Qatar will have the first female fighter pilot who will soon graduate, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H.E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah.

The Najah Qatari Festival forum on Wednesday evening focused on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H.E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, highlighting his career success.

The forum, held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in the presence of H.E Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani and H.E Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al-Thani.

In response to a question about the priorities of the Qatari armed forces today, H.E the Deputy Prime Minister said: “Our most important priority is to attract Qatari youth because the human element is a top priority as main protector of the country are its people but our strategy is interested in the presence of highly professional armed forces that can protect the air, land and sea and protect the capabilities of the State.”

On the presence of a number of girls in the Qatari armed forces, H.E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, said:

“We have an excellent percentage of girls who are currently employed in the medical, IT and administrative fields. We have quite a good number of girls in the armed forces, and there are even who fly helicopters,  graduated recently, and we will have the first female fighter pilot who will soon graduate. Women are there but there is a special nature of the armed forces that is taken into account with the sisters to choose the work that suits them.”

Asked about the Qatari Armed Forces’ tendency to manufacture weapons and self-reliance, H.E Dr. Al-Attiyah said: “There is a trend of leadership to achieve self-sufficiency in all areas or at least the minimum that serves us in times of crisis.”

Consequently, H.E the Deputy Prime Minister said, the army and various sectors in the country seek to provide the needs that meet the requirements, hence, the armed forces are working to develop the field of military research and industrialisation.

As for national service, H.E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah said that the idea came from the Amir H.H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, given that national service is very important to the state given the size, population, and the strategic and economic importance of Qatar. H.E said that the national service is like an insurance contract. H.E also said that the initial four-months period that was agreed upon proved to be insufficient, prompting extending the term of the service to one year.

On the military high school, H.E said that it was a result of the directives of Amir H.H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on developing the armed forces.

Source: The Peninsula