After Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port opens post-2019

KUWAIT: This file photo shows containers stacked up at Shuwaikh Port

KUWAIT: Kuwait may close down Shuwaikh Port and nearby plants sometime in the future due to their negative environmental impact on Kuwait Bay, a senior government official said. Director of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah did not provide an estimated date for when the key port could be closed, but indicated that this plan is likely to be implemented once Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port opens. The Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, a major project currently under construction at Boubyan Island, is set to be completed by late 2019, while an opening date is yet to be determined. Shuwaikh Port is considered Kuwait's most important commercial port and covers 320 hectares of land and 120 hectares of water surface.

EPA is about to mandate some state departments to use special treatment plants through which they can contribute to protecting both marine and air environments, Sheikh Abdullah said. He added that factories will be mandated to conduct environmental studies prior to being allowed to expand or operate.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah added that moving the used tire dump from its current location in Rehaya to a new one will take a year, as the total number of tires has exceeded 24 million, which requires hiring three companies to work on moving them. Once the site is cleared, it will be handed over to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare to be used for housing projects.

International investors

The General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development plans to update a number of projects to improve the system of following up the five-year development plan and developmental projects' feasibility studies using technological systems that suit international investors. In this regard, informed sources said the report that the secretariat prepared for the 2035 New Kuwait vision was made according to advanced bases with the aim of improving the private sector's business environment and attract more regional and international investors.

The program will realize basic infrastructure in industrial areas, free zones, housing areas and new cities, as well as improve local products' quality and increase GDP, the sources noted. The sources added that improving Kuwait's ranking in the communities conditions index will contribute to improving trade, finance, insurance and education rates, which confirms that Kuwait adopts advanced liberal economic policies despite geopolitical developments in the Middle East.

By A Saleh