Transport & Logistics
From The Report: Kuwait 2022
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Under its overarching economic development plan, New Kuwait 2035, the government is working to strategically harness the country’s location on the Gulf to transform its transport and logistics industries into key contributors to GDP. Several significant upgrades to existing transport infrastructure are at an advanced stage, while a new logistics belt is a key component of the Madinat Al Hareer, or Silk City, development – New Kuwait 2035’s flagship project. However, progress on a raft of other proposed developments that could, if completed, unlock latent economic potential for the country has stalled in recent years due to both internal and external factors, including political disagreements, complex business procedures and fluctuating international oil prices. Within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of strong infrastructure and logistics became more evident than ever. It brought a renewed determination from Kuwait’s authorities to modernise transport infrastructure to the level required to fully realise its economic diversification plans, and facilitate the movement of people and goods within and across borders. 

This chapter contains an interview with Maen Mahmoud Razouqi, CEO, Kuwait Airways.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Network of the future: Rehabilitating, upgrading, and expanding existing services and infrastructure to meet New Kuwait 2035 goals
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Under its overarching economic development plan, New Kuwait 2035, Kuwait’s government is working to strategically harness the country’s location on the Gulf to transform its transport and logistics industries into key contributors to GDP. Several significant upgrades to existing transport infrastructure are at an advanced stage, while a new logistics belt is a key component of the Madinat Al Hareer, or Silk City, development – New Kuwait 2035’s flagship project. However, progress on a raft…

Interview

New heights: Maen Mahmoud Razouqi, CEO, Kuwait Airways, on enhancing operational efficiencies and improving the customer experience
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Interview:Maen Mahmoud Razouqi How can national carriers in the Gulf capitalise on opportunities stemming from emerging dynamics in the global travel industry? MAEN MAHMOUD RAZOUQI: Although 43 airlines around the world have declared bankruptcy since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the overall outlook for the industry is positive. The industry expects that by 2035 passenger numbers will double from 2019 levels, increasing from 4bn to 8bn globally each year. Two billion of those passengers are…

Analysis

Promoting development: Large-scale development initiatives are expected to enhance domestic and global connectivity
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In July 2021 Kuwait Port Authority (KPA) announced plans to establish a series of logistics cities on recently acquired land adjacent to several major ports across the country. The project is expected to be completed by 2025 at an investment of $400m. The proposed cities would be located on a combined area of 1.9m sq metres around Doha Port – with the new facility spanning 270,000 sq metres to the south-east and 300,000 sq metres to the south-west of the maritime centre – Shuwaikh Port (317,355…

Analysis

Riding the rails: How the GCC Railway could revolutionise trade and transport in the Gulf, and improve connectivity within the region
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Following delays, the long-awaited GCC Railway looks likely to be revitalised – a move that could transform trade and connectivity across the Gulf. The initiative was given a significant boost in December 2021 when leaders of the six GCC countries approved the establishment of the GCC Railways Authority, the body that will oversee the coordination of the project. The decision marks a potentially significant development for rail infrastructure in the region. In 2009, after a decades-long debate,…