In Video: Al-Marzouq: Industry is a Pillar of the Economy

Abdulaziz Al-Marzouq, representative of His Highness Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment and Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, stated that the High Patronage of His Highness the Amir for the Industrial Excellence Award reflects the leadership’s commitment to supporting the national industry and enhancing its role in the development process. He noted that the industrial sector serves as a fundamental pillar in building a diversified and sustainable economy by boosting local production, increasing the competitiveness of Kuwaiti products, and creating high-quality opportunities for national talent, in line with the aspirations of the State of Kuwait.

Al-Marzouq added, during the ceremony of the Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award – Seventh Edition, that amid rapid transformations, industrial competitiveness has become linked to innovation, technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, as well as fostering an attractive environment for industrial investment.

For his part, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Industry, Shamlan Al-Jahdali, said that the Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award reflects the keen interest and continuous support of our wise leadership for the national industry, based on its belief in its pivotal role in building a strong and sustainable economy. He noted that the Public Authority for Industry continues its efforts to support the industrial sector and provide an enabling environment for growth and development, in alignment with the State of Kuwait’s development directions.

The Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award embodies this direction, contributing to consolidating a culture of excellence and encouraging industrial establishments to improve their performance and adopt best practices.

For more details: A representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad attended the ceremony of the Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award – Seventh Edition. Al-Marzouq: The industrial sector is a fundamental pillar in building a diversified and sustainable economy.

Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Marzouq, representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment, acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, stated that the high patronage of His Highness the Amir for the Industrial Excellence Award reflects the leadership’s commitment to supporting the national industry and enhancing its role in the development process. He noted that the industrial sector serves as a fundamental pillar in building a diversified and sustainable economy by boosting local production, increasing the competitiveness of Kuwaiti products, and creating high-quality opportunities for national talents, in line with the aspirations of the State of Kuwait.

Al-Marzouq added during the ceremony for the Seventh Edition of His Highness the Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award that, amid rapid transformations, industrial competitiveness has become linked to innovation, technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, as well as creating an attractive environment for industrial investment. He emphasized that the award embodies these aspirations by motivating enterprises and entrepreneurs to improve their performance, adopt best practices, and consolidate a culture of excellence and innovation within the Kuwaiti industrial sector.

Al-Marzouq congratulated the winning factories and entrepreneurs of this edition, hoping that this achievement would serve as a catalyst for further development and that their experiences would serve as inspiring national models.

Speaking on his part, Shamlan Hamoud Al-Jahdali, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Industry, said, “We celebrate at this ceremony a select group of enterprises and entrepreneurs who have made quality, innovation, and development a cornerstone of their industrial journey.”

He noted that the award reflects the keen interest and continuous support of the wise leadership for the national industry, based on its pivotal role in building a strong and sustainable economy. He added that the industrial sector is a key pillar in diversifying the national economy and enhancing the competitiveness of Kuwaiti products. From this perspective, the Public Authority for Industry continues its efforts to support this sector and provide an environment conducive to growth and development, aligning with the State of Kuwait’s developmental trends. The award serves as a manifestation of this trend, contributing to consolidating a culture of excellence and encouraging industrial enterprises to develop their performance and adopt best practices.

He stated, “The importance of the award extends beyond honoring the winners; it serves as a platform for evaluation and continuous improvement, helping enterprises identify development opportunities and enhance their capabilities. The fact that the award has reached its seventh edition confirms its success and the continuity of its mission to support the Kuwaiti industrial sector. In this edition, the Authority has updated the award criteria to align with modern concepts of organizational excellence, based on the American Baldrige model, while emphasizing key areas for the future of industry, primarily sustainability, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.”

Al-Jahdali thanked all enterprises that participated in the seventh edition, noting that participation itself reflects a genuine desire for development and the pursuit of higher levels of efficiency. He concluded, “The Public Authority for Industry will continue to support initiatives that contribute to the development and competitiveness of the Kuwaiti industrial sector, and we look forward to the award continuing its role in highlighting outstanding industrial models and consolidating a culture of continuous improvement.”

In a separate statement to journalists, Al-Jahdali said, “We are working on developing basic industries such as food and pharmaceuticals. We have a strategy approved by the Council of Ministers targeting these sectors in collaboration with all state entities. We are currently reaping the results of the first phase, and the future holds more.”

Regarding the possibility of seeing Kuwaiti heavy, light, and medium industries such as automobiles, vehicles, and home appliances, he noted that the Authority’s board of directors has established regulations aimed at attracting such industries in cooperation with state entities like the Direct Investment Promotion Authority, with results expected by the end of the current year.

Al-Jahdali emphasized that Kuwait has more than 120 exporting factories, and experiences during wars and crises have proven that national products, particularly food and pharmaceuticals, are available. This demonstrates that the government and political leadership are committed to supporting serious developers. He added, “Our instructions, guided by the political leadership, are to assist and support those who are serious.”

When asked about geopolitical challenges and their impact on the industrial sector in Kuwait, he said, “Certainly, the recent war and the unjust Iranian aggression targeted food, steel, ports, and airports. This affected the import of raw materials and exports. However, only factories exporting to Gulf countries managed to continue exporting. By the grace of God, our wise leadership guided us, and we managed to contain the situation through supporting essential materials and factories. Additionally, the Authority’s support for Kuwaiti factories, including customs exemptions and symbolic rent, has strengthened the industrial sector. God willing, we will not be shaken in these or other circumstances.”

He affirmed that the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, for the seventh edition of the Industrial Excellence Award confirms the political leadership’s commitment to supporting the industrial sector and enhancing its growth and development.

He pointed out that in this edition, the Authority adopted the American Baldrige model, which led to increased competition in areas such as environmental conservation, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. He explained that the goal of these awards is not merely to honor winners but to ensure continuous development and reliance on local products according to the highest standards. The awards also address entrepreneurs and how they work in factories to develop production lines and reduce emissions, introducing a new category. He added, “The results are clear, with developments in products, production lines, sustainability, and emission reductions.”

At the end of the ceremony, industrial enterprises that passed the evaluation stages and won the Seventh Edition of His Highness the Amir’s Industrial Excellence Award were honored.

In the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries sector, the Kuwait Dairy Company and the Kuwait-Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries Company won.

In the Chemical and Petrochemical Industries sector, the National Company for Chemical and Petrochemical Industries won.

In the Metal Industries sector, Kuwait Kirby for Modern Buildings won, and it also won the commendatory award in Environmental Management and Sustainability.

Gulf Group for Cables and Electrical Industries won the commendatory award in Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence.

In the Industrial Entrepreneur category, Kuwaiti Industrial Gases for General Trading and Contracting won first place, while Yousuf Nasser Al-Muna’im from Nasser Al-Muna’im and Sons for General Trading and Contracting won second place.

The award also honored qualified industrial enterprises across various categories in recognition of their efforts to achieve excellence in organizational performance. These include Angali for Import and Export and Agency, the First Company for Iron Manufacturing, Sadir for General Trading and Contracting, and Madad Pack for Manufacturing Cardboard Boxes and Paper Bags.

The ceremony also honored the judging panel members: Prof. Dr. Tariq Abdulmohsen Al-Duwaisan, Dr. Ali Muhammad Kharib, and Panel Head Eng. Adhari Abbas Al-Mahmoud, along with Eng. Rana Hussein Al-Mousa, Eng. Iman Qais Fairuz, Maha Isaac Abdulrahman, Areej Al-Hadi Ahmad, Eng. Hawraa Mohammed Al-Qattan, Eng. Sara Abdullah Al-Jassim, Eng. Hawraa Hussein Kabli, and Manal Jassim Al-Majani.