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QNA/AFP
Doha
In a historic move, Qatar has appointed four women to the Advisory (Shura) Council, one of its most important consultative bodies, for the first time.
On Thursday, the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani issued the Emiri Decision No. 22 of 2017, renewing the membership of some Advisory Council members and appointing 28 new members, including four women, to the council.
The four women will sit on the council, which is responsible for discussing draft laws approved by the Cabinet, general government policy and the state's draft budget.
The four women are Hessa Sultan Jaber Mohammed al Jaber, Aisha Youssuf Omar al Hamad al Mannai, Hend Abdurrahman Mohammed Mubarak al Muftah and Reem Mohammed Rashid al Hammoudi al Mansouri.
"Women play an important role in national decision-making in all fields,"Muftah, who works at the Doha Institute for Postgraduate Studies, told AFP.
She added that this role covered government institutions and the"overall development process in the country".
The announcement comes as Qatar continues to deal with the impact of the worst and most bitter diplomatic crisis in the Gulf for years.
Since the crisis began, Doha has made several notable social policy changes, including changes to its residency laws and labour laws to protect the two million-plus migrant workers in Qatar..
In 2015, two women were voted on to the country's only directly elected body, the Central Municipal Cuncil.
Previously, Jaber became only the third woman appointed to the Cabinet, when she was selected as communications minister in 2013.
She was also appointed to Volkswagen's advisory board after Qatar's investment in the German carmaker.
Earlier this week, Qatar announced the appointment of its first foreign ministry spokeswoman, Lulwah Rashid al Khater.
The newly-appointed members of the Shura Council are: Youssuf Mohammed Youssuf al Obaidan, Ismail Mohammed Shareef al Emadi, Ahmed Abdullah Zaid al Mahmoud, Abdurrahman Youssuf Abdurrahman al Khulaifi, Youssuf Ahmed Ali Omran al Kuwari, Abdullah Khalid Mohammed al Jaber al Nuaimi, Mohammed Abdullah Abdulghani Nasser al Abdulghani, Dahlan Jamaan Basheer al Hamad, Hessa Sultan Jaber Mohammed al Jaber, Khalifa Ali Khalifa al Hetmi, Aisha Youssuf Omar al Hamad al Mannai, Abdulaziz Mohammed Abdullah al Attiyah, Nasser Salmeen Khalid al Suwaidi, Mohammed Mahdi Ajyan Mohammed al Ahbabi, Ali Abdullatif Mohammed al Misnad al Mohannadi, Nasser Sultan Nasser al Humaidi, Mubarak Saif Hamdan Musif al Mansouri, Khalid Mohammed Ajaj al Kubaisi, Mohammed Mansour Khalil al Khalil al Shahwani, Khalid Abdullah Rashid al Buainein, Mohammed Ali Jaber Hamad al Henzab,
Abdullah Fahad Abdullah Ghorab al Marri, Abdullatif Mohammed Abdullatif al Sada, Hend Abdurrahman Mohammed Mubaral al Muftah, Fahad Mohammed Fahad Saad Buzweir, Saleh Abdullah Mohammed al Ibrahim al Mannai, Mohammed Ali Sultan al Ali al Maadheed, and Reem Mohammed Rashid al Hammoudi al Mansouri.
The Shura Council members whose memberships have been renewed are: Rashid Hamad al Farhoud al Maadhadi, Nasser Rashid Seraei al Kaabi, Youssuf Rashid Youssuf al Khater, Mohammed Khalid Abdulaziz al Ghanim al Maadheed, Ibrahim Khalifa Ibrahim al Nasr, Nasser Suleiman Haider Mohammed al Haider, Mohammed Abdullah Youssuf al Sulaiti, Hadi Said Abdulhadi Heleit al Khyareen, Abdullah Khalid Mohammed al Mana, Nasser Khalil Ibrahim Youssuf al Jaidah, Saqr Fahd Saqr al Meraikhi, Nasser Ahmed Mohammed al Malki al Juhani, and Ahmed Khalifa Meteeb Rashid al Rumaihi.
As per the decision, the membership whose names weren't mentioned shall be terminated.