KUWAIT: Minister of State for Communications Omar Al-Omar affirmed on Wednesday that the Kuwaiti government’s agreement with Google Cloud marks a strategic milestone in building the country’s national digital infrastructure and a qualitative leap in the management and operation of government services. Speaking at the Kuwait Cloud Day event, Al-Omar highlighted that the partnership supports Kuwait’s transition towards a digital economy driven by innovation and artificial intelligence, enabling the development of future government applications and services that leverage advanced data analysis and smart decision-making.
“This aligns with the political leadership’s support for the national digital integration process and the achievement of the goals of the New Kuwait 2035 vision,” he said. Within the framework of the agreement, several national projects have been launched to form the practical basis for digital transformation in Kuwait. The first of these is the National Data Exchange Platform (Apigee), described as the cornerstone of government integration, which unifies application programming interfaces (APIs) across government entities in a secure and reliable environment.
Among the initiatives is the System for Seawater Migration (SOW2), which aims to migrate government systems to the Google Cloud environment in a modern and secure manner. Al-Omar emphasized that these projects represent more than technical steps — they establish a smart, data-driven government and a secure, sustainable digital ecosystem that supports innovation and enhances the quality of life and services.
“Our goal is not just to move to the cloud, but to build digital sovereignty that protects the state’s data and enables government entities to operate efficiently, securely, and quickly,” he stated. To date, more than 67 digital interfaces have been activated across eight government entities, facilitating the development of an integrated government system for seamless and reliable data exchange. Al-Omar expressed gratitude to Google Cloud for its continued support, highlighting the partnership as a global model for public-private collaboration in building a sustainable digital future.
Shaima Al-Turkait, General Manager of Google Cloud in Kuwait, described the partnership as a vital investment in the country’s future and a pioneering model of collaboration to enhance digital capabilities. She noted three key initiatives developed with government agencies: national training and capacity-building programs in partnership with the Central Agency for Information Technology, a data mapping program in cooperation with the Government Communication Center, and a project to enhance Kuwait’s tourism sector using artificial intelligence technologies, implemented with Google.org and the Spark Foundation alongside the Ministry of Information.
Al-Turkait said the training programs, delivered both online and through on-site events, have already equipped more than 2,000 Kuwaiti trainees with Google Cloud skills. The data mapping initiative trained 90 government employees from 40 entities to manage institutional data directly on Google Maps. The tourism initiative empowers Kuwaiti nationals to use AI tools to enhance services and promote local destinations.
Abdulrahman Al-Dhaheban, General Manager of Google Cloud for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Kuwait’s digital transformation, citing the Advanced Application Framework (AFA), which serves 114 government agencies and state-owned enterprises, and the ongoing training of Kuwaiti nationals to develop digital operational capabilities. The Kuwait Cloud Day event featured panel discussions on migrating government and academic systems to Google Cloud, sessions on public sector collaboration using Google Workspace, and presentations on the national data integration platform using Apigee, underscoring Kuwait’s efforts to build a fully integrated, secure and data-driven government system. — KUNA
