Cabinet reviews bilateral relations, port project, digital services, anti-money laundering efforts
KUWAIT: The Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Following the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya briefed the media on the outcomes. At the outset, the Cabinet reviewed messages received by the Amiri Diwan addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from heads of brotherly and friendly countries, focusing on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and activate cooperation in various fields.
The meeting also highlighted the signing of the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project on Boubyan Island on Monday. His Highness the Prime Minister affirmed Kuwait’s appreciation for the Amir’s guidance and the political leadership’s support in implementing strategic projects. He emphasized that these efforts reflect a vision to translate directives into tangible developmental achievements, consolidating institutional work and ensuring integration between planning and follow-up.
The Cabinet noted that the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project represents a cornerstone of Kuwait Vision 2035, contributing to economic diversification, enhancing national income sources, creating high-quality job opportunities, and developing national capabilities in logistics, commerce and related services. The project is expected to strengthen Kuwait’s regional and international trade role, achieve logistical integration with neighboring countries and expand economic cooperation within the global trade system.
The Cabinet praised Minister of Public Works Dr Noura Mohammed Al-Mashaan for her diligent follow-up and efforts to meet all requirements of state regulatory bodies, which culminated in the signing of the EPC contract. The contract was signed on behalf of Kuwait by Dr Al-Mashaan and on behalf of the Chinese side by Chen Zhong, Vice President of China Communications Construction Company Limited.
In addition, Minister of State for Communication Affairs Omar Saud Al-Omar informed the Cabinet that the unified government electronic services application “Sahel” won the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award in its 25th session. The award recognizes Sahel’s role in advancing digital government services, simplifying procedures, and providing an integrated model for enhancing user experience. The Cabinet expressed pride in the achievement and reiterated support for ongoing development to improve service quality and accelerate digital transformation.
The Cabinet also reviewed a presentation by Dr Hamad Khaled Al-Makrad, Head of the Kuwaiti Financial Intelligence Unit and Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. The presentation highlighted Kuwait’s preparations for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) evaluation, legislative reforms, operational developments, and international cooperation in anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing efforts. Finally, the Cabinet reviewed several other agenda items, approving some and referring others to relevant ministerial committees for further study and necessary follow-up. — KUNA
