officials of all sectors working in the maritime transportation and port authorities in the GCC, and we came out with great results and we decided to hold such a meeting every six months instead of once a year,” Sheikh Yousef said.
The University of Leiden in the Netherlands will launch Wednesday evening the partnership between Leiden University and the Kuwait-based Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation.
The Leiden University on its website said festive ceremony will include speeches by Petra Sijpesteijn, professor of Arabic and director Leiden University Centre for the Study of Islam, Al-Babtain, director of the AlBabtain Cultural Foundation and Professor Wadad Kadi, the first Al-Babtain visiting professor.
After these short addresses, four poetry recitals will follow: Abdullah Alhatlani, a PhD candidate at the university, will read poetry written by Al-Babtain in Arabic, Peter Webb an expert in the literature and culture of pre-modern Islam, will read Al-Babtain’s poetry in English translation.
Moreover, Anne Vegter, Poet Laureate of the Netherlands from 2013 until 2017, will read two of her poems and Kadi will read the Arabic translation of Vegter’s poems.
Founded in 1575 Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. Today it is considered as one of Europe’s leading international research universities.