Turkish president calls to boost trade with Gulf

KUWAIT: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launch the start of construction of a new Kuwait International Airport terminal yesterday. - KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially launched the start of construction of a new terminal at Kuwait International Airport yesterday, in a ceremony attended by senior dignitaries from Kuwait, Turkey and the Gulf.

The new passenger terminal is being built by award-winning Turkish construction company Limak Holding and a local partner, Kharafi National. The expansion will triple capacity to 25 million passengers a year and accommodate all types of aircraft through 51 gates and stands. It is the largest contract to date for a Turkish company in Kuwait.

"This project is a testament to the special ties shared by Kuwait and Turkey," Erdogan noted, adding that he was confident that "Kuwaitis would soon reap the benefits of a robust aviation sector". The Turkish president pointed out that "there has been substantial progress and development in Kuwait as of late and that the region is fortunate to have His Highness the Amir".

"We want to develop trade volume with the Gulf states, which last year reached $17.4 billion," Erdogan said. "Compared with the potential we have, this size is below the required level," the Turkish leader said. Erdogan, who told reporters he was happy with his government's political ties with the GCC, had previously said he aims to boost cooperation in the economic and defense sectors. Turkish companies have been awarded around $51 billion of contracts across the GCC over the past 14 years, Erdogan said. Turkish firms have been involved in projects worth a total of $6.5 billion in Kuwait.

Erdogan also touched on HH the Amir's recent visit to Turkey, which has been a magnet for some 180,000 Kuwaiti tourists. He added that the terminal "fits into Kuwait's 2035 development plan". "Peace and prosperity in the world is contingent on the stability of our region and Kuwaiti's special ties with Turkey could be the catalyst for increased cooperation in the Middle East," Erdogan said

Minister of Public Works Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa said the project is designed to handle 25 million passengers a year and is scalable for an additional 25 million in the future. "It's designed to the highest international standards - a Class A classification, the highest airport classification. The airport is environmentally friendly and energy efficient and will recycle water to be used in irrigation and landscaping. In addition, the airport will include solar panels placed on the roof to generate enough energy to power 10 percent of the terminal's electricity consumption, making it one of the best airports in the world once construction is completed," he said.

Mutawa said the ministry of public works has ensured that this vital project will create many job opportunities for Kuwaiti youth and local companies. "Forty Kuwaiti engineers will work on this project, in addition to a group of technicians, administrative and accounting staff. We also ensured the transfer of knowledge and technology to our national cadres and companies," added Mutawa.

The project is part of an $8.2 billion strategic development plan for the Kuwait airport that also includes a new runway, a control tower and a smaller passenger terminal, President of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah said. The development plan is expected to be completed in 2020. Sheikh Salman noted that this dynamic and important project will meet the aspirations of travelers in terms of advanced systems, technologies, services and high levels of safety and security, in addition to being an environmentally-friendly project.

Over the past 10 years, air traffic has increased by 10 percent annually, with the numbers of passengers travelling through Kuwait International Airport reaching 12 million passengers in 2016. "According to projections and forecasts, the number of passengers is expected to exceed 23 million in 2027. This project will contribute to the development of the country's economy and tourism and will enhance Kuwait's status globally by keeping up with the continuous developments of air traffic and offering investment opportunities to the private sector that guarantee financial returns to the state's treasury and create job opportunities for Kuwaiti youth in all specialties," stressed Sheikh Salman.

The new terminal was initially scheduled to be completed within six years, but Limak Chairman Nihat Ozdemir predicted it may be done within four years. "This airport will be a state-of-the-art landmark airport by all measures, and a world-class gateway for Kuwait. This project is more than a construction project - it's a link between the two countries: Kuwait and Turkey, between two economies, between two societies. As a result of this link, new technologies are currently being introduced and transferred, new jobs are currently being created in Kuwait, and planned local procurement in Kuwait will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, all while we train and equip Kuwaiti men and women of the future through the various education and empowerment initiatives that we are pursuing in Kuwait today," he said.

By Nawara Fattahova and Agencies