31 January 2017
● On January 30, 2017, the Government of Kuwait unveiled the country's Vision 2035 and National Development Plan, branded as "New Kuwait".

● The "New Kuwait" development plan intends to transform Kuwait into a financial, cultural, and institutional leader in the region by 2035, and is based on five strategic directions and the following seven pillars: Public Administration, Economy, Infrastructure, Living Environment, Healthcare, Human Capital, and Global Position.

● In addition to initiatives mentioned during the launch ceremony, "New Kuwait" aims to introduce 164 strategic programs, projects, and initiatives, recognize the diligent continuing efforts of government leaders and project managers, and reinforce the importance of government responsiveness and citizen collaboration.

Kuwait - In an event attended by leaders of Kuwait’s private sector, the Government of Kuwait today unveiled its vision and plan to transform the country into a regional financial, cultural, and institutional leader by the year 2035 through 164 strategic development programs.

H.E. the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said in his opening address, “Today we launch a vision reinforced with an achievable and measurable plan for a New Kuwait. Today we launch initiatives that will transform our economy, create jobs, attract foreign direct investments and facilitate knowledge transfer in the fields of renewable energy, information technology, and the services sector. Today we launch a consolidated and comprehensive strategy that will empower and inspire the country for generations to come.”

The Kuwait National Development Plan, branded as “New Kuwait”, sets the nation’s long-term development priorities. It is organized around five themes, or desired outcomes, and seven pillars, or areas of focus for investment and improvement. Each pillar has a number of strategic programs and projects that are designed to have the most impact on achieving the vision of a New Kuwait.

The plan was presented and discussed in an open forum by Ministers of the country’s newly formed government, led by the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H.E. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, and included their Excellencies the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Social Affairs and Labor, Housing Affairs, Health, Commerce and Industry, Public Works, Oil, Education, and Awqaf & Islamic Affairs.

Kuwait National Development Plan short-to-medium terms objectives:

●     Position Kuwait as a global hub for the petrochemical industry

●     Increase direct foreign investment by 300% and attract more than 400 million Kuwaiti Dinars to information technology, services, and renewable energy in the short-term medium term

●     Develop the country’s tourism sector to generate additional revenue streams and create a new jobs market

●     Continued investment in infrastructure projects, and further develop the country’s transportation and power sectors by building on the recent success in IWPP and PPP projects

●     Build on the recent momentum in urban development and housing with the introduction of new master plan developments and cities

●     Introduce social and economic empowerment programs and care targeting youth, women, SMEs, and the elderly

●     Build on the country’s globally-leading humanitarian record regionally and globally

Kuwait National Development Plan’s Seven Strategic Pillars and Objectives:

Pillar 1: Public Administration, includes seven strategic programs

Objective: Reform administrative and bureaucratic practices to reinforce transparency, accountability and efficiency in the government.

Pillar 2: Economy

Objective: Develop a prosperous and diversified economy to reduce the country’s dependency on oil export revenues.

Pillar 3: Infrastructure

Objective: Develop and modernize the national infrastructure to improve the quality of life for all citizens.

Pillar 4: Living Environment

Objective: Ensure the availability of living accommodation through environmentally sound resources and tactics.

Pillar 5: Healthcare

Objective: Improve service quality and develop national capabilities in the public healthcare system at a reasonable cost.

Pillar 6: Human Capital

Objective: Reform the education system to better prepare youth to become competitive and productive members of the workforce.

Pillar 7: Global Position

Objective: Enhance Kuwait’s regional and global presence in spheres such as diplomacy, trade, culture, and philanthropy.

Built into the plan are 20 key global indicators, and additional sub-indicators, each tracking and measuring Kuwait’s progress with the plan and its performance compared to other countries. The global indicator ranks are out of a percentile of 100, 1 being at top of the rankings and 100 being at the bottom. Kuwait is aiming, in all indicators, for a position within the top 35 percent of countries by 2035. The initiative’s website, newkuwait.gov.kw, serves as information center and progress tracker for the plan.

The event was held at Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center, and attended by prominent leaders of Kuwait’s private sector, including investment and banking, commerce, retail, services, and communications, as well as diplomats, entrepreneurs, and representatives of various government entities.

-Ends-

For more information on the Kuwait National Development Plan ‘New Kuwait’, or to track progress, please visit newkuwait.gov.kw.  

For media inquiries, please contact:
Yasmeen Al-Saleh – Bensirri PR - +965 96042452 – yasmeen@bensirri.com

© Press Release 2017