DOHA: Plans are afoot to make military service compulsory for Qatari men in the 18-35 age group.
A draft law to the effect was approved by the State Cabinet at its weekly meeting yesterday and referred to the Advisory Council for its recommendations.
The draft envisages making it mandatory for Qatari male graduates aged 18 to 35 years to undergo active military service for three months.
For non-graduates, the duration of the proposed active service is to be four months. The latter would apply to Qatari men who did not attend school, college or university and those who did attend but did not complete high school even after crossing age 21.
The proposed service rule is to apply also to Qatari men who were barred from study in school, college or university and did not graduate after reaching the prescribed age.
Qatar News Agency reported that the active service would include a period of military training and a period of active service in one of the units of the defence forces. By a ministerial decision some of the recruits may be allowed to join other institutions as per the provisions of the proposed military service law.
The proposed law aims to achieve security interests of the homeland and readiness at all times to maintain the security and stability of the country, relying on a regular force that would have the backing of a reserve force as and when required, QNA said.
Qatar is, incidentally, the first country in the region to be taking steps to make military service compulsory for its young male citizens.
Commenting on a local social networking site at least one Qatari said it was not clear if the proposed mandatory military service rule would also apply to those Qatari men in the said age group who were already in government service.
The Peninsula
