Qatar allows women to join national service amidst intensified diplomatic blockade by Arab quartet

Doha, April 6: Amidst intensified diplomatic blockade by Arab quartet, Qatar has taken a huge step of introducing women to join national service and also extended the time served in the military by conscripted men.

 

The Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Thursday signed a legislation that said, “Women aged over 18 will be able to volunteer for national service while men will now serve a year instead of three months.” The new law came into effect on the immediate basis.

The state-run News Agency of Qatar said, “National service for females is voluntary,” adding that every Qatari male between 18 and 35 is required to perform a compulsory military service. However, it is the first time in Qatar that women had been allowed to undertake national service, although some women already serve in the military in administrative roles.

Notably, the development comes after the economic and financial impact on Qatar put by Arab quartet including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt led blockade is fading slowly. Since the beginning of the diplomatic crisis, Qatar has signed several military contracts with countries including the United States, France, Italy and Britain. A few days earlier, Qatar decided to buy 12 more Rafale fighter jets with an aim to boost and strengthen its defence sector.

In the month of June last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and several other nations cut ties with Qatar and imposed stringent economic sanctions on it over supporting extremism. On the other side, Qatar denied all their allegations saying that they never supported Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran.

Later, Saudi and its allies issued a 13-point list of demands to end the rift on June 22 and gave Qatar 10 days to comply. However, earlier Qatar rejected to fulfill the demands. The controversial Qatar World Cup will take place Nov. 21-Dec. 18 in 2022.