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By Mike Senese The inaugural Maker Faire Kuwait happened this past weekend. It was a great first event, with 67 local makers showing their projects, from high-tech inventions to handmade regional crafts, to an engaged flow of attendees. Through all three days, one aspect stood out: the large number of proud young women engineers. Kuwait is a tiny, triangle-shaped country, about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island, sitting between Iraq and Saudi Arabia along the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf. Historically, it was a boat-building and trade leader for the Arabian peninsula; the discovery of large oil reserves in the 1930s helped it develop a strong focus on science and engineering and turned Kuwait into one of the richest countries in the world. I wasn’t too familiar with these aspects as I arrived to Kuwait the night before its first Maker Faire began. Approaching at night over the Persian Gulf by plane, the downtown stood out as tall and modern, each building brightly l

Chinese navy officers pose for a picture with Kuwaiti officials next to a Harbin destroyer, which arrived as part of the Chinese fleet at Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City, February 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP) A Chinese naval fleet has wrapped up visits to four Arab states in the strategic Persian Gulf region. The Chinese task force, consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Harbin, the guided-missile frigate Handan, and the supply ship Dongpinghu, departed Kuwait on Sunday after stopping in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, media reported on Monday. The Chinese task force completed an assignment escorting commercial ships and patrolling for pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It was the 24th Chinese task force to be assigned such missions since 2008. Chinese navy officers pose for a picture with Kuwaiti officials next to a Harbin destroyer, which arrived as part of the Chinese fleet at Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City, February 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP) China’s navy has used the pat