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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015
LOCAL
Kuwait to build airport, aerotropolis in Iraq
‘$1.35bn project will take five years to complete’
Sager stresses Kuwait
Japan businessmen
committee meeting
KUWAIT: Head of the Kuwaiti side at the Kuwaiti-Japanese
Businessmen Committee Khaled Al-Sager underlined here
yesterday the significance of the committee’s 19th annual
meeting due on Wednesday.In a news remark after a
preparatory meeting held on Sunday, Al-Sager said that
the 19th meeting would be held under the auspices of
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State
for Development and Planning Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh and
with the participation of
several governmental
and non-governmental
bodies. Representatives
of ministries of Electricity
and Water, Health, and
Transport as well as the
Kuwaiti Institute for
Scientific Research, the
Kuwait
Banking
Association and Public
Authority for Housing
Welfare will take part in
the gathering, he noted.
The participation in
the meeting reflects
Head of the Kuwaiti side at the keenness of the Kuwaiti
Kuwaiti-Japanese Businessmen leadership to cement
Committee Khaled Al-Sager
relations with Japan, he
said, noting the Kuwaiti
side would present a working paper on the state’s economy and its comprehensive development plan.
Also the paper will include local major projects in housing and studies of developing and securing the sector of
electricity and water, as well the Metro project, he pointed
out. The Japanese side, Al-Sager added, includes a number
of officials and several bodies will present some aspects
relating to the new growth strategy in Japan and a briefing on its economy. The Japanese technology used for the
production of water and power, as well as for the medical
sector and thermal solar systems will also be presented, he
concluded. — KUNA
KUWAIT: The Al Nasriyah Al Kuwaitiah Company’s wining of
a contract to build and operate the Diwaniya Airport and
Aerotropolis in South Iraq comes within the framework of
Kuwait’s role and efforts to help neighboring Iraq restore its
economic, social and cultural renaissance, said the CEO of
Al Nasiryah Sheikha Eman Nasser Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah.
“The Airport and Aerotropolis, which Al Nasiryah Co. will
build and operate, will become the engine that drives the
socio-economic development of Southern and Central Iraq
for several decades and assist with Iraq’s goal of sustainable
economic development,” Sheikha Eman said in an interview
with KUNA. “It is also anticipated that the airport and aerotropolis will attract additional investments into Iraq and foster the further development of closer economic and political ties between Iraq, Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.”
Sheikha Eman also noted that the $1.35 billion-worth
contract was signed with representatives of Iraq’s National
Investment Commission and Diwaniya Governorate.
“Winning this big contract shows that the Kuwaiti private sector’s companies are capable of competing for and
executing the biggest projects in the world,” she said.
Kuwaiti companies are fiercely competing major national
and multinational companies on wining contracts of mega
projects, she added.
Free trade zone
The CEO of Al Nasiryah said the project comprises three
phases: The first phase for building the Airport, the second
for establishing a free trade zone and the third for building
the aerotropolis. “The first phase will take 26 month and the
whole project will take five years to complete,” she told
KUNA. “The project is a milestone for the economic growth
of the Diwaniya Governorate as it will create job opportunities in different domains and contribute to the Iraq rebuilding efforts to restore its pivotal role in the region,” she said.
She suggested that the experience of Kuwaiti companies, especially the Al Nasiryah Company, could be
employed to contribute to the infrastructure projects in
Iraq and help accelerate development process there.
Sheikha Eman said the airport will have an extremely
positive socio-economic impact on the Diwaniya and create
a large number of permanent jobs during its construction
and operation. “The whole area surrounding the project is
expected to see an economic boom which will be reflected
on the economic situation of families living there,” she clarified. She reiterated that the wining this contract is a considered a historic development in Kuwaiti-relations with Iraq
and an example of the speedy growth of the bilateral cooperation.
“Aside from the socio-economic importance of the air-
Kuwaiti pavilion at the 35th International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR 2015) in Spain.
Kuwait tourism
pavilion popular
MADRID: The Kuwaiti pavilion at the
35th International Tourism Trade Fair
(FITUR 2015) in Spain has been warmly
received by visitors many of whom want
to learn more about the country’s tourist
monuments.
In a statement to KUNA, head of the
public relations and media department
at the Touristic Enterprises Company
Saqer Al-Bader said that the company,
which has been participating in the fair
for many years, seeks mainly to show
Kuwait’s monuments and varied tourist
sites. “The participation at the fair aims at
shedding light on our customs, traditions, heritage, culture, the urban renaissance and different achievements in the
country,” he said.
He described the fair as a significant
platform where the company meets with
several public authorities and private
institutions from Spain and other countries to exchange expertise relating to
tourist facilities.
Al-Bader noted that the company
works on implementing new projects
that will be released soon and started fully modernizing and developing its facilities as planned. “The Kuwaiti government
pays a special attention to the tourist
projects to revive constantly this sector,”
he added. Hamoud Al-Dabous, a tourist
official, said that Kuwait is keen on
attracting a large number of tourists,
mainly from the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) member states, due to its
appropriate sites that meet the needs of
all families.Kuwait is currently participating in the FITUR 2015 along with 164 other countries, including some Arab states
like UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt,
Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
The FITUR is a key event for the international tourism sector that showcased a
multitude of products from different
countries, autonomous regions of Spain,
tour operators, airlines, service companies, travel agencies, and hotels. — KUNA
Cold wave
still worries
citizens
KUWAIT: Citizens began
wearing lighter clothes in the
past few days, as they started
feeling a stability in the
atmosphere, which seemed
somewhat like summer, but
fear from a cold wave still
worries citizens, meteorologist Essa Ramadan had the
same expectations as citizens, but still said there
should be caution during the
night, and not to take drops
of temperature lightly.
Ramadan
expected
Monday and Tuesday to have
relatively low temperatures,
then they will rise between
24 and 29 degrees. He said
there is no fear of bitter cold,
because “winter this summer
is poor and drop of temperature come late.”
CEO of Al Nasiryah Sheikha Eman Nasser Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah during the signing of the contract. — KUNA
port for southern and central Iraq, it is a remarkable mile- air freight and passenger operations for southern and censtone in the establishment of closer economic ties between tral Iraq.
The airport will occupy 7,000 donums (17.5 million sqm
Kuwait and Iraq,” she told KUNA.
She went on to say that “Given the significance of the or 1,750 hectares) of land adjacent to Highway 1 outside of
Airport project, it had also received the prior approval of Diwaniya, she said, noting that “once the airport is fully
the Iraqi Premier Haider Al-Abadi as well as of the Iraqi cabi- operational, it will become the foundation upon which Al
net.” The ground breaking for the $420 million-first phase Nasriyah is going to develop an entire aerotropolis”.
She added that this full service aerotropolis will include
of the project will take place in the spring of 2015 and the
airport is projected to be fully operational in early 2017, she hotels and an entertainment district, exposition center,
unveiled. She elaborated that Al Nasriyah, in its capacity as public plaza, shopping center, hospital, medical center,
the airport sponsor and developer, will lead an internation- sports complex, industrial parks, university campus,
al consortium of airport consultants, engineers and EPC research and technology park, just-in-time manufacturing
facilities, and mixed use commercial and residential houscontractors to design, build and operate it for 45 years.
The extraordinary investment and project are a culmina- ing. The aerotropolis will occupy an additional 7,000 dontion of nearly one year of meetings and negotiations that ums (17.5 million sq. m. or 1,750 hectares) of land that will
first began when Diwaniya Governor Dr Ammar Al-Madani be leased to Al Nasriyah once that phase of the project is
and Al Nasriyah signed a Memorandum of Understanding ready to be commenced. The airport and aerotropolis will
in April of 2014, when it was also approved by the Ministry result in a total investment of USD 1.35 billion once all three
phases of the project are completed, she said.
of Transportation, she said.
Al Nasriyah Al Kuwaitiah Company signed late January
the 45 year-land lease license for the Airport in Diwaniya in
Largest cargo facility
Sheikha Eman pointed out that the airport will be the a ceremony attended by a large number of Iraqi and
largest cargo air facility in Iraq and will provide full service Kuwaiti officials. — KUNA