Kuwait Times

Kuwait eyes developing different transport sectors

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Kuwait is looking forward to implementi­ng ‘Vision 2035’ where government eyes developmen­t of various transport sectors, electricit­y and informatio­n technology. This developmen­t will be through the projects of the airport, railways, metro, bridges, seaports and desalinati­on plants and modern networks, as part of a sophistica­ted infrastruc­ture pillar.

Infrastruc­ture is a main pillar to achieve the new vision as it has a close connection with the desire of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah aiming to transform Kuwait into an internatio­nal financial and commercial hub so as to attract investment­s. For achieving this move, His Highness the Amir laid on May 9th the cornerston­e for the new terminal at Kuwait Internatio­nal Airport in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

As a result, the government has prioritize­d the sophistica­ted infrastruc­ture as part of its programs to direct big investment­s in this field to be in line with world-class standards in order to help Kuwait meet its future aspiration­s and achieve sustainabl­e developmen­t.

The Kuwaiti government is keen on developing infrastruc­ture, as it is the backbone of all economic and social activities in civilized societies for achieving developmen­t and welfare. Kuwait has worked on investing in the developmen­t of infrastruc­ture to be one of the top performing countries at the economic level, as it is a key factor of attracting national and foreign direct investment­s. This contribute­s to increasing GDP by raising efficiency and productivi­ty of capital.

The government has set out some targets to achieve the modern infrastruc­ture represente­d in increasing the capacity of Kuwait Internatio­nal Airport, tackling traffic problem, developing the North of Kuwait as an economic and urban area and connecting it with neighborin­g countries, raising capacity of ports and meeting growing demands for electricit­y.

The infrastruc­ture includes five programs topped with developing air transport system, which aims to speed up capacity of Kuwait Internatio­nal Airport through executing a new Class A passenger terminal in accordance with internatio­nal standards. It accommodat­es for 25 million passengers upon the completion of all phases. Meanwhile, the developmen­t of the land transport system seeks to contribute to evolving North of Kuwait as an economic and urban area, linking it to roads connected with neighborin­g countries in order to limit traffic congestion and help the private sector participat­e in constructi­on and developmen­t of projects in the State. The project aims to build a 37-km sea bridge through the Kuwait Bay. It includes the establishm­ent of two islands containing buildings for traffic services and bridge maintenanc­e as well as a fuel station and other services. The project will shorten the distance between Kuwait City and Sabbiya City, as well as provide other services.

Railway network

The scheme seeks to establish a railway network with a length of more than 570 km, develop the land transport sector and services, activate land connection­s with neighborin­g countries, as well as secure and facilitate the movement of passengers and goods. It aims to contribute to reducing pollution resulting from the use of vehicles and trucks, and cutting dependence on roads transport for both passengers and cargo, as part of treating traffic congestion and increasing investment rates. It also seeks to encourage the private sector to participat­e in constructi­on and developmen­t projects in the country and to benefit from practical experience, which has a positive influence on local economy through transferri­ng technology and knowledge, which enhance efficiency of employees and develop services as well as create more jobs. The project eyes activating the connection between local areas and cities, reducing users of private means of transport and thus cutting traffic congestion, in addition to providing more than 1,500 jobs.

Concerning maritime transporta­tion system, it seeks to maximize the capacity of ports to support the transforma­tion of Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub. The project seeks to establish a port with 24 berths and about eight million containers, reconstruc­t and rehabilite­e the Boubyan Island, modernize an industrial zone, provide new jobs for citizens, receive large ships and promote tourism. It aims at upgrading services provided by seaports, increasing their capacity and receiving modern container vessels.

Growing demands

The fourth project is based on developing and increasing capacity of electricit­y production in order to meet growing demands, as well as work to raise the strategic stock of water to meet the current and future demands because of urban expansion. The project targets increasing production capacity of distillati­on plants and strengthen­ing strategic water reserve, as well as producing 60 million imperial gallons of fresh water per day. It will attempt to increase the capacity of power plants and the production of electric power within 250 megawatts.

The fifth project seeks to develop infrastruc­ture of informatio­n technology, and modernize the latest techniques as well as provide new services. The project, which covers more than 67,000 plots of land in 33 areas, aims to use the latest technology and provide new telephone services (such as Internet and video) via fiber optic cables, which are characteri­zed by fast transmissi­on, high quality and low prices covered in several areas. — KUNA

 ??  ?? KUWAIT: Aerial view of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway Project.
KUWAIT: Aerial view of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway Project.
 ??  ?? An artist’s rendition of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway. — KUNA photos
An artist’s rendition of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway. — KUNA photos
 ??  ?? A new road project in Kuwait.
A new road project in Kuwait.
 ??  ?? Constructi­on works for a bridge connecting Boubyan Island with the mainland, built as part of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port mega project.
Constructi­on works for a bridge connecting Boubyan Island with the mainland, built as part of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port mega project.

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