State-owned firms to explore partnerships in infrastructure, logistics • Telecom deal in discussion
KUWAIT: Kuwait is set to receive four official delegations from major Chinese state-owned companies next month to explore investment opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, and other key development projects, a senior official announced Wednesday.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace. The session brought together members of the ministerial committee tasked with following up on agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between Kuwait and China.
“The official high-level communications with the Chinese government are progressing rapidly,” said Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs, Ambassador Sameeh Johar Hayat, in a statement published by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). “Next month, Kuwait will welcome four official delegations representing major Chinese state-owned enterprises to discuss avenues for cooperation and investment with the Kuwaiti government in areas such as infrastructure, logistics, and other development sectors.”
The meeting reviewed the latest developments in implementing a number of MoUs between the two governments, covering strategic sectors like Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, renewable energy, low-carbon waste recycling, public housing development, wastewater treatment, and free economic zones. Discussions also touched on joint efforts to combat desertification.
HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah underscored Kuwait’s commitment to moving forward with large-scale development plans and strengthening its strategic partnership with China. “What has been achieved in terms of positive economic growth indicators and attracting foreign investments confirms that we are on the right path,” he said, stressing the importance of “promoting initiative and achievement across all aspects of economic development.”
He added that the deepening collaboration with China “represents an important step toward expanding major development projects in the country and strengthening economic ties between the two nations.”
As part of recent collaborative efforts, a high-level technical delegation from Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works was set to travel to China early this week to discuss the launch of a major wastewater treatment initiative, the committee noted during its meeting last week. However, no further details were provided on the visit in this week’s press statement.
The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, Housing Minister Abdullatif Al-Meshari, Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Dr Sabeeh Al-Mukhaizeem, and Director General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority Sheikh Dr Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
Telecom deal
Kuwait’s Minister of State for Communications Affairs, Omar Al-Omar, held talks this week with Liu Xiang, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, to explore deeper cooperation in the fields of telecommunications and technology.
In a press statement issued Thursday, the Ministry of Communications said the meeting reviewed a proposed memorandum of understanding between the two countries and stressed the importance of aligning joint initiatives with Kuwait’s national strategic goals. Both sides emphasized the value of strengthening their technical partnership, the ministry noted.
The Chinese diplomat praised Kuwait’s current presidency of the Digital Cooperation Organization, saying it reflects the country’s active role in promoting innovation and shaping digital policy across the region and globally. “This meeting comes as part of efforts to enhance constructive dialogue between the State of Kuwait and the People’s Republic of China toward sustainable and fruitful digital cooperation,” Liu said in the statement. He also invited Minister Al-Omar to attend the upcoming PartNIR Forum—a global event on Fourth Industrial Revolution partnerships—scheduled for September. — Agencies
