KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and senior state officials attend a graduation ceremony for the 46th batch of cadet students at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy yesterday. - Photos by Amiri Diwan and Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, patronized and attended a graduation ceremony for the 46th batch of cadet students at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy yesterday. His Highness the Amir was warmly welcomed to the venue by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Chief of the Army General Staff Lt Gen Mohammad Al-Khedhr and other army generals.



His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem, His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and several other senior state officials also attended the event. The National Anthem was played and some Holy Quran verses were recited at the onset of the army graduation ceremony.

Addressing the event, Assistant Commander of Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy Brig Khaled Al-Otaibi thanked His Highness the Amir for patronizing and attending the event. He said the new army graduates are totally ready for sacrificing themselves to defending and protecting Kuwait, boasting that they are well-trained, active, strong and loyal to their own nation. He added that nowadays science has become a stupendous and influential force and that some countries have greatly developed thanks to science.

No buts, training is now the core element of military efficiency, he stressed, believing that experiences have proved that strong armies are not only built on preparedness and armament but on principles, morale and confidence as well. The army officer went on to say that Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy is keen on living up to training missions and equipping itself with technological means and efficient human elements. Finally, he urged the new graduates to capitalize on their high military knowledge and training to prop up the performance of their military unites in various domains.



As the graduation festivities got underway, Dhari Al-Bouqan, one of the graduating officers, recited a poem before his fellow cadets who lined up ready to march in for their graduation ceremony. Afterwards, Col Adel Al-Kandari, Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy's director of academic affairs, announced the names of the graduating officers, before His Highness the Amir began to bestow awards upon the top honor graduates. Col Salah Al-Hamdan then began reciting the oath of enlistment as the national anthem began to play to close out the ceremony, with His Highness the Amir being handed a commemorative gift to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile, Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Sabah was quoted as saying that he was proud of the officers as they reach a milestone in their lives, urging them to put their newly acquired knowledge to good use. He thanked the military academy for its efforts to mold a determined batch of cadets, wishing Kuwait continued prosperity, security and development amid a lavish ceremony attended by the country's top military leaders. - KUNA