KUWAIT CITY — Omar Al-Omar, the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and acting Minister of Information and Culture, announced that the newly signed commitment document for the fixed-line telecommunications network development project marks one of Kuwait’s largest strategic digital infrastructure partnerships, with investments surpassing KD 825 million. The signing ceremony brought together the Ministry of Communications, the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP), and Bahraini telecom group Beyon, which was selected as the winning investor. Al-Omar emphasized that this 50-year partnership reflects Kuwait’s dedication to building a sustainable, modern digital infrastructure capable of supporting the rapid expansion of cloud computing and the digital economy. He framed the initiative as a long-term national investment that will form the backbone of future government services and technological growth, directly aligning with the economic diversification goals of Kuwait Vision 2035. Beyond its technological impact, the project carries significant social and economic dimensions, as it aims to generate high-quality jobs for local talent and will eventually allow citizens to buy into the project company via a public offering.
Asma Al-Mousa, the acting Director General of KAPP, highlighted the project as a qualitative leap forward for Kuwait’s digital transformation that introduces a highly successful framework for public-private partnerships. She elaborated on the agreement’s strict localization mandates, noting that the partnership requires at least 65% of the project company’s workforce to be Kuwaiti citizens. Furthermore, 50% of the company’s shares will be allocated for public subscription to citizens, a structural setup designed to encourage local investment and a culture of personal saving. Al-Mousa also credited the joint efforts of the Ministry of Finance, KAPP, and their respective advisory teams for successfully orchestrating the complex evaluation process.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of Beyon Group, affirmed that the long-term initiative serves as a structural foundation for the New Kuwait 2035 vision, accelerating regional digital transformation while transitioning the country toward an innovation- and knowledge-based economy. He pointed to the steady developmental progress being made under the guidance of the leadership in both nations and noted that Beyon brings extensive regional experience to the venture, having successfully deployed fiber-optic network expansions across Bahrain, Jordan, and the Maldives. The high-profile event was also attended by Minister of Finance Yaqoub Al-Rifai, CITRA Chairman Khaled Al-Zamil, acting Ministry of Communications Undersecretary Eng. Meshaal Al-Zaid, and Bahrain’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Salah Al-Maliki.
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