Al-Jalahma: Kuwait attaches great importance to supporting innovation, empowering youth, and entrepreneurship

State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs, Dr. Tariq Al-Jalahma, affirmed that Kuwait attaches great importance to supporting innovation, empowering youth, and fostering entrepreneurship, in line with Kuwait Vision 2035 and the conviction that investing in human capital is the fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development and building a knowledge-based economy.

This statement was made by Minister Al-Jalahma during his speech at the opening of the “Seventh Gulf Virtual Conference on Techno-Innovation, Techno-Entrepreneurship, and Techno-Artificial Intelligence for Economic Diversification” yesterday. The conference, held under his patronage and lasting two days via the Zoom platform, aims to advance these goals.

Minister Al-Jalahma noted that this aligns with the statements made by His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the final communiqué of the 45th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, which emphasized the necessity of focusing on economic diversification and innovation as two core pillars for achieving sustainable growth.

He added that these directions serve as a catalyst for continuing joint Gulf efforts, exchanging expertise, and adopting initiatives that enhance the innovation ecosystem, open new horizons for youth and entrepreneurs, and contribute to achieving development and prosperity for the peoples of the GCC member states.

For her part, Conference Chair Dr. Hanadi Al-Mubarak stated in her address that the conference is committed to unifying Gulf and Arab efforts, exchanging expertise, and building effective partnerships between the public and private sectors to create an environment that stimulates innovation and smart digital production, thereby strengthening the position of the GCC countries in this field.

Al-Mubarak added that the conference stems from the Gulf-Arab Initiative for Economic Diversification launched in 2020, which intersects with the countries’ vision to enhance the digital transformation infrastructure, particularly in the public sector, to facilitate operations and services.

She clarified that this vision also relies on increasing private sector participation and developing non-oil sectors to diversify income sources, in addition to supporting Gulf and Arab visions that meet the aspirations of the peoples and elevate cooperation across various fields.

The conference features more than 100 local, Gulf, and international experts, prominent figures, inventors, and 10 startups, and includes 18 dialogue sessions.