KUWAIT: The State Award will be given to winners through a transparent process that would take into consideration the high-quality of entries, said Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

This statement came while Sheikh Salman was heading the meeting for the State award committee, the Ministry of Information said in a statement early yesterday. Sheikh Salman said that the State award was in line with the government stance in supporting people who had provided valuable services to Kuwait. Separately, Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud has affirmed that the national relevant authorities are preparing for distinguished celebrations for the occasion, Kuwait Capital of Islamic Culture 2016.

Emerging from a meeting of the steering committee, held late on Friday, Sheikh Salman, who is also the Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, said the concerned authorities would seek to transmit several messages to the world; Kuwait's particular interest in culture and its advocacy of Islam as a religion of tolerance. He expressed deep gratitude to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for patronizing the cultural event. The Premier is also president of the organizing commission.

A work plan prepared by the cultural council was examined at the meeting, he said, indicating that it deals with organization of seminars and various other activities during the event schedule. "The discussions dealt with the outlook to promote the humanitarian and philanthropic activities, Kuwait is renowned of, as well as involving the youth in the event activities in addition to marketing the Kuwaiti tourism culture," he said.

The discussions during the meeting also touched on the planned inauguration of the two cultural centers, Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center and Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Center, in 2016, "that is in addition to selecting some landmarks to be enlisted in the record of the global heritage sites such as Failaka island, Kuwait Towers and Abdullah Al-Jaber Cultural Center," the minister added. He affirmed that the participants in the meeting agreed on the necessity of marketing the event locally and abroad, with a sound and well-pondered media strategy.

The meeting was attended by the cultural council Secretary General, Ali Al-Yoha, other council's officials, Deputy General Director and Chief Editor of Kuwait News Agency Saad Al-Ali and the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Daoud Al-Asousi. Other officials from the Ministry of Information and State departments were also present in the meeting. - KUNA