Bahraini king withdraws minister grade from advisors

The King of Bahrain has rescinded occupational grade of 'minister' from Royal advisors and set specific conditions for the state-appointed Shura Council members, including a university degree and displaying "honorable patriotic stances." The decision, made by a Royal Decree, sees the advisors of the King's Royal Diwan (Court) and the Diwan of the Crown Prince, along with any official bearing that position apart from actual cabinet ministers, losing the title, according to the state Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa also issued strict requirements for members of Bahrain's Shura Council, namely "competence, honorable patriotic stances and possessing a higher academic degree." Other conditions include the necessity to "represent all spectrums of the society without prejudice of ethnicity, origin, faith or creed."