YPA aims to build capacities and harness skills of youth

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Youth Public Authority (YPA) Director General Abdulrahman Al- Mutairi addresses the China-Kuwait Youth Forum yesterday.— Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Kuwait's Youth Public Authority (YPA) aims to draw upon the Chinese model to empower youth and increase their contribution to state building, YPA Director General Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi has said. The YPA's strategy focuses on participatory planning and studying more than 100 success stories and experiments from around the globe, Al-Mutairi said in a speech at the China-Kuwait youth forum, organized by the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait on Sunday. The YPA benefited from the Chinese experiment in this regard as China is the world's second largest economy.

The official lauded China's administrative principles, particularly the simplification of procedures. He pointed to the Chinese experiment in selecting national cadres and minimizing departments and sections, with the aim of boosting investment. Al-Mutairi emphasized that YPA aims to build capacities and harness skills of youth as well as create the supportive environment for unconventional learning and thinking. He clarified that the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's to transform the country into a global commercial hub prompted the authority to focus more on empowering youth and developing their skills to serve the society. Meanwhile, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait Zahao Liang said that Chinese-Kuwaiti relations have quickly developed over the past years. He described 2017 as the year of harvest.

The volume of trade between the two sides in 2017 reached $8.3 billion, he said adding that they have also signed new construction contracts at a total value of $2.8 billion.

On cultural exchange, Liang said "fruitful accomplishments have been chalked up", as Kuwait has become the first Gulf state to sign an agreement with the Chinese government to set up a cultural center. He affirmed his country's readiness to intensify reciprocal visits with the Kuwaiti side and strengthen friendship bonds. China is also eager to promote cooperation with Kuwait in the economic and commercial fields, and to contribute to the projects of Kuwait's Silk City and islands as well as others which serve the two nations' interests, he concluded. - KUNA