KUWAIT: Commercial Councilor Jeff Hamilton (left) and Press Attache Heather Ward attend a press conference organized by the US Embassy in Kuwait yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The US Embassy in Kuwait is organizing two weeks of activities to mark the sixth annual Discover America event. The activities will start on October 26 and run through November 9, 2018. Discover America is organized by the US Foreign Commercial Service Office in collaboration with the Public Affairs section of the US Embassy in Kuwait.

During a press conference held at the embassy, Commercial Councilor Jeff Hamilton said the Discover America event will highlight US brands, food, film, music, education, business knowhow and tourism. "Discover America started from Kuwait six years ago and expanded to other GCC countries except Saudi Arabia, and we are happy with this expansion," he said.

Hamilton added that Kuwait is a significant partner of the United States, and the embassy will continue to promote the United States as a trusted and profitable destination for further investment. "Our investments and trade reflect the deep ties between our two countries. Our US trade of goods to Kuwait was over $5.2 billion in 2017. US services such as education, tourism and medical care were valued at over $2 billion in the same year. As for the trade from Kuwait, it's $3 billion," he said.

He noted that in 2017, more than 14,500 Kuwaiti students went to the US for further studies, and Kuwaitis entered the United States more than 87,000 times for tourism. "There are approximately 200 US companies in Kuwait. They are present in most sectors, including oil and gas, defense, architecture, healthcare and automotive. Many Kuwaiti companies own US franchises here as well and we will witness the opening of American cafe BJ 's," he said. He added seminars will be held on "How to buy an American franchise" and "How to supply to the US military based in Kuwait". A seminar on American tourism will also be held, where an officer will speak about visa requirements.

Press Attache Heather Ward announced that the first event on Discover America 'Fun Run' has sold out, as more than 300 people signed up for the event that will take place at Boulevard in Salmiya on Friday. "Discover America is the best way to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. To promote a healthy lifestyle, we organized the fun run. A bicycle ride will also be held at Kuwait University's Shuwaikh campus," she said.

She added that the movie "First Man" about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, will be screened at Vox Cinema at The Avenues. There will also be a film screening of the Academy Award winning film Patton at Yarmouk Cultural Center. Ward said many companies participating in Discover America have expressed their support through special promotions and discounts at several American restaurants and retail stores.

By Faten Omar